Europe, Southern: Albania, Greece (including Crete, East
Aegean Islands), Italy (including Sicily), North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia
Physical Description Platanus is the sole remaining genus of the family Platanaceae, of
which we shall examine only one of the eight remaining species, P.
orientalis.
The plane tree is a large deciduous tree, getting taller than 30m (98ft), well
known for its longevity and expanding crown. The autumn turning of its leaves
are quite dramatic, in the colors blood red, amber, and yellow.
Older trees can have hollows large enough for children to climb and hide in.
Victorian Flower Language In Victorian flower language, per Greenaway, the plane tree is a symbol
of genius.
Chinese Symbolism The shedding of the tree’s leaves were a motif of sorrow in Classical
Chinese poetry.
Culture
Shade Pliny records that this eastern tree was transplanted across Europe
primarily to provide shade.
Philosophy During the dispute between Socrates and Phaedrus in the Phaedrus
dialogue, Phaedrus swears on a plane tree that if Socrates doesn’t cease being
difficult that he shall never recite a speech for Socrates again. Socrates
conceded.
These trees also provided shade for the schools of philosophy opened by
Aristotle and Plate. Pliny claimed that the great plane tree at the Academy of
Athens had roots 15m (50 ft) long.
Cicero also references this Platonic plane tree in De Oratore.
The “Tree of Hippocrates” at Kos may have been a plane tree, and it is
believed that the current 500 year old tree at that location may be a
descendant of that tree of legend from a succession of cuttings.
These trees also feature in the squares of many Greek towns and villages,
typically growing by springs, which may also explain their strong association
with knowledge and sacred groves.
Wealth and Power In addition to shade, the plane tree was imported in antiquity to
express wealth and influence by rulers, as was the case in Greek Sicily during
the 4th century BC, when it was planted in Rhegium by Dionysius the Elder,
tyrant of Syracuse.
Gaius Licinius Mucianus, a 1st century Roman general, statesman, and writer,
held a banquet for 19 in the hollow of a plane tree near Lycia. Before him,
Emperor Caligula had a nest-like tree house fit for himself and 15 servants
built in the branches of a plane tree near Velletri.
Eastward it was introduced into Kashmir (where it is called booune) in
the 14th century by the Sufi Saint Syed Qasim Shah. Following this, it became
a dominant garden and landscape tree in the region. One tree at the village of
Chattergam is believed to have been planted in 1374, and is believed to be the
oldest surviving plane tree.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
The leaves and bark were used medicinally. Pliny describes its use for burns,
bites, stings, frostbite, and infections.
Compiler Notes
As the root of “genius” is the same as “djinn,” this wood might be useful
for tools or reagents related to interaction with djinn or spirits of fire.
The plane tree has a very strong association with sacred groves and
learning. As the current "Tree of Hippocrates" in Kos is believed to be
descended from the original, this could be extrapolated into a tradition.
Schools of philosophy or magic may be built around gardens where the
"Philosopher's Tree" is planted, being a descendant of or grown from the
cutting of an original source tree, affirming a continued, living tradition
of education. This might be made even more dramatic by the cultivation of
the tree hollows into lecture halls!
May also be associated with tyranny in some places, due to its affiliation
with powerful and wealthy rulers. In conjunction with the education
tradition implied by or previous note, nativist partisans might identify the
cultivated plane tree as a signifier of the foreign tyrant and of foreign
education eroding the local culture.
Lacewood signifies the luxury of lace, or, in later times, intimacy (as in
lacy underwear). This gives it a dimension of privilege, either in the
context of the privileges of class in a noble house, or the privileges of
intimacy. This intimacy could mean confidentiality or sexual knowledge.
Following from the above, the personal apartment of a faerie king or queen
might be grown from a living plane tree, with this "lacewood" notion in
mind.
Oceania: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western
Australia), Papua New Guinea (New Guinea)
Physical Description Nelumbo, the lotus, is the only extant genus of the family
Nelumbonaceae. This genus contains two species, those being N. nucifera and N.
lutea. N. Lutea, being a New World plant, is excluded from our research.
The lotus is an aquatic flowering plant with features very similar to the
water lily family, Nymphaeacea, though at present these similarities are
believed to be the result of convergent evolution.
Lotuses are unique among plants in that they generate their own heat, allowing
the plant to thermoregulate.
Like the water lily, lotuses grow in stands on the flood plains of slow-moving
rivers and deltas.
Lotus stands drop hundreds of thousands of seeds annually. Most are eaten by
wildlife, but many go dormant in the mud for long stretches of time. The pods
sink into silt and dry out, and when the floodwaters wash in the silt breaks
open, the seeds rehydrate and start a new lotus colony. The oldest seed
recorded germinating in this way comes from a dry lakebed in northeastern
China, believed to have been about 1,300 years old!
The leaves of the lotus are extremely water repellent (ultrahydrophobicity).
This repellant quality has been named the “lotus effect.” Any droplet of water
makes contact with the leaf at only a single point, and any movement of the
leaf results in the droplet rolling off. This is achieved by the high density
of papillae tubules, minimizing contact surface between the leaf and water.
Lotus and Water Lily Due to their very similar habits, much of the symbolism between the
lotus and
water lily
is interchangeable.
Victorian Flower Language Per
Greenaway, the lotus is generally a demarcation of eloquence; however, when
separated, its constituents can mean "estranged love" (the flower solo) and
"recantation" (the leaf solo). This meaning in the leaf may stem from the
leaf's hydrophobic qualities, marking separation, "you have no hold on me."
Modern Flower Language In modern flower language, the lotus is associated with purity,
enlightenment, self-regeneration/rebirth, estranged love, forgetfulness of the
past, and eloquence. Additionally, courage and rising above struggle (as with
water lily).
