Nature Awareness 5/24/2014 - Violet The terms viola and violet are normally reserved for the same small-flowered annuals or perennials. Viola/violet is a genus of flowering plants in the family Violaceae, with around 400–500 species distributed around the world. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, however some are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes. Violets have been cultivated and used in cooking and medicine for thousands of years. They are low-growing plants with fragrant flowers that are closely related to pansies, and spread readily in the right conditions. They make an attractive and useful ground cover in shady situations, such as under trees. Violets, although without an extensive and detailed written history, have made their appearance in the myths, paintings, and literature of the past. They appear in the rites and rituals of the ancient East and in the classical world. Their significance varies, but usually they have been associated with the resurrection of the seasonally dying Earth god, Attis, who, according to one legend, mutilated himself under a pine tree and died from the flow of blood from his open wounds. In the language of flowers, it has had various symbolic meanings. Its color may indicate the love of truth or, conversely, the truth of love. In keeping with the latter, it is said that the tomb of the Roman tyrant Nero was decorated in the spring with violets by unknown persons who had secretly admired or loved him. Violets were often used as symbols of fasting or mourning. The poet Shelly uses the flower to commemorate the grief of a lost love in the poem On a Faded Violet. Symbolism: modesty, truth, calmness, sleepiness, mortality, resurrection, watchfulness, love, faithfulness.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 12:58:54 +0000
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