Well I learned something new today. The above flower, the Lily of the Valley is also known as "Our Lady's Tears." From Wikipedia;
"The flower is also known as Our Lady's tears since, according to Christian legend, the tears Mary shed at the cross turned to Lilies of the Valley. According to another legend, Lilies of the Valley also sprang from the blood of Saint Leonard of Noblac during his battles with a dragon. Other names include May Lily, May Bells, Lily Constancy, Ladder-to-Heaven, Male Lily and Muguet."
"The name "Lily of the Valley" is also used in some English translations of the Bible in Song of Songs 2:1, although whether or not the Hebrew word "shoshana" (usually denoting a rose) originally used there refers to this species is uncertain. The meaning of this flower is "You will find Happiness."
My mother used to have many of these fragrant flowers in her gardens around my childhood home. I'll have to plant a bunch of these in the spring around our new statue of Mary shrine in the backyard.
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5 comments:
"And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin." (Mt 6:28).
A lovely meditation upon a lovely flower. It is simply that, with no extravagant extrapolations -- you are to be commended.
The identification from the Song interests me, but resolution will have to wait until I can lay my hands on my Septuagint, and perhaps some other references.
Thank you again.
And they also smell heavenly.
They definately are Lilys of the Valley in the Septuagint.
One of my favorite scents! I have a bottle of perfume of it too. Now I know why. :-)
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