Cornflower flower: what does this plant tell us? Mythological encyclopedia: Plants in mythology: Blue cornflower Centaurea cyanis What can you tell children about cornflower.

The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks had no idea what kind of cornflower flower it was. The first mention of this flower dates back to the time of Pliny the Elder. This cornflower flower accompanied people in the fields where grain crops were sown, they were decorated with dwellings during the holidays, various legends were dedicated to it. This blue flower was one of the most beloved in many countries.

Description of cornflower flower

The genus of the cornflower flower is very extensive. Let's get acquainted now with a small but voluminous description of the cornflower flower. It numbers over 800 species worldwide. It can be found in all corners the globe, however, it is most common on the Mediterranean coast.

Flower types

Some types of cornflowers like to grow only in certain areas. In Turkey, you can find 180 species of this floral plant, 109 of which are endemic, that is, those that grow locally. In the Union of Independent States, the blue cornflower is considered the most popular, although in this territory there are also meadow cornflower, Pannonian cornflower, scabious cornflower, gray cornflower, as well as other types of flowers.

Legends about cornflower

The generic name of this flower is Centaurea. Translated, it means "centaur". There is a legend that explains the appearance of such a name. Once Hercules accidentally hit the old centaur Chiron with an arrow. And he was versed in healing and got rid of the resulting wound thanks to cornflower juice.

The second legend about the cornflower tells about the story thanks to which the cornflower began to be called "blue". In ancient times, there was a beautiful young man who loved this flower very much. He constantly wore wreaths and garlands made of cornflower. One day he was found dead surrounded by these blue flowers. The goddess Flora turned the boy's body into a cornflower, after which this flower was called "blue cornflower."

According to the second legend, the cornflower received this color from the sky. One day, heaven was angry with a grain field for the fact that she did not show gratitude to him. The field replied that the sky is too high, and under no circumstances can it reach the sky to thank for all the good things. Then the sky gave the order to the earth that flowers should grow in the field along with the ears of blue color, with its color reminiscent of the blue of the sky.

The Slavs have their own explanation of the word "cornflower". According to the legend, many years ago there lived a mermaid who loved the farmer Vasily. Once after work, he washed himself with river water, and at that moment a mermaid appeared to him. He also fell in love with her, everything was fine with them, but they could not come to an agreement on where to live. The mermaid did not want to live on earth, and Vasily did not want to go to the water element. The mermaid despaired and turned her lover into a flower that was supposed to grow in the middle of a grain field and have a blue color, reminding her of the water surface. This is just one description of the cornflower flower. We read the following.

The Germans recognized this flower during the time of William I and Queen Louise, his mother. Fighting for the well-being of their family, Louise, her daughter, and Wilhelm hid from Napoleonic revenge. One day a local girl came up to them with a basket of blue flowers and offered to buy them. The queen bought flowers and made a wreath for her daughter, which she liked and brought to good location spirit of the whole family. This fact, as it were, meant that soon everything would be formed and adjusted.

In Germany, the cornflower flower is a symbol of German views on social life, in Belgium it symbolizes freedom, and in France it is a symbol of anti-Semitism. The Germans do not keep this flower in the house, as it is believed that this will lead to the fact that the bread will begin to mold. In Ukraine, ending from vegetable gardens, people celebrate the feast of roasting. From ears of bread and petals, they weave wreaths and put them on the most beautiful girls... So you learned what a cornflower is.

Several centuries ago, the French believed that if cornflower flowers are insisted on melt water, then you can get the best medicine for vision.

The fact that people love to weave wreaths from these flowers has led to the fact that flower growers specially grow cornflowers and sell them on the eve of various holidays. In such short description you found out today on our website, we hope you enjoyed it. Good luck to you!

Today we are talking about flowers, but not about all, only about one thing - the Cornflower flower. What secret meaning does it carry and what lies behind its beautiful view?

