Meaning of Narcissus – Tips for my garden

The daffodil between myth and history

The daffodil flower owes its name to the myth told by the poet Ovid, who tells the story of a handsome young man, named Narcissus, unable to love others who, seeing his image reflected in the water of a river, falls madly in love. on his own but, faced with the impossibility of kissing, he decides to stab himself with a sword. From the blood shed by this impossible love, according to legend, the flower that bears his name was born. Evidence of the daffodil’s importance in antiquity can be found in Roman culture, where it was a symbol of the afterlife and used to pay homage to the dead, in Celtic culture, where the Druids considered it a symbol of purity and attributed to it the power to absorb negative thoughts and in the Jew it must be associated with feminine beauty and fertility.

The propagation and structure of the daffodil.

The daffodil is a variety native to Europe, North Africa and Asia, today very widespread in the world due to its ease of cultivation, since it adapts to all arable lands and the harshest climates. more different. This flower is a bulbous species, which generates isolated flowers generally white or yellow, with possible shades tending towards pink; It has linear and elongated leaves, light green in color. The leaves and bulbs contain a toxic substance called narcissin, which, if accidentally ingested, can cause allergic and gastric disorders and, if not eliminated in time with appropriate treatment, death. The daffodil has a characteristic intoxicating scent and is therefore widely used in the field of perfumery, to produce both feminine and masculine scents.

In Western culture, the daffodil is associated with an excessively vain attitude, extreme self-esteem and self-admiration. It therefore lends itself to being given to women with a strong personality, but also to established and accomplished men, to celebrate economic and professional successes. In China, however, this wonderful flower is a symbol of prosperity and a wish for luck in the future, as it indicates one’s inner potential and the ability to express it in the most productive way to gain fame and prestige. This symbolism has also been taken up in Wales, where on March 1, the feast of Saint David, the daffodil is pinned to the jacket to wish a happy new year, while in Maine, in the United States, it is on the contrary perceived as an omen of bad luck and bad luck.

Being in oriental culture a symbol of happiness, prosperity and good health and recalling the medieval custom of using the daffodil in the creation of love potions, this flower is widely used in the decoration of wedding halls or in the home. occasion of other celebrations, for its elegance and refinement, making it pleasant but not too flashy. It is also a particularly suitable flower to give to a sick or convalescing friend to wish them a speedy recovery and infuse them with positivity and joy, thanks to its bright yellow color. Finally, the daffodil lends itself to fun and colorful interior decoration, such as centerpieces or flower vases; in fact, it is possible to grow it easily at home with a few simple precautions, due to its great adaptability.