![]() Another account indicates that Apollo was wounded by an arrow of Eros (cupid) and fell madly in love with Daphne, who fled from his advances and was changed into the slender bay laurel moments before her capture. Versions vary one infers that the nymph Daphne was a fiercely independent, rather wild creature and rather than give herself to Apollo, she pleaded with her father, the river god Ladonas, to transform her. In the creation story of the Andaman Islanders of the Indian Ocean, the first man was born inside a large stalk of bamboo.īAY TREE, LAUREL: I change but in death The classical legend of the Bay tree’s origin was Daphne’s transformation into the laurel tree during her pursuit by Apollo. Because bamboo is sturdy and always green, many Asian countries regard it as a symbol of long life. The jointed, cane-like bamboo plant plays a role in Asian folklore. ![]() Demophon sacrificed to the almond tree, and in response, the tree blossomed.īAMBOO: The emblem of Buddha The seven-knotted bamboo denotes the seven degrees of initiation and invocation in Buddhism. As is often the case in Greek myths, the gods were so moved by her love, that they transformed her into the almond tree. He promised to return, but he miscalculated and arrived three months later to find that Phyllis had hanged herself. They had arranged to be married, but before the ceremony could take place, Demophon was recalled to Athens for the funeral of his father. One day the Greek sculptor Callimachus noticed this arrangement and was inspired to design the column ornament.ĬEMETERY PLANTINGS AND THEIRIN SYMBOLISM FLOWERS AND THEIR SYMBOLISM DEATHĪLMOND, FLOWERING: Hope, favor from God, Virgin birth For the ancient Greeks, the almond tree and its blossoms were associated with a legend a bout Demophon and Phyllis. An Acanthus plant grew around the basket and enclosed it. One legend says that after a young girl’s death, her nurse placed her possessions in a basket near her tomb. Its large leaves appear in many ancient sculptures, especially on top of columns in the Greek style called Corinthian. The acanthus plant grows throughout much of the Mediterranean region. When it comes to funerary art, the acanthus symbolises the heavenly garden. Egyptians often made coffins from the wood of the acacia tree.ĪCANTHUS: Heavenly garden One of the oldest cemetery motifs, acanthus is associated with the rocky ground where most ancient Greek cemeteries were situated. Isis found the pillar and broke it to release Osiris. Since the tree had a wonderful scent, it was used to make a pillar for the king’s palace. The coffer landed in Byblos and an acacia tree grew around it. According to legend, Set killed Osiris and put his body in a coffer and set it afloat on the Nile. DR JAN PENNEY GMCT Trust Member April 2016ĪCACIA: Immortality of the soul The Acacia Seyal, found in the Arabian deserts, is said to be the Shittah tree of the scriptures. Modern lawn cemeteries with rows of standard roses are a relatively new fashion in cemetery plantings. Cemeteries are usually surrounded by fences and hedges to enclose the consecrated grounds and trees such as Cypress or Pines were a common choice, both for their symbolism and for their long life span. But others, like Agapanthus, were simply selected for their hardiness. In Australia, some were selected to provide a link with common cemetery plants from the regions familiar to the new settlers. While their symbolism is often related to death, which is why they are common in cemeteries, it is also the fact that these trees or shrubs can survive with little upkeep which makes them ideal cemetery plants. Others have changed over time as these plants were brought into new places as people resettled. Many relate to the lands the plants originated from. Some originate from early pagan times and have been later incorporated into other religions. There are many myths and legends related to trees, plants and vegetation in general, found in all cultures.
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