"Amaryllis", watercolor, 9" x 12", 2013
 |
| detail "Amaryllis" |
This year I grew some Amaryllis' despite my Black Thumb! I was kinda obsessed with these beautiful flowers when I was little because of a book title, "Eyes of the Amaryllis". I actually never read the book but I literally thought (as the title inferred) that these flowers had eyes :)
Here is a little history on the gorgeous Amaryllis from "Patty's Plants":
Amaryllis was named after a shepherdess from Greek Mythology. Amaryllis
means “Sparkling”. These flowers come in all sorts of colors from pink to orange to bi-colored. This is a Greek Legend that tells how it came to be and
why the red one is so blood red.
The Story goes like this:
There once was a beautiful maiden. Her name was Amaryllis. Where she
lived there was a very handsome young shepherd. All the young maidens in
the village wanted his attention especially Amaryllis. He was not interested in
any of them. He cared more about his plants and flowers. He would tell each
of the young maidens to bring him a new flower that he has never seen. Then
and only then will he give them his heart.
Now, Amaryllis wanted his attention more than any thing so she thought she
would ask for some advice on how to win him, from a High Priestess. The
High Priestess gave her some strange and usual advice but she must follow it
to win the young shepherds love.
The priestess told her to take a golden arrow and pierce her heart with it.
Then she must go to the young shepherds cottage every day and take the
same path until the shepherd notices her. She did this for 29 days. On each
day she shed more and more of her blood on the path to his cottage. She was
turned down every time. The 30 day she felt her feet brush against some
flowers she had never noticed on the path. They where the most beautiful
blood red flowers she had ever seen. She picked an armful and rushed to the
young shepherds cottage. When he opened the door he was stunned. They
both were the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He asked her name and
she told him. He said he would name the flowers Amaryllis. He fell in love
with her and the flowers. They all lived happily ever after.
Oh, I almost forgot to say, her heart was healed instantly. Thank goodness.
No comments:
Post a Comment