Eight Auspicious Signs - Buddhist Flower Language As one of the Eight Auspicious Signs, the lotus means rectitude, firmness,
conjugal harmony, and prosperity. It is associated with the blessings of many
children. It was believed that the lotus bloomed in the footsteps of the
new-born Buddha.
Femininity, Fertility, Life, Rebirth, and Immortality As with many flowers, the graceful lotus as regarded as analogous to
idealized vulva as the divine source of life. As such, it was associated with
birth and rebirth, and in mythology was treated as the origin of cosmic life,
creator gods, and the sun/sun gods. In Tibetan Buddhism, this mythical lotus
birth extends to the tradition’s founder, Padmasambhava, who was said to be
discovered in a lotus at eight years old. This image is especially potent due
to the plant’s habit of growing from anoxic mud, which is analogous to the
primordial chaos (symbolism also shared with the water lily).
It grew from the navel of Vishnu as he rested upon the waters, giving birth to
Brahma.
In Egypt, it was a votive emblem of solar and fertility deities, and of the
Upper Nile (the source of life).
According to Tresidder, in Chinese Buddhism, the Western Heaven is the Sacred
Lake of Lotuses. The souls of the virtuous reside in the buds of the lotus
until they are permitted entry into paradise. This is supported by Skinner,
who claims that lotuses are the resting places of great spirits. Skinner also
relays that the Japanese would wrap food in the lotus and give it as offerings
to the venerated dead.
Skinner relays the belief that the lotus’s nectar gives eternal life, and that
its scent was the breath of the gods.
According to Tresidder, in Japanese iconography the eight-petaled lotus
represents the past, present, and future (though how this quite works out is
not articulated).
Enlightenment The lotus grows from an unattractive bud or heart and radiating out in
splendor, which was regarded as analogous to spiritual growth and
enlightenment. It is an emblem of that which is spiritually good and perfect
(or divine and immortal) in men, which reveals itself just as the lotus
blooms.
Vishnu is often described as the “Lotus-Eyes One.”
In Tantric and Yogic traditions, the chakras are often represented with
lotuses, with the thousand-petaled lotus of enlightenment (crown chakra)
placed at the top of the skull indicating harmony of the flow of chakra
energies.
In Chinese Taoism, the concept of enlightenment is sometimes communicated
through the “golden blossom,” an analogy of unfolding understanding being akin
to a blossoming lotus.
In Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese Buddhism, the lotus is an emblem of
Buddha himself, and an aspirational model of the knowledge-state necessary for
nirvana. The pink lotus is considered the lotus of the Buddha himself.
Seat of the Gods In Hindu and Buddhist art, saints, spirits, and gods are often depicted
within the framing device of the lotus, sitting within the flame-like petals
cross-legged as though on a throne. It also frequently forms the base for
statuary and other images.
This symbolism is shared as well in Jainism, Manichaeism, and the Bahai faith.
In Indian Christianity, it is particular to the iconography of Saint Thomas, a
trend found also in the Nestorian iconography of the Chinese Christians.
Solar, Lunar, and Fire The flame-like petals of the lotus lend it to fire symbolism and,
therefore, as an attribute of solar and fire gods. This includes Padma, the
consort of Vishnu. In Persia, this flower was a symbol of the sun. According
to Skinner, the lotus represents both the sun and moon.
Silence Skinner claims the lotus is the attribute of the allegorical figure of
Silence.
Purity A general emblem of purity (including virginity). It represents freedom
from desire, displaying material attachment at the base overcome by the purity
of mind breaching the surface of the water. Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi
(1017-1073) articulated the idea thus:
予獨愛蓮之出淤泥而不染”
“I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained."
The same language was used earlier by the Buddha, according to the
Aṅguttara Nikāya. In Japan is an emblem of incorruptible morality. It
has likewise been held as a symbol of honesty.
Sexual Imagery In Tantric Buddhism, the male stem and female blossom are occasionally
presented together as indicating a state of spiritual union and harmony. This
emblem is called the “jewel in the lotus,” and it is invoked in the
Om mani padme hum mantra.
It was also the fragrance of Lakshmi, Hindu goddess of love, and the boat of
Kamadiva as she floated down the river.
Profanation Despite its pure and chaste associations, the lotus also has a strong
association with prostitution. In Chinese tradition, courtesans were known as
“golden lotus.” This likely comes from a number of associations, including the
flower’s beauty, affiliation with the divine feminine, and its connection with
fire. In this case, these are the fires of carnal lust, a worldly desire at
odds with enlightenment.
The Lotus Eaters While the plant has a name association with the Lotus Eaters of Homer’s
Odyssey, the narcotic plants referenced are more likely water lilies
(Nymphaea nouchali/caerulia) or [hackberry] (Celtis australis).
Culture Presently the lotus is being considered for wastewater treatment, as it is
good at removing polluting compounds and heavy metals from water.
Lotus Silk Lotus stems can be unraveled into a silk, producing one of the rarest
fabrics in the world. This silk is produced only at Inle Lake, Myanmar and in
Siem Reap, Cambodia it is woven into special robes for images of the Buddha
called kya thingan (“lotus robe”).
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
The uses listed here come from Ayurvedic, traditional Chinese, and Oriental
folk medicine traditions.
Flowers The flowers are used in treating low blood sugar, diarrhea, cholera,
fever, and hyperdipsia (extreme thirst).
Seeds The seeds are astringent. Traditional Eastern medicine claims that
lotus seeds quench thirst, treat issues of the spleen, and are effective
against diarrhea. As early as the Han Dynasty it was claimed they were good
for the heart and kidneys in Shen Nong’s [Herbal Classic].
