Discovering The Folklore Of Plants

An alphabetical list of plants and their associated folklore.

In Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees, Ernst and Johanna Lehner explore the rich cultural heritage and symbolic meanings associated with various flora across different societies and traditions. This comprehensive guide offers insights into how these natural elements have been woven into myths, legends, and everyday life, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between nature and human culture.

From time immemorial, people have sought to understand the mysteries of the natural world, giving rise to a wealth of myths and legends connected to plant life. In addition to their imaginative appeal, these oral traditions offered practical advice about which flowers, trees, and plants could provide foods, remedies, and construction materials. This richly illustrated volume provides a treasury of ancient wisdom, exploring the sound principles behind traditional advice, along with a wealth of fanciful beliefs. Naturalist Ruth Binney recounts charming examples of floral symbolism, linking roses with romance, lilies with purity, and poppies with sleep. She examines tree lore and the association of trees with wisdom and knowledge, from the coveted crown of laurel awarded to ancient Greek poets and Roman generals to the palm branches presented to pilgrims returning from the Holy Land. A survey of the power of plants ranges from the rituals that ensure a good harvest and a newly married couple's fertility to the healing qualities of oil of cloves for toothache, cherries for gout, and aloe vera for burns. Abounding in fascinating facts and fancies, this absorbing compilation will captivate lovers of plants and gardens.

In An Encyclopaedia of Plants in Myth, Legend, Magic and Lore Stuart Phillips brings together a collection of the stories, folk tales and legends relating to plants.

A book of the folklore, history and healing properties of common plantsHedgerows are a vital part of the British countryside. Home to thousands of species of animals, insects, and plants, they've long become ingrained in the myth and lore of the country and its people. Many old wives' tales about the plants that grow there were created to spread knowledge of their healing properties, and many have become entwined with stories of local spirits, deities, and more ancient legends. This stunningly illustrated treasury of the folklore of flora is packed with insight, lore and the revealed mysteries of everyday plants is, ultimately, a collection of many of these beliefs, aiming to inspire a greater appreciation of hedgerow plants before they disappear completely. Folk Magic and Healing: An Unusual History of Plants is perfect for gardeners, writers, folklorists, witches and general knowledge buffs alike