Giving flowers is a wonderful and amazing tradition that has come down to us since ancient times. Nowadays, few people know the symbolism of flowers. And even in the 18-19 centuries with the help of these graceful and beautiful plants it was possible to express the whole gamut of feelings from all-consuming love to burning hatred.

Young people of the Pushkin age read dictionaries and books about the meaning of plants with interest, gave flowers and bouquets of them, putting a special and even secret, secret meaning.

The method of transmitting information using colors is called the "language of flowers". It is believed that this extraordinary method of conveying emotions and feelings arose in eastern countries where Muslim women and girls could not openly express their feelings.

Currently, the "language of flowers" is not as popular as it once was, and few people know the true meaning of flowers, their secret meaning. But, nevertheless, every year interest in such an original method of transmitting feelings is growing and gaining popularity.

This is due to the fact that by giving a flower, you can express a variety of feelings: and hatred, sadness and joy, expectation and meeting. Flowers come to the rescue also for those who do not dare to openly express their feelings. One such plant is the simple yet beautiful cornflower flower.

Cornflower flower: the origin of the name

It is believed that the beautiful field flower cornflower got its name from the Greek word "basilikon", which is close in meaning to modern nouns"Basilisk", "basil" and his own name Basil. Cornflower flower- this is an old Russian borrowing from Greek, which used to mean “ royal flower". Initially, the cornflower flower played an important role among the South Slavs in funeral rituals and memorial rites.

Botanical name for cornflower "centaurea" Is a Latin designation that comes from the Greek word "kentaureion". It is this name that is associated with the centaur Chiron - the famous Greek mythological doctor who knew healing properties many plants, including cornflower.

There is also a version that Latin name cornflower ("centaurea") means "one hundred yellow flowers." We associate cornflower with blue color, but in nature there are also yellow, purple, blue, white and pink cornflowers.

Botanical description of cornflower

Cornflower belongs to herbaceous plants the aster family. Nowadays, there are more than 550 species of this beautiful wildflower... There are perennial, biennial and annual cornflower flowers.

Wildflowers are found in different parts light: North and South America, Eurasia, (tropics), as well as one species - in Austria. The height of cornflowers can reach one hundred and twenty centimeters. The flowering period of cornflowers is from June to September.

Cornflower symbolism

Currently, cornflower in the language of flowers means: "I dare not express my feelings to you!"

In addition, the graceful plant symbolizes trust, loyalty, openness, delicacy, grace and simplicity. Usually cornflowers are given to girls to show their sympathy and good disposition. Also, such a present is interpreted as an offer of friendship or renewal of acquaintance.

The famous Russian translator and poet D. P. Oznobishin in his book "Selam, or the language of flowers" highlighted the following meaning of cornflower: "be simple as he is."

When compiling this edition, Dmitry Petrovich translated a German book published in 1823 in Berlin, supplementing it with new plant names. The publication was very popular among young people of that time.

Among the ancient Slavs, two cornflowers are associated with wildflowers interesting holiday: "The ear has gone to the field", as well as the "birthday sheaf". The first holiday was celebrated by our ancestors at the time when the first ears appeared on the field.

Young people gathered on the outskirts of their village not far from the rye field, standing opposite each other in two rows. Then the girls and boys tightly held hands, along which a girl decorated with blue cornflowers was walking. After that, the couples moved from the last rows to the first. This action continued until the girl passed her hands to the field, where she descended to the ground.

On the rye field, she plucked several ears, after which the whole procession went home, singing ritual songs. The second festival took place before the harvest. The first sheaf that the women collected in the field was decorated with cornflowers. He was called "birthday" and was solemnly carried to his house with songs.

Our ancestors loved to make beautiful wreaths out of cornflowers, which they then hung in the house. These field plants were believed to be able to drive off crickets. Also cornflowers were very often the main element in the embroidery of our ancestors, craftswomen.

