The legend of the plant of the cuckoo's tear (spotted spotter)

Each plant, whether it be a tree, a flower or a blade of grass, appeared on Earth not accidentally, but with the purpose of fulfilling a mission known to Mother Nature alone. Here is an ordinary orchis (also known as cuckoo's tears) - an unremarkable flower, enveloped in the most interesting legend of its origin. This plant that causes sincere sympathy, otherwise called Ivanovo hands for a specific form of roots, which outwardly resemble two hands: male and female, joined together.

Therefore, the root part of the orchis in the old days was used by magicians and sorcerers to make a love potion. Also, the decoction of this flower was rinsed with the head in order to increase sensuality and excitability. And on the Feast of the Ascension, young girls determined the sex of the future child by the root. A significant place in folklore was occupied by legends about flowers. Orchisia spotted (cuckoo teardrops), also took its worthy niche in the history of folk art.

Folk beliefs about the orchis

In the old days people believed that a person who bathed at the first rays of the sun in the lake, in places where cuckoo's tears grow, will find youth, beauty and health. This perennial plant, reaching a height of half a meter, is also found among thickets of shrubs, on the fringes of forests and in spruce forests. It is time to flowering from April to August.

Having a straight stem, orchis outwardly resembles an orchid, and its leaves are similar to tulip leaves in their arrangement and shape. Flowers of purple or dark cherry color are placed on a straight stalk, neatly collected in spicate inflorescences and attract insects with reddish spots on the lower petal. For these specks in the people the plant and called orchis spotted. There is this flower and one more name - cuckoo's tears. And there are two legends about its origin.

The legend of the plant of the cuckoo's tears

In ancient times a woman lived in the world, and she had three sons. They grew up like all ordinary children: they were having fun, they were happy and they did not know their sorrow. And the mother sang at the sight of her beloved little ones: she saw in them her support and hope in old age.

A beautiful and sad legend about the plant of cuckoo's tears says that, trying to feed their children and grow them good people, from morning till night a poor woman worked, not sparing herself. Hard work under the scorching sun and torrential rains, in the frigid cold and unbearable heat, took away her youth, time and strength. Coming from work, the woman forgot about rest, grooming her children: she fed, clothed, darned, and washed. And they were completely spoiled and spent days walking with friends, doing nothing at home, getting out of hand and not listening to my mother. So passed days after days, children grew up, bathed in maternal love and care, and grief did not know.

Once, as the legend tells of the flower of the cuckoo's tears, a woman went to the river to wash clothes and fell under heavy cold rain. She wetted poorly to the skin, froze and fell seriously ill. She did not have the strength to get out of bed to melt the stove and cook dinner for her children. She began to ask the boys to help her make a fire in the oven, so that in the house at least a little warmer. Do not hear her guys, coming up with different excuses. She asks her mother to bring her some water, because her throat is dry and thirsty. Again her boys do not hear. Moreover, everyone tries to come up with a pretext more convincing, so as not to fulfill the request of the mother. There was no longer a woman to ask for anything, she cried with hurt. And the children with a clear conscience ran away with friends, leaving her alone with the disease, and none of the three went to the sick mother.

Time passed, and hunger felt. I ran home for a little snack. He goes inside and sees that Mom stands among the room in a sheepskin coat, which on it began to turn into gray plumage. Mother takes a thimble, and it becomes a beak. A wooden shovel, on which bread is placed in the oven, turned into a bird's tail.

The woman waved her hands, they turned into wings. The woman turned the cuckoo, flew into the window and flew away. Run for her sons, cry, call my mother home. Do not want their mother to hear, much her children hurt. She ceased to believe them, only bitter tears poured from offense. There, where the tear drops, and the beautiful medicinal plant of the cuckoo's tears springs.

Cuckoo behavior in nature

So says the legend about the plant of the cuckoo's tears, and so it was in nature that a little gray cuckoo does not nest. She produces offspring and immediately throws it into other people's nests. Often, the thrown egg is so similar in color and size to the hosts' eggs, that until the appearance of the chick in the light it is difficult to determine whose baby is in the nest.

Very often foster parents, who may be much smaller than their born cuckoo, care for it, despite the fact that it is not their child. Cuckoo, spreading their eggs on other people's nests, quietly lives his life further until the appearance of a new offspring.

And orchis - the fruit of the mother's tears, the same patient to weather conditions and the whims of nature, like a mother to children's pranks, bears a reminder of the love of the mother. That's why the flower called the tears of Kukushkin. And that's why the cuckoo stopped taking care of her children, fearing to suffer resentment from their side again.

Another legend about the flower of the cuckoo's tears

Kukushkina tears began to call orchis in accordance with another legend, which says that in ancient times the groom and the bride forgot to invite a sorcerer to the wedding. He was so offended and angry with the young that he turned all men into wolves, made women magpies, and the bride cuckoo, who has since flown through the forest, looking for his groom among the wolves and crying. The legend of the plant of the cuckoo's tears says that in the places of growth of this flower the enchanted bride flew in search of her betrothed.

Orchis as a medicinal plant

By the way, this flower is endowed with a whole set of valuable microelements, the amount of which is enough to replenish the daily stock of human energy. This in ancient times, the Persians used, which when conquering foreign lands for a long time could do without food, eating the tubers of this plant, squeezed them with milk and water.

According to its medicinal qualities, the most valuable are the tubers of the orchard, used in the treatment of gastritis, ulcers, poisonings. This is a very good remedy for recovery after a long illness and better health.

Orchis in the Red Book

There are such beautiful legends and legends in folk art. Kukushkin's tears - the flower of a rare and amazing history is listed in the Red Book, as it is on the brink of extinction, the reason for this is a significant expansion of the areas of agriculture and the mass gathering of the plant itself for medicinal purposes.