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Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: FLAX BLOSSOMS
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 FLAX BLOSSOMS "In Brittany young people prove the good faith of their lovers by a pretty ceremony. On St. John's Eve, the men, wearing bunches of green wheat ears, and the women decorated with flax blossoms, assemble round an old historic stone and place upon it their wreaths. Should these remain fresh for some time after, the lovers represented by them are to be united; but should they wither and die away, it is a certain proof that the love will as rapidly disappear." The Folklore of Plants by by T. F. Thiselton-Dyer: http://www.archive.org/stream/thefolkloreofpla10118gut/10118.txt Flax was one of the first domesticated plants in neolithic times, acknowledged as the foundation crop of modern civilization. It was used mainly for weaving and for medicine. Hippocrates advised using flax as a remedy for stomach pains around 650 BC and aroudn the same time Theophrastus noted the use of flax mucilage to cure coughing. It is the source of linseed oil. People of all the Ancient Worlds used it to make cord, sailcloth, lamp wicks, and linen for clothing. Pliny said, "What department is there to be found of active life in which flax is not employed? And in what production of the Earth is there greater marvels to us than in this?" At summer fire festivals, the height of the flax crop was predicted by how high the flames of the bonfire were, or by the height of the highest fire-jump. Three charred sticks from the bonfire were planted in the flax fields to encourage the plants to grow tall. Women threw branches of birch into the fire saying "May the flax be as tall as this bough!" or "Weeds to the fire! Flax to the field! Flax grow long!" The pretty blue flax flower was widely thought to be a protection against sorcery in the Middle Ages. FlaxClub Spain - http://flaxclub.ning.com/forum/topic/search?q=flax Flax flower plaque created by Fedelm Cruithni especially for the Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt. |
Courtyard
~ Table of Contents ~
Feverfew
Lavender Ladybugs Thyme Bay Laurel Mint Answers to Spring Equinox Quix Dandelion for Spring Tonic Sun-Infused Calendula Healing Salve Fiddleheads Nettles for Spring Daffodil Quiz Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: THE SACRED OAK Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: VERVAIN Beltaine Treasure Hunt '08: MARIGOLDS AND MAIDENS Beltaine Treasure Hunt '08: THE CHARM OF IVY Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: GREEN WHEAT EARS Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: EGLANTINE Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: Mystic Mistletoe Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: Magical Fern Seeds Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: Hawthorn Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: BOX SPRIGS Beltaine '08 Treasure Hunt: APPLE |