Natural dyes were also made from cornflowers: the plucked extreme petals of the flowers were used to create blue paint, and the tubular ones were used to create a beautiful saturated blue dye... It is known that natural paints made from cornflower flowers are very persistent. This is evidenced by the fact that the wreath of cornflowers found in the tomb has not lost its blue color after millennia.

Legends about cornflowers

There are many beautiful legends associated with cornflowers of the field flowers. In Russian legends, the name of this wondrous plant is associated with the old legend about the love of a beautiful mermaid and an ordinary guy-plowman Vasily.

Two hearts in love could not decide where it is better to live in water or on land. As a result, he turns his beloved into a beautiful blue flower that resembles the blue of water.

According to the German legend, blue cornflowers are small fragments of the sky, in which the golden field of rye fell in love. And even now, you can see that with every breath of wind, ears of rye are leaning towards the beautiful cornflowers, quietly whispering wonderful words of love.

The healing properties of the flower

Since ancient times, cornflowers have been actively used in medicine and cosmetology. Due to the presence of antiviral and antibacterial properties, a large amount nutrients cornflowers irreplaceable helpers in the treatment of various diseases.

The plant is widely used in folk medicine as a diuretic, as well as a choleretic agent. In addition, cornflowers have anti-inflammatory and anesthetic effects. In cosmetology cornflower flower used as a tonic. It is believed that the plant also has a rejuvenating effect.

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Irina Vyacheslavovna Mozzhelina

Blue, like the sky, a flower - knapweed

And among the ears of rye,

Where the moths circle

Yes the grasshoppers are playing

They cast a friendly look

Blue cornflowers.

S. Drozhzhin

According to ancient greek legend, "flower of the Centaur", or Centaurus, hence the Latin name cornflower - Centaurea(scientific name cornflower blue - Centaurea cyanus, was in the healing arsenal of the centaur Chiron, who raised a young hero in a deep forest, hidden from the bloodthirsty ruler. The old centaur had the gift of healing, healed with ointments, herbal infusions, and one of his favorite plants was "centaurea" - cornflower blue... He found that juice cornflower, especially Centaurea jacea, possesses the precious property of healing wounds, and he healed the wound inflicted on himself by the poisoned arrow of Hercules. This gave rise to the name of the plant Centaurea. As for the second half of its name - "cyanus", it simply means "blue" in Latin, the color that is characteristic of our flower.

In one of the ancient Roman legends say that this flower got its name in honor of a blue-eyed youth named Cyanus, who was amazed at its beauty, collected these blue flowers and wove garlands and wreaths from them. The young man even dressed in a blue dress and did not leave the fields until all his beloved cornflowers were not collected to a single one. A handsome young man was once found dead in a grain field, surrounded by cornflowers... Upon learning of this, the goddess Flora, for such constancy and as a sign of special affection for him, turned the body of the young man into knapweed and all cornflowers began to be called cyanuses (cyanus means blue).

Once the sky reproached the cornfield with ingratitude: "Everything that inhabits the earth thanks me. Birds send me singing, flowers - fragrance and color, forests - a mysterious whisper, and only you do not express gratitude, although it is none other, namely I fill the roots of cereals with rainwater and make them ripen ears of corn ". "I am grateful to you," the cornfield answered. "I decorate the arable land with ever-stirring greenery, and in the fall I cover it with gold. There is no other way I can express my gratitude. Help me, and I will shower you with caresses and talk about love." "All right," agreed the sky, "if you cannot come up to me, then I will come down to you." A miracle happened instantly; among the ears, magnificent blue flowers, similar in color to the sultry sky, grew. Since then, ears of grain with every breath of the breeze bow to the messengers of heaven - cornflowers and whisper tender words to them.

The great Russian fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krylov loved these flowers very much, and in his last will he asked to be put in his coffin. cornflowers... "... we give the history of writing a fable by I. A. Krylov" knapweed"dedicated to Empress Maria Feodorovna. The fable begins So:

"Blooming in the wilderness knapweed

Suddenly withered, wilted to half

And, bowing his head on the stalk,

Sadly awaited death ... "

Since 1968 knapweed blue is the national flower of Estonia. In some European countries it is known under the name - German flower (flower with a German character)... Of all the peoples of Europe, the greatest love and popularity knapweed used and is still used by the Germans. Especially he has become dear to them since he became the favorite flower of Emperor William I and his mother, Queen Louise.

