Herbs & tradition
Plants and herbs in myths, historical herbals and folk traditions, read as symbols.
The almond tree: the watchful tree, Aaron's rod and the mandorla
The almond as a symbol: Jeremiah's wordplay, Aaron's budding rod, the menorah, Phyllis and Demophon, the mandorla of sacred art and Van Gogh's blossoms.
The apple in myth: Hesperides, discord, Idunn and the isle of Avalon
The apple in tradition: the golden apples of the Hesperides, Eris's apple, Atalanta, Idunn's apples, Avalon the isle of apples and the malum pun.
The asphodel: the meadow of souls in Homer's Hades
The asphodel between Homer and Hesiod: the meadow where the shades walk, humble food of the poor, its link with the daffodil and a plant of the border.
Basil: the royal herb between Lisabetta, the Cross and tulsi
Basil as a symbol: its royal Greek name, Lisabetta of Messina's pot in the Decameron, the Cross found again in Eastern Christianity, and Indian tulsi.
Clytie, the heliotrope and the sunflower: flowers that face the sun
The myth of Clytie in the Metamorphoses, the heliotrope of the ancients, the sunflower's arrival from the Americas and the sun-turning flower of emblems.
The fern and the invisible flower: legends of a flowerless plant
The fern in tradition: the flower that blooms at midnight on Kupala night, Gogol, the seed that makes one invisible and the meaning of the hidden.
The gardens of Adonis and the anemone: beauty that lasts a day
Adonis and the anemone in the Metamorphoses, the Adonia with seed pots on rooftops, Plato and Theocritus, and the sprouted grain of Holy Thursday.
Historical herbals: from the Vienna Dioscorides to the hortus siccus
A history of herbals as books and images: Anicia Juliana's Dioscorides, the Pseudo-Apuleius herbal, Fuchs's portraits and Ghini's dried plants.
The hortus conclusus: the enclosed garden of the Middle Ages
The hortus conclusus from the Song of Songs to the cloister: the Persian paradise, the four rivers of Eden, Mary's garden and the sealed fountain.
The hyacinth: the flower of Apollo's lament and the Hyacinthia
The hyacinth in myth: Apollo and the fatal discus, the letters AI AI on the petals, its return with Ajax, the Hyacinthia of Amyclae and the old riddle.
Hyssop: the herb of purification from Passover to the Asperges
Hyssop in the Bible and liturgy: the bunch dipped at the first Passover, rites with cedar and scarlet, Psalm 51, the Asperges me and the sponge of Calvary.
Ivy: the plant of Dionysus between ecstasy, poetry and fidelity
Ivy as a symbol: the thyrsus and crown of Dionysus, Horace's ivy of the learned, Osiris in Plutarch, the tavern bush and evergreen faithfulness.
The laurel: from Apollo and Daphne to the poets' crown
Laurel as a symbol: the myth of Daphne, Delphi and the Pythian Games, the Roman triumph, Augustus's door, Petrarch's coronation and the meaning of laurea.
The lily: purity, the Annunciation and the flower of kings
The lily as a symbol: Hera's milk, the Gospel's lilies of the field, the Annunciation and the saints, the royal fleur-de-lis and the lily of Florence.
The lotus: the flower born from mud between Egypt and India
The lotus as a symbol: the blue water lily and the rising sun in Egypt, Brahma born from a lotus, the Bhagavad Gita's leaf and the jewel in the lotus.
The mandrake: legend of the root shaped like a human
The mandrake in the Bible, Theophrastus and medieval legend: the root's scream, the dog, the Germanic Alraune and the symbolic meaning of a feared plant.
Moly: the herb of Hermes that protected Odysseus from Circe
The moly of the Odyssey: black root and white flower, its name in the language of the gods, Hermes's gift against Circe and ancient allegories.
Myrtle: the plant of Venus between ovation, mysteries and weddings
Myrtle in tradition: sacred to Venus, crown of the Roman ovation and of the initiates of Eleusis, one of the four species of Sukkot and the bride's plant.
The narcissus: the flower of the mirror and of Persephone's abduction
The narcissus in myth and philosophy: Echo and Narcissus in Ovid, the flower that lured Persephone, Pausanias, Plotinus and the image in the water.
The palm: victory, martyrdom and the phoenix in the tree's symbol
The palm in tradition: Leto on Delos, the palm of victors and triumphs, the name shared with the phoenix, the Psalms, Palm Sunday and the martyrs.
The plant crowns of the Panhellenic Games: pine, celery and glory
Crowns of the sacred Greek games: wild olive at Olympia, laurel at Delphi, celery at Nemea, pine at the Isthmus. Celery's funeral meaning and Persians.
The poppy: sleep, oblivion and remembrance in a flower's symbol
The poppy in myth and history: Ovid's cave of Sleep, Demeter and the grain, Tarquin's tall poppies and the red flower that remembers the fallen of war.
Rosemary: the herb of remembrance between weddings and mourning
Rosemary in tradition: the dew of the sea, the blue flower of Mary's cloak, Ophelia's sprig, and the weddings and funerals of early modern Europe.
The sacred fig: from Rome's Ficus Ruminalis to the Bodhi tree
The fig in tradition: the Ficus Ruminalis of Rome's twins, the leaves of Eden, the prophets' vine and fig, the Gita's inverted tree and the Bodhi tree.
Vervain: the sacred herb of the Romans, the fetials and altars
Vervain and verbenae in ancient Rome: the boughs of the altars, the fetials and the verbenarius, its Greek name of sacred herb and the Calvary legend.