Leaves The leaves are used for treating discharge of blood from the nose,
urine, and in vomit.
Rhizomes The rhizomes are believed to be diuretic, antidiabetic, and
anti-inflammatory.
Poison All of the lotus plant is edible, but it can be contaminated with giant
intestinal flukes (Fasciolopsis buski), so cooking is strongly
recommended.
Food There entire plant is edible, raw or cooked. The portions under water are
high in starch. The fleshy rhizomes can be baked or boiled. The young leaves
can be boiled. The seeds can be eaten raw, dried, or ground into a flour.
Lotus seed flour is processed into cakes, noodles, paste, fermented milk, rice
wine, ice cream, and other products. It is also popped like popcorn, just as
the seeds of the water lily (phool makhana).
Tea is made from the embryos, seeds, leaves, stamens, and petals of the lotus,
and are popular in Korea and China
Stems are a salad ingredient in Vietnam, and soup and curry in Thailand and
India.
The lotus’s association simultaneously with fire and water lends it well to
transcendental expression. It may be used to express the other half of the
Hermetic axiom "as below, so above," being that it is an emblem of fire
rising from earth and water (the feminine elements) up towards heaven.
As with the water lily, this is the birthplace/throne of gods. Anything
placed in a lotus is elevated into the realm of divine or solar/celestial
action, set apart from the mundane/profane.
The leaves of the lotus are ultra-hydrophobic. This could be used in rabies
curses.
The hydrophobic properties of leaves might be employed to render a fire
immune to being smothered by liquid means. This could be a physical fire
that is proof against water, or a conceptual fire like a motivation secured
against water-affiliated distractions (like sex).
As symbols of recantation, lotus leaves may make effective reagents in
breaking curses or enchantments that are the result of ill-conceived or
misunderstood pacts.
A lotus seed might be employed as a spell reagent in a place where miasma or
some other supernatural corruption or noise would interfere with spell work.
As a lotus emerges pure and stainless from the mud, so too does the spell
function flawlessly through the mire of negative supernatural interferences.
Vishnu may be referred to as the "Lotus-Eyed One" because he sees clearly
through the opaque darkness of worldly corruption and sin to see the truth.
A similar logic can be rendered mechanically, employing lotus or lotus seeds
in the process of glassmaking for spectacles. This might be a suitable focus
for the spell true seeing in Dungeons & Dragons.
Per the Japanese association with honesty, lotus might be employed in
magical divinations to extract true statements from the dead or in magical
interrogations to compel truth out of the living. This might be considered a
profanation, as it employs a virtue of the plant as a malefic.
Conversely, the lotus's affiliation with Silence might help one retain their
verbal continence when interrogated, by raising them spiritually and
mentally above the dark matter of torture of the body.
Intestinal flukes attach themselves to the rhizomes of this plant. As "worm"
is a synonym for a "spirit of disease," this is an opportunity to identify
the fluke with a particular demon, and possibly even a folkloric just-so
story about the relationship between the lotus and this demon that covets
the purity of the flower.
From the above, the same demon could be strongly associated with STDs
because of the profanation of the lotus as an emblem of prostitution.
Because of the seed's ability to withstand long years of drought and its
purported ability to quench thirst, a magician might employ the seeds as a
reagent against thirst. By means of clever spell work, the magician might
relieve himself and his companions of the need to drink for days or weeks on
a long trek through a pitiless desert.
As the lotus is a fire that rises up out of the water, it bears parallel
features with the [pearl] another transcendent material that comes up out of
the water. These might be used to substitute each other as reagents in a
pinch.
Lotus silk could be used as an effective reagent of reclamation. While there
are major ethical issues concerning knowledge acquired through wicked means
(to say nothing of the suspect nature of the data in the first place), there
is an argument to be made that not using the information renders the
suffering of those the data was extracted from meaningless. In a fantasy
story, such information might be reclaimed by filtering through magical
means. The employ of lotus silk makes the lotus's life-cycle part of this
filtering process. A book bound with or with pages made of lotus silk might
reject the pen or brush if it tries to record anything that isn't actually
true, thus purifying the information from its wicked source.
Similarly (and more obviously), garments of lotus silk might protect the soul of the wearer from corrupting influences.
Given that lotus seeds can be popped like popcorn, this is a vector for
magical action. A magically altered seedhead might be employed as a rocket
pod for rapid-fire spells! Alternately, plant-themed characters in video
games might incorporate lotus rocket pods into their character design, or as
claymore-style anti-personnel explosives.
Similarly, the seeds may also be used as a material component for the fireball spell in Dungeons & Dragons.
The seed pod is noted as resembling the spout a garden watering can.
Opportunity for water-based physical comedy.
Physical Description The bingdi lotus is a mutation of N. nucifera that results in twinned
flowers at the end of each stalk.
Symbolism Considered auspicious in Chinese tradition, being a portent of prosperity,
especially in matters of romantic love, marital harmony, or fraternal love
(for obvious reasons).
Compiler Notes
Possible exchange reagent to confer sympathetic benefit or harm between two
persons.
Could be a portent of the birth of divine twins, figures similar to Castor
and Pollux (the Greek
Dioskouroi) or Hunahpu and Xbalanque (the Maya
Hero Twins).
-Drury, N. (2004). The dictionary of the esoteric: 3000 entries on the
mystical and occult traditions. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
-Drury, N. (2005). The Watkins Dictionary of Magic: 3000 entries on the
magical traditions. Watkins.
-Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. George Routleage and Sons.