. knapweed came to us from ancient times. During the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun, many items were found from precious stones and gold. But the small wreath found in the sarcophagus from cornflowers shocked archaeologists... The flowers dried up, but retained their color and shape.

The Slavs also knew about the healing power cornflower and since ancient times this plant has been used to heal a number of diseases. WITH cornflowers the Slavs have two holiday: "the ear went to the field" - was celebrated when the ears appeared in the field and the "birthday sheaf" - was held at the end of summer before the harvest.

During the holiday, young girls and boys gathered on the outskirts of the village. They stood in two rows opposite each other, held hands, and walked along the arms, as if on a bridge, cornflowers and ribbons girl... Couples moved from the last rows to the first until the girl walked over their hands to the field. At the cornfield, she descended to the ground, plucked several ears and ran with them to the village, where her parents were waiting for her. The procession from the village to the fields was accompanied by singing: "The ear has gone to the field, to white wheat, give birth to rye with oats, with wild grouse, with wheat for the summer."

The "birthday sheaf" holiday was held at the end of the summer, before the harvest of bread. The women-housewives went out with bread and salt to heal the cornfield. They knitted the first sheaf, decorated it cornflowers and put them in the red corner of the house. The first sheaf was called the birthday man.

Ukrainian tale about Vasilke

Once upon a time there lived in the same village a poor widow with her only son - Vasil... He was a handsome and hardworking guy, and many girls looked at him. But I didn’t pay any of them Vasil attention... From morning till night he worked in his field, and returning home, he went down to the river - to wash, relax, admire the sunset. He did not even know that a mermaid lived in that river, that every evening she looked at him, parting the leaves of the water lilies. Looks and sighs softly.

Ah, - the mermaid whispers, - if you fell in love with me, we would live with you in the depths of the river. Look how beautiful I am, how cool and beautiful under my water!

When Vasil saw a mermaid, heard her words, flatly refused to leave his land, his field, did not want to look at the beauty of the mermaid.

Then, - the beauty was angry, - do not get you to anyone! Become a flower in your field!

A flower swayed among the rye. He was blue-blue like eyes Vasily, how deep water in a river! And people called that flower cornflower- in memory of the disappeared young man.

You have probably seen rye and wheat growing in a field. Among the endless golden-yellow field, there will certainly be specks of bluish-blue color, similar to pieces of the sky. These are cornflower flowers.

According to legend, one young man named Vasil hid in a rye field, watching a round dance of mermaids. The mermaids saw him, got angry and ordered him to live forever in this field. Since then, cornflowers have become permanent residents of fields and meadows.

Cornflower is a plant from the Asteraceae family. Its flower is a basket, consisting of many small flowers of a piercing blue or blue color. This color is so unique that it even received a separate name - "cornflower blue" color.

The beautiful color of cornflowers is very popular with lovers of summer cottage life, and they are happy to collect these flowers from the surrounding meadows and fields, making up of them beautiful bouquets... And they can do this for a very long time, because cornflowers bloom all summer, starting in June.

But rural residents have an ambiguous attitude towards cornflowers. On the one hand, cornflowers like to settle in cereal fields where the soil is soft and fertilized. Cornflowers sometimes grow so much that they begin to take away food from cultivated plants and block the light with them. For this, the cornflower in the village is considered a weed, a harmful plant.

On the other hand, cornflowers grow well in meadows from which grass is mowed in August, and the hay obtained from this grass is used as animal feed. Hay containing cornflowers is very nutritious and is liked by cows.

Cornflowers delight bees, because cornflower is a honey plant. From the nectar of this flower, delicious cornflower honey is obtained, which has a characteristic light yellow color.

