A red poppy is a symbol of what? History, legends and today

What is the symbol of red poppies? We can almost certainly say with confidence that many of us have never asked this question in our lives. But the huge fire "sea" on which the wind creates scarlet waves is a sight so beautiful that you can look at it endlessly. In all nations and at all times this flower was a multifaceted symbol. About it, there are many legends and myths, it was dedicated to the gods and used in medicine. A red poppy is a symbol of what? What did it mean in antiquity, in the East, but in our time? It's time to find out about this.

Egypt

For the inhabitants of this country, the flower was a symbol of youth, feminine beauty and charm. Once the peasants at Thebes cultivated the kind of poppy that is grown today with us. The higher classes could guess that the flower has narcotic properties, and ordinary people calmed the poppy water of crying children, used it as an analgesic. Because of its beauty, the poppy became a symbol of Egyptian burials, even today flowers are found in tombs.

Antiquity

We can say that in ancient Rome and Hellas this flower was revered most of all, it was from there that several legends about its origin originated. According to one legend, after the death of Adonis, Venus cried for a long time, nothing could soothe her. And each of her tears turned into poppies. Sad, of course, but the red poppy is a symbol of what else? According to another legend, the poppy was created by the god of sleep Hypnos in order to appease Demeter, whose daughter was kidnapped by Hades. Hypnos gave her a decoction of this flower, she was comforted. Even today her statues are adorned with these scarlet flowers. At the same time, the poppy was also a symbol of fertility due to the good germination of the seeds.

East

In the Persian culture poppy - a symbol of happiness, eternal love, joy, wild flower hinted at the desire for intimate communication. Buddhists were firmly convinced that the poppy appeared after the falling asleep Buddha touched the eyelashes of the earth. In China, the flower was associated with success, beauty, rest and remoteness from the bustle. However, later it became a symbol of accessible women and brothels. In the beginning of the XIX century, after the "opium war", smoking of this drug became so popular that the flower became associated with evil and decay.

Red poppy - a symbol of what in the Middle Ages?

In their bloodthirsty and gloomy traditions, Christianity declared poppies a sign that soon the Last Judgment would come. The flower, according to the beliefs of the time, recalled the terrible sufferings of Christ, and also was a symbol of indifference and ignorance. On the day when the Descent of the Holy Spirit was taking place, the churches were decorated with poppies, and children during the procession carried flowers, sprinkled with petals. Next came a priest with holy gifts. In the XVI century a treatise by the physician Theodoras Jacob appeared with a warning that it was impossible to excessively consume the flower seeds and the rest of its parts.

New time

There was a belief that it's not just that red poppies grow on the battlefields. They allegedly symbolize the blood of the dead soldiers. Very plausible it looked in the days after the First World War in Flanders. Then, after the burial of the dead soldiers, the fields suddenly turned scarlet. At that time, Professor Moyne Michael turned the poppy into a symbol of charity. She sold flowers, and gave money to veterans and disabled war veterans.

Scarlet Flower Today

And today the red poppy is a symbol of what? For example, to this day, this flower is the emblem of the British Legion. Every year in autumn artificial flowers are sold as a reminder of those who fell in armed conflicts and two world wars. In Ukraine, for example, poppy is associated with fertility and endless expanses. Wedding petals were sprayed with petals, so that the young people had health and many children. Also in this country the red poppy is a symbol of Victory, it was recently decided to use it at all official events.

Tattoo with a scarlet flower

The fact that the flowers depicted on the body are of great importance, they know everything. What does the red poppy say in this case? The tattoo with this flower has always been associated with death or sleep. And these two concepts are too close to each other, for example, lethargic sleep often duplicates the state of death, so it is difficult to distinguish them. This is all very strange, and over the solution of the mystery people think more than one decade.

Another value of such a picture on the body is truth, devotion, fidelity. When deciding to decorate the body with poppy seeds, think about whether it is worth doing. No matter what sense you put in the drawing yourself, there will always remain some unknown secrets and meanings.

Conclusion

As we see, the history is rich not only with events, but also with such important legends and beliefs about the meaning of flowers. Each people treated this beautiful flower in its own way, the values are not just different for everyone, sometimes they even contradict each other. Let us dwell on the fact that this is a symbol of happiness, youth and fertility! We will believe in the best - it means that it will happen!