-Skinner, Charles M. “Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants
: In All Ages and in All Climes : Skinner, Charles M. (Charles Montgomery),
1852-1907 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive,
Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Co., 1 Jan. 1970,
https://archive.org/details/mythslegendsoffl00skin.
-Tresidder, J. (2008). The Watkins Dictionary of Symbols. Watkins.
Distribution (Genus): Western and Southern Europe; Southwest,
Southern and Eastern Asia; Africa; Madagascar; Northern South America; Central
America; Mexico; the Caribbean.
Europe, Western: Belgium, England, France (including Corsica),
Scotland
Physical Description This
is a small order of evergreen shrubs and trees, with a few herbaceous
perennials. They possess separate male and female flowers, typically together
on the same plant.
Buxus are slow-growing evergreen shrubs and trees growing between 2-12m
(sometimes up to 15m) tall. Its wood is fine-grained, making it hard, tough,
and good for carving, but is limited by the small sizes available. The wood
resists splitting and chipping.
Victorian Flower Language In both modern and Victorian flower language (per Greenaway), boxwood is a
symbol of stoicism and constancy.
Secrecy/Mystery Boxwood, being so named because it was useful in the making of boxes,
casks, and caskets, takes on the symbolic significance of those receptacles.
This makes boxwood associated with the mystery and surprise of hidden
contents, especially the hazardous, unpleasant kind. This ties the wood in
with the story of Pandora’s Box/Jar, and in psychoanalytic circles, an emblem
of the dangers of the unconscious. This receptacle association also makes this
wood distinctly feminine in character.
Funerary/Immortality Like many trees, the box tree is a funerary emblem of immortality.
Presently, boxwood is planted in Turkey as a cemetery tree. At least in
Skinner's time, it was customary in England that sprigs of box wood were cast
into the grave of the deceased during burial.
Culture The qualities of this wood make it good for box-making, especially of
decorative storage boxes, and for carving more generally. In addition to
boxes, it was used to make combs, spoons, chess pieces, rosary prayer beads,
weave-shuttles, tools, components for stringed instruments, woodwind
instruments (especially flutes and oboes), woodcut blocks and printing blocks,
etc. It is also used in the making of cabinetry. It was so suitable for
carving that it was an effective substitute for [ivory].
Precision Instruments Due to its density and chemical stability, it was also favored for use
in the creation of measuring instruments prior to the development of plastics.
This included rulers, slide rules, scales, set squares, scale rulers,
yardsticks, folding rulers, Marquois scales, T-squares, protractors, etc.
“Boxwood rules” generally refer to a folding ruler with a brass hinge or
hinges.
Landscaping Buxus is a common plant in hedges and the topiary arts.
Sukkot Boxwood branches were useful to the Jews when celebrating the Feast of
Tabernacles.
Hair Dye Dye from the leaves was used as an auburn hair dye.
Magic
Fertility Rites Ancients were apparently careful in the identification of boxwood
because of its resemblance to [myrtle] and [laurel], for fear of using it by
mistake in the rites of Venus. It was believed that such a mistake would incur
the wrath of Venus, and she would smite the offenders with sterility.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
Common boxwood contains steroidal alkaloids, including cyclobuxine, as well as
flavanoids.
Leaves The leaves were used to treat a number of ailments, notedly in tea and
presumably in poultice. Boxwood tea is rare today, save in Turkey, where it is
called adi şimşir. It has been used for the following:
Fever reduction
UTIs
Gout
Skin issues
Piles (hemorrhoids)
Headaches
Epilepsy
Considerably less certainly, it has been attributed the ability to cure:
Leprosy
Rheumatism
HIV
(Obviously, do not employ this tea as a substitute for modern HIV treatment.
That shouldn't have to be said.)
Antiparasitic Boxwood leaf tea has been
used as a substitute for quinine in malaria treatment and has a history of use
against intestinal worms.
Boxwood is a good material for keeping information secret. Alternately, the
breaking of boxwood is good for forcibly revealing information. Exploit.
Feminine quality and keeping of secrets could be incorporated into the use
of hair dye as a magical cosmetic.
Boxwood topiary could be used to mark geometric formulations on a large
property intended to disrupt intrusive divination and ward away those who
might reveal the property owner’s secrets.
Boxwood is dimensionally stable, meaning it doesn't warp or change shape
over time as dramatically as other woods. This might make boxwood poor for
wood-shaping magic, or an effective ward against spells like
woodshape in Dungeons & Dragons (consider adding
+2 to resistance against such spells?). One might expand this to boxwood
charms or boxwood leaf tea being employed as a potion against any spells
that might change the shape of the wearer/consumer.
Highly receptive to stabilizing and obscuring magic, making it good for
healing instruments and certain forms of illusion magic.
As "worm" is synonymous with a "spirit of disease," boxwood instruments and
consumables would be effective in treatment against both parasites and
supernatural diseases, possibly even being employed in exorcism against
dybbuks and other parasitic intelligences.
The misuse of boxwood through conflation with myrtle and laurel provides a
mechanism for magical backfire. Reagents used improperly could cause
devastating side effects, as in the case of sterility in the rites of Venus.
This could be a natural consequence of the magical/spiritual properties of
the reagents themselves or genuine offense and retaliation by supernatural
intelligences. Other mechanisms of action may present themselves
contextually in your story.
-Drury, N. (2004). The dictionary of the esoteric: 3000 entries on the
mystical and occult traditions. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
-Drury, N. (2005). The Watkins Dictionary of Magic: 3000 entries on the
magical traditions. Watkins.
-Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. George Routleage and Sons.
-Higley, Sarah L. (2007). Hildegard of Bingen’s Unknown Language: An Edition,
Translation, and Discussion. Palgrave Macmillan.
