For thousands of years, the narcissus flower has been a potent symbol in both Eastern and Western cultures. Although its most recognizable meaning is rooted in Greek mythology, it also has very specific and varied meanings for different cultures, both past and present, including Chinese and Druidic. Today, this flower is used all over the world in ceremonies, on holidays and at festivals, and as a fundraising symbol for various charities.
Recognized Symbol
For the ancient Greeks, the qualities of egoism, vanity and conceit were attributed to the narcissus flower based on the myth in which a young hunter is cursed to fall in love with his reflection in a pond. After his death, the narcissus flower blooms where he once lay. This story was taken up by the Roman poet Ovid in his work "Metamorphosis" in the first century A.D., and later became a common subject among Renaissance artists including Raphael, da Vinci, and Caravaggio. Late Baroque and Rococo artists, as well as Romantic and later Decadent artists, such as Gustave Moreau, also represented the fallen youth in their work.
Christianity and Judaism
In the eighth century B.C., the Hebrew prophet Isaiah praised the Narcissus tazetta, saying in Isaiah 35 that, "It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing." In other Hebrew writings, the daffodil, which is in the genus of Narcissus, is a feminine symbol of fertility and beauty. This fertility attribute was taken up by the first Christians in the symbols of death and rebirth as personified in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To this day, the narcissus and daffodil are often present at Easter celebrations.
Druids and European Christians
It has been suggested by many scholars that the narcissus flower was a symbol of purity for the Druids. Oother scholars argue that it was the Romans who first brought this flower from the Mediterranean to the British Isles as they often planted it with their dead, believing that this flower grew in the Elysian Fields of Hades. Later Christians in the same region of Whales took the daffodil as their national flower, using it for Saint David's Day, which is the first of March.
Chinese New Year
The narcissus flower arrived in China around 1000 A.D. during the Song Dynasty as bulbs were a common trade commodity. For the Chinese, the flower became a symbol of good fortune and wealth as it blooms during the Chinese New Year. It is common in China to "carve" narcissus bulbs so that as they bloom, they grow into different shapes and sizes resembling peacocks and crabs.
Charities
Along the lines of the Christian representation of death and rebirth, many Cancer charities have used the narcissus as a symbol of rebirth and hope. The American, Canadian, New Zealand and Irish Cancer Societies, as well as Muriel Curie Cancer Care have taken on the narcissus, or daffodil, as their organization's symbol. Many of the cancer charity organizations sell daffodils on Daffodil Day, which is typically in March.
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