-Skinner, Charles M. “Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants
: In All Ages and in All Climes : Skinner, Charles M. (Charles Montgomery),
1852-1907 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive,
Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Co., 1 Jan. 1970,
https://archive.org/details/mythslegendsoffl00skin.
-Tresidder, J. (2008). The Watkins Dictionary of Symbols. Watkins.
Nymphaeales is one of three orders of
the basal angiosperms, composed of three families of aquatic plants—only the
Nymphaeaceae, or water lilies. We narrow our study to three of its nine
genera: Euryale, Nuphar, and Nymphaea.
Physical Description This is a family of rhizomatous
aquatic herbs native to temperate and tropical environments worldwide. The
family contains nine genera, but only three are of interest to this
compiler.
Water lilies live in
bodies of water, with their roots extending down to the soil at the bottom.
Their leaves and flowers either float on the water or just emerge from the
surface. The leaves are round with a radial notch
Symbolism
Courage In modern flower language,
water lilies are emblems of courage and rising above struggles.
Grief and Separation In Sangham and Tamil literature and poetry, it’s employed as a symbol of
grief and separation due to its superficial resemblance to an image of the
sunset, the beach, and the shark. (No idea how they got to "shark.")
Birth
flower of the month of July.
Lotus and Water Lily Due to their very similar
habits, much of the symbolism between the lotus and water lily is completely interchangeable.
Culture
Seeblatter Lily pads/leaves are common
charges in the heraldry of Northern Europe. Called “seeblätter" (singular
“seeblätt”), they’re typically painted red, and in the case of Danish
heraldry, are often replaced with hearts.
Seven leaves of the water lily or “swan flower” decorated the coat of arms of
Frisia, as with the banner of King Herwic on a field of blue.
Magic In the folklore of Germany,
water nymphs assume the shape of water lilies to hide from mortal men.
Meanwhile, nixies, the evil
spirits of water, hides beneath the large, round leaves of the water lily in
order to drown any who attempt to pick the plant, which the nixies are claimed
to call “sea roses,” according to Skinner.
Skinner also relays the Wallachian belief that this flower, for its scentless
purity, stands as judge over other flowers.
Compiler Notes
The notion of the water lily as “judge” of other flowers has implications
for counterspells or the status of water nymphs in a faerie hierarchy. Worth
exploring further.
Scentlessness is tied to purity, and therefore strongly scented flowers
being associated with corruption is an angle worth playing.
The idea that water lilies resemble an image of sunset has a lot of possible
applications, both in terms of a foreshadowing device, a motif of tragedy,
and an explicit tool in theh ands of a spellcaster. Consider looking for
similar resemblances in other plants for similar exploitation.
Physical Description A genus of hardy and tender
aquatic plants. They are either tuberous or rhizomatous (branched or unbranched), and can be annuals or perennials.
Nymphaea leaves
are round with a radial notch. The flowers of Nyphaea are pollinated by
beetles.
Symbolism These plants are named for the
mythical Greek nature sprites, the Nymphs. Courage
In modern flower language, water lilies are emblems of courage and rising
above struggles.
Chastity Skinner
indicates that the water lily was a common emblem of chastity, because it
emerges freely from pure water and opens with snow-white petals. For this
reason it is averse to love, which might corrupt its purity.
Purity Per Greenaway, the Victorian meaning for any with white
flowers is "purity of heart."
Culture A common emblem in Teutonic
heraldry. Seven leaves of the water lily or “swan flower” decorated the coat
of arms of Frisia, as with the banner of King Herwic on a field of blue.
Magic
Water Sprites In the folklore of Germany,
water nymphs assume the shape of water lilies to hide from mortal men.
Meanwhile, nixies, the evil spirits of water, hide beneath the large, round
leaves of the water lily in order to drown any who attempt to pick the plant,
which the nixies are claimed to call “sea rose.”
Judge of Flowers Skinner relays the
Wallachian belief that all flowers have souls, and their judge is the white
water lily. If the scentless water lily judges that a flower has used its
aroma generously and well, they are permitted to pass St. Peter’s gate and
bloom eternally in Heaven. If not, they whither and disappear into eternal
death.
Counter-Enchantment According to Skinner this
plant’s aversion to romantic love was so great that in antiquity it was
thought that carrying it was sufficient to break the effects of a love potion
that had been administered secretly to the patient.
Gelding Potion The Romans held that making a boy drink crushed Nymphaea in vinegar for ten
consecutive days turned him into a eunuch.
Liminality The plant’s dual nature, in being both above and below the water played into
beliefs related to its narcotic effects, lending the plant a transcendent
reputation.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
Narcotic Water lilies have a history of being
used as ritual narcotics, as alluded to in the Odyssey. They contain the
alkaloids nupharine and nymphaeine, which are said to have sedative
properties, and, depending on your source are said to be aphrodisiac or
anaphrodisiac properties.
All
species of Nymphaea produce the psychoactive alkaloid aporphine, though the
production is inconsistent even within species. This chemical is frequently
confused with apomorphine, which is further compounded by the fact that when
metabolized aporphinebecomesapomorphine.
Poison All Nymphaea contain the
alkaloid poison nupharin. European species contain large amounts and are
regarded as inedible. The toxicity in some European species may be seasonal.
Food The seeds of all species and the tubers of some are edible, containing no
nupharin and being almost entirely starch during the dry season. In some
species that do generate nupharin in the tubers, they may be boiled to
neutralize the chemical. This boiling dates back to Ancient Egypt. All African
and Asian species are edible, and are commonly eaten in China, West Africa,
and Madagascar, where they were boiled and roasted.
In India the rhizomes of water lilies were eaten as a famine food. In one
floodplain region, the rhizomes are eaten more regularly, where they are
pounded into a flour and used to make bread. In Vietnam these rhizomes are
roasted.
Rhizome use in West
Africa varied by regions. Some ate it as a famine food roasted in ashes or
ground into flour. Others would eat it raw.
Compiler Notes
Re: the story of flowers entering Heaven: If the eternal death is Hell, this implies that there are flowers in Hell,
which means, withered or not, they might be harvested. How might one harvest damned flowers? How would they differ from their living counterparts? Would they qualify as undead?
The vinegar-gelding of the Romans presents opportunities for perverting the purity of this flower into a malefic. Might ten days of sympathetic poisoning with water lily render the magician's rival impotent? What would the consequences be if this was not necessarily sexually, but creatively/politically/martially?
Could the inconsistent aphrodisiac/anaphrodisiac attributions themselves be employed as a malefic? Taking advantage of the plant's own liminal qualities and turning them upside down, such a curse might render the target sexually unresponsive in the presence of the carnal (beneath the surface, the dark, no flower), while receptive and agitated in more modest settings (above the surface, in the light, flower)?
Could fouling a white water lily sympathetically curse the reputation of a judge?
Africa, Southern: Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), Namibia, South
Africa (Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces)
Asia, East: China (South-Central, Southeast, Hainan), Taiwan
Asia, South: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India (Assam), Nepal, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka
Asia, Southeast: Cambodia, Indonesia (Lesser Sunda Is., Sumatera),
Laos, Malaysia (Malaya), Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam
Asia, West: Oman, Palestine, Yemen
Symbolism National flower of Bangladesh.
Virtues In South Asia, this plant is a symbol of virtue, discipline, and purity.
The Journey of Enlightenment According to the Buddhist lore of Sri Lanka, this flower was one of the 108
auspicious signs found in the footprint of Prince Siddhartha, and that when he
died, wherever he had walked these flowers blossomed.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
Used in Ayurvedic medicine to create a digestive medicine called ambal.
Poison The nupharin alkaloid can (and must) be neutralized by boiling prior to
eating.
Food Edible, often as a famine food. During the dry season the dried plant is
fathered and used as animal fodder.
Compiler Notes
“Ambal” might be a good name for a character driven by law and order.
Each blue lotus is a reminder that Buddha walked the earth.
There is some variation in color, as indicated by the name "red water lily." Consider playing with rare color variations as markers of significance.
Africa, Southern: Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), Namibia, South
Africa (Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces)
Asia, West: Oman, Palestine, Yemen
Physical Description An aquatic plant found in freshwater lakes, pools, and rivers. Its roots can
tolerate anoxic mud and nutrient poor conditions.
Associated with snails that can spread schistosomiasis (“bilharzia,” “Katayama
fever,” “snail fever”) via parasitic flatworms.
Symbolism
Immortality The white lotus (N. lotus) opens at dusk and closes at dawn, in contrast to
the blue Egyptian water lily, which opens at dawn and closes at dusk. This
makes the white lotus a funerary emblem, in contrast to the blue Egyptian
water lily. Together, they form an emblem of resurrection and eternal life, as
both were found in the burial tomb of Ramses II. Petals of this flower have
also been found cast over the mummies of other pharaohs.
Theogony It was taught at Heliopolis that Re emerged from a lotus from the primordial
waters. A similar story was told of Atum emerging from a lotus as though from
an egg (this appears to have been related to the flower’s color). It was also
a symbol of the goddess Nefertem. According to Tresidder, it was Horus who
emerged from the flower blossom (possibly Re-Horahkti?), thus attaining
eternal youth.
Purity as Practice In Egypt and in Chinese Buddhism, the blue lily was considered an emblem of
modesty and moral cleanliness.
Bascinet of Prophets Skinner relays that this flower was supposedly the cradle of Moses.
Culture Long history in the production of perfumes.
Believed to have been the inspiration for the capitals of ionic columns.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
The psychoactive alkaloids found in all Nymphaea are more concentrated in this
subspecies. There is some indication that these chemicals were known to the
Egyptians and even across the ocean by the Maya. This is one of the candidates
for the plant consumed by the lotus eaters in Homer's Odyssey.
Because this water lily is a schedule 1 drug, it is illegal in Latvia and
Russia as of 2009.
Food The rootstock is edible raw or cooked. In South Africa it was used in curries
(though this practice is nearly gone today).
Compiler Notes
Could be employed as an emblem of mature virtues. While the white water lily is an emblem of innocence and purity, the blue water lily has lost its innocence but not its virtue. By its meaning of modesty and moral cleanliness, it speaks to purity by wisdom.
If employed as a ritual drug, the narcotic stupor could be characterized as the dark mud, and in the trip the ritual "god-self" emerges as the flower from the mud.
The ritual drug use described above could be employed in other ways, such as stupefying a ritual proxy for telecommunications, dulling the proxy so the speaker on the other end may emerge from their stupefaction. This would incentivize evil magicians to keep a dependent throng of narc-addicts on hand to be able to communicate with their peers without using means that might be magically intercepted (like magic mirrors).
Symbolism The Latin name lotus has caused
some confusion, as that word originally designated a tree, and much later was
applied to the plant in Indian texts.
Solar Emblem To the Egyptians, for whom it is the
national flower, the white lotus suggested the sunrise. The plant emerged from
anoxic mud before emerging and flowering from the surface of water, just as Re
emerged from his nightly journey through the underworld. Because this was an
emergence from the primeval slime of Chaos, the white lotus has strong
associations with cosmic creation.
Fertility The creation symbolism of the white lotus is made it an emblem of Egypt’s
fertility gods and of the upper Nile. This association was also observed in
other nearby cultures
Funerary The white lotus opens at dusk and closes at dawn, in contrast to the blue
Egyptian water lily (N. nouchali var. caerulia), which opens at dawn and
closes at dusk. This makes the white lotus a funerary emblem, in contrast to
the blue Egyptian water lily. Together, they form an emblem of eternal life,
as both were found in the burial tomb of Ramses II.
Divine Throne On occasion this flower was the throne of Horus.
Numerology The hieroglyph for this plant represents the number 1,000.
Chastity In Greece this plant was a symbol of innocence and modesty.
Culture A frequent feature of temple column architecture, in ancient Egypt sharing the
role almost exclusively with the papyrus plant and palm tree.
In Egypt it was an all-pervasive motif in art, and art from 1500 BC provides
some of the earliest evidence for ornamental horticulture and landscaping.
The Egyptians extracted perfume from this plant. It was also made into
funerary garlands.
Magic In ancient Egypt, a common amulet worn by women in labor was one of the
goddess Heqet in the form of a frog seated on a white lotus.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
The narcotic effects of this plant are disputed, and the active alkaloids are
found in higher concentrations in N. nouchali var. caerulia.
Food The tubers and rhizomes are edible.
Young fruits are an occasional feature of salad.
Compiler Notes
Per the numerical value of this plant, its depiction could be employed as part of a numerical cypher.
As the throne of the Sun god, anything seated in an Egyptian lotus might be elevated to the status of the solar. This is an excellent way to create a hierarchy in magical action, and to set the mundane upward into the world of the sacred.
Alternate reagent for the Fireball spell in Dungeons & Dragons?
Placing a frog (living, dried, or carved of wood or stone) in a lotus might make an effective talisman for easing passage (not exclusive to childbirth).
Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Norway, Sweden
Europe, Southern: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece,
Italy (Baleares, Corse), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia,
Spain
Europe, Western: Belgium, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands,
Scotland
Biome: Temperate and Tropical Aquatic
Physical Description Grows in water 30-150cm
(12-59in) deep, prefering large ponds and lakes. Leaves can be up to 30cm
(12in) in diameter.
Magic Lecouteux relays a Gypsy folk
story. In this story a young woman wishes to flee with her beloved. Her
stepmother, a sorceress, punishes her by transforming her into a white water
lily by means of a magic ball of yarn. In exchange for eggs and apples, three
water spirits (called Nivashi or Nivasi) kissed the water lily and restored
her to her original form before luring the stepmother to the river and
drowning her.
Compiler Notes
The Gypsy folktale echoes flower meaning of "rising above." The heroine of the story is cursed into a vegetative state (or, rather, a literal vegetable). Still, her purity rises from the mud of her circumstance. She makes a deal with the substance of the spirit of the waters (three sprites) to give them the spoils of farm and orchard to collect on the karmic debt of the step-mother's wickedness.
It is worth noting the evil step-mother's instrument of the curse is a ball of yarn, a domestic binding material (indoors), while the heroine's salvation is bought with farm produce in eggs and apples (outdoors, domestic).
The evil stepmother seeks to stop the heroine from running away with her beloved, which is a relationship that will produce children. The step-mother is out of sorts with nature in the narrative, denying the heroine her (domesticated) biological yearning to make her a slave in an unproductive (childless) household by means of sorcery (unnatural evil). The heroine is in harmony with nature by following the normal course of her life (love/reproduction) and giving back from the cultivated world of the farm to the natural world that supports it.
From the above, the white of the flower rising from the mud can be reinterpreted as fire lighting up the opaque, wicked world. Work more with water lilies as an emblem of spiritual fire. This works well with the fire of spiritual purity burning away wicked things (in the manner of a Cleric's Turn Undead ability in Dungeons & Dragons).
Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, Chita, East European
Russia, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Is., Magadan,
North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Primorye, Sakhalin, Tuva,
West Siberia, Yakutskiya)
Asia, South: Bangladesh, India (Assam, West Himalaya)
Asia, Southeast: Myanmar, Vietnam
Physical Description This plant inhabits ponds, lakes, and slow/quiet streams.
In Europe and North America this plant is limited to boreal regions above 50°
N latitude.
Culture This is an offering flower in Buddhism.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
In folk medicine the rhizomes of this plant are used to treat dysentery,
diarrhea, enteritis, fever, bronchial congestion, painful urine, UTIs, and
kidney issues.
Antimicrobial N. tetragona contains geraniin, which has been shown to inhibit bacterial
infection in fish, and has been sufficiently tested to suggest that a 50%
methanol extract might be used to treat human infections in combination with
other antibiotics against resistant diseases such as Salmonella.
Compiler Notes
The name "pygmy" doesn't just imply small. Like our suggestion with the "dwarf water lily," the name suggests an affiliation with elemental spirits of earth. Perhaps the seed for a fairytale about an earth sprite falling in love with a water nymph?
Distribution: Northern Hemisphere; Temperate to Subarctic.
Physical Description Genus of hebraceous perennial aquatic plants found
across the Northern Hemisphere. It has branching rhizomes. Nuphar leaves are round with a radial notch, and may be submergent, floating, or emergent. The flowers are pollinated by
beetles.
Symbolism In modern flower language, an
emblem of courage and rising above adversity. Per Greenaway, when its flowers
are white it also means "purity of heart."
Culture
EtymologyThe name Nuphar comes from nenuphar,
a Latin derivative of the Sanskrit nīlōtpala, the word for the blue lotus
flower. This word was filtered to Latin first through the Persian nīlūfar,
then through the Arabic nīnūfar. Under the rules of botanical gender, nuphar
is feminine.
The name
“spatterdock” or “spadderdock” originates in the Americas.
LeatherworkingThe tannins in water lilies are used
in the process of tanning and dying leather.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
Nuphar has a long and complicated
history as a food and medicine, being generally less useful than is sister
genus Nymphaea for either purpose. Couple that with centuries of confusion
about the distinction between numerous now-recognized species, and the whole
matter becomes muddled
According to an (archived) article by the Washington State Department of
Ecology, this plant was used by Native Americans to stop bleeding. Its roots
were used in poultice for cuts, swelling, and other conditions associated with injury.
While these medical properties are in question, there are active alkaloids
found in this plant that are subject to medical research: nupharolutine,
nuphamine, and nupharidine.
Food Despite confusion regarding poison status of many of this Genus’s species,
what has been agreed on historically is that the seeds are edible, whether
raw, cooked, or popped like popcorn. The seeds are regarded as both delicious
and nutritious. These seeds are, however, time-consuming to harvest. This may
be made quicker by rotting the flower in the water for three weeks, but then,
well, you have to handle a well-rotted flower to retrieve the seeds.
Some claim the roots are edible, others that they are too bitter, cannot be
eaten unsoaked, etc. They’re too complicated in treatment to be viable as
famine food.
It is said the flowers can be made into tea, but it’s not clear to us whether the
petals or sepals are the part of the plant referred to for this purpose.
Distribution: Northern Temperate and Subtropical Europe,
Africa, Northern: Algeria
Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
Asia, East: China (Xinjiang)
Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Central European Russia, East European
Russia, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, North European Russia, Northwest European
Russia, South European Russia, West Siberia, Yakutskiya)
Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Norway, Sweden
Europe, Southern: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece,
Italy (Sardegna), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Spain
Europe, Western: Belgium, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands,
Scotland
Biome: Temperate and subtropical
Culture The wide distribution and long
history of human cultivation has led to the extensive number of names and
proliferation of folklore attached to this plant.
A common emblem decorating the tops of temple columns in antiquity, and more
recently, in the roof bosses of Bristol Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
Compiler Notes
The names frequently refer to opposite ends of the body or things that are
mutually exclusive. “Mulefoot Bonnet” refers to a garment for the head and a
foot, which are at opposite ends of the body. This sort of contradiction is
the stuff of riddles. Work with this.
The name "yellow lantern" suggests a fantastical environmental use for this plant.
The name "leper lily" is worth exploring further. Was this used as a poultice? Do its leaves decay in a manner suggestive of leprosy? Is it a malefic that can be used to inflict leprosy?
Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Amur, Central European Russia, Chita,
East European Russia, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril
Is., Magadan, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Primorye,
Sakhalin, South European Russia, West Siberia, Yakutskiya)
Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Norway, Sweden
Europe, Southern: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Spain
Europe, Western: England, France, Scotland
Physical Description A water plant that is, for all
intents and purposes, a smaller version of Nuphar lutea. It favors lakes,
ponds, and slow-flowing rivers. It blooms July-August and is pollinated by
flies.
Considered endangered in
France, Switzerland, and the UK.
Medical We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.
Supposedly the root can be consumed to
treat digestive issues.
Compiler Notes
The “dwarf” in “dwarf water lily” can be interpreted not only as referring
to its size, but as a possessive, identifying these water lilies as "set aside" for use by dwarves, making it an excellent avenue for engaging faeries.
Asia, South: Bangladesh, India (Assam, West Himalaya)
Asia, Southeast: Myanmar
Physical Description Euryale is a perennial aquatic
plant with fully circular leaves. Its flowers have white inner petals and violet outer petals.
Symbolism
Classical Monsters Named for the gorgon Euryale,
of Greek myth.
Purity As with all water
lilies, those with white flowers mean "purity of heart" (per Greenaway).
Medical We are not a medical website,
do not take health advice from us.
Used in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (our source’s
source is not specific on this matter).
Food Cultivated widely for its starchy seeds. Its seeds, called “fox nuts” or
“makhana,” are edible when dried, and can be eaten raw or cooked. When fried
they pop like popcorn. Popped makhana is often eaten with a sprinkling of oil
and spices.
It is made into a
porridge called kheer.
Compiler Notes
Being native to southeast Asia, it is difficult to take advantage of the
name “gorgon plant” unless the setting your story takes place in has evolved
beyond the age of sail.
A "fox nut" could be employed in the abstract as the seed of cleverness. As a substitute for the literal, it could be employed as a substitute for fox semen (imitative ritual of a tawdry creation myth?). For fantastically, these might be planted in order to grow foxes from the mud of a pond or river.
Expand on possible folk-geneaology connecting the trickster fox figure to a gorgon mother?
Fable about a fox drowning while trying to get these seeds?
Facilitator of the fox as a liminal figure between the land and bodies of fresh water? Possible psychopomp?
Purple petals in association with [Philosopher's Stone] re: the purple tincture? Expand as an alchemical emblem.
-Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. George Routleage and Sons.
-Higley, Sarah L. (2007). Hildegard of Bingen’s Unknown Language: An Edition,
Translation, and Discussion. Palgrave Macmillan.
-Lecouteux, Claude, and Jon E. Graham. Dictionary of Gypsy Mythology: Charms,
Rites, and Magical Traditions of the Roma. Inner Traditions, 2018.
-Skinner, Charles M. “Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants
: In All Ages and in All Climes : Skinner, Charles M. (Charles Montgomery),
1852-1907 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive,
Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Co., 1 Jan. 1970,
https://archive.org/details/mythslegendsoffl00skin.