Useful properties of cornflower

Cornflower flowers serve as the basis for the manufacture of various medicinal preparations: diaphoretic, antipyretic, antimicrobial, choleretic. Even ancient healers used cornflower juice to heal wounds. Also, cornflower-based medicines help improve digestion and increase appetite.

This blue flower was known in antiquity, so I want to know everything interesting about cornflower... Have different nations there are facts and interesting stories about cornflower.

Even in ancient times, a wreath of cornflowers was found in the sarcophagus of the tomb of Tutankhamun, during excavations. Interestingly, these cornflowers have retained their color and shape, although they have dried up.
The scientific name of the cornflower was given only in the 18th century by K. Linnaeus. In ancient times, the Greeks called the cornflower "centaure", in honor of the mythological creature Centaurus, who, after the battle with Hercules, healed his wounds with cornflower juice.
It is popular and loved by the Germans. Cornflower was a favorite flower of Queen Louise and her son Emperor Wilhelm I. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Queen and her children took refuge in Königsberg. Once walking with the children, she was offered to buy a basket of cornflowers. Queen Louise, together with her children, sorted and admired the flowers, weaved wreaths. When the wreath was put on her daughter Charlotte's head, the queen felt that everything would be fine with her family. Time passed, and the son became Emperor Wilhelm I, and Charlotte's daughter later became the Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the mother of Emperor Alexander II.
In Sweden in the image state emblem includes a wreath of cornflowers.
In Belgium, during strikes, miners pinned cornflowers to their blouses.
Valery Chkalov in 1937, when he flew across the North Pole, presented a bouquet of cornflowers to the first Americans who met him.
Andrei Rublev depicted a cornflower on his Trinity icon.
When Ivan Andreevich Krylov fell seriously ill, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna presented him with a bouquet of cornflowers. After his recovery, Ivan Andreevich wrote a fable about the poor cornflower, and he kept the bouquet presented by the empress for a long time and admired it. Krylov loved these flowers so much that in his will he asked to put cornflowers in his coffin.
Cornflower is one of the best flowers for weaving wreaths. When dried, it has a strong spicy smell, sometimes it was used as a fragrant fumigation agent, and ritual wreaths were woven from cornflower.
In the 16th century, it became so popular that enterprising gardeners began to plant it in their gardens.
Cornflowers are so beloved that we can see them in paintings, embroidery, they are spoken of in poems and songs.
Although the cornflower is very beautiful, it loves to grow in rye, but it is a weed. It has been proven by science: that if you add one cornflower seed to 100 rye seeds, rye grows better, but large quantity seeds are oppressed by rye.
The cornflower has a secret, it is the movement of seeds. Since the cornflower achene has a tuft, like a dandelion, many people think that this is a parachute for the flight of seeds. The cornflower's tuft is an organ of movement of achenes, they crawl with its help. The hairs of the tuft have serrations that cling to uneven surface soil, and when wet they contract, when they dry out, they lengthen, so the achene creeps.
Cornflowers, in addition to their decorativeness, have other properties. They are good honey plants, and medicinal properties plants have been used for centuries. In blue cornflower, edge funnel-shaped flowers are used as an antimicrobial agent, for diseases of the kidneys, liver, as a diuretic. When processing flowers with steam, cornflower blue water is used for eye diseases, for conjunctivitis.
They say that the cornflower also possesses magical powers, since Wiener herself takes care of him. A bouquet of cornflowers, best gift he provides reciprocity to a loved one.
In Europe, in the language of flowers, cornflower means gaiety, loyalty, trust.
People are so used to cornflowers, these blue flowers, that even when it comes about some object of bluish-blue color, describing it, they say that the object is cornflower blue. But cornflowers can have other shades.
Now blue cornflower is used to obtain an azure-blue dye, which is harmless and serves for tinting and decorating perfumery and spices. The color of cornflowers is very persistent, almost does not fade in the sun. In the old days, cornflower flowers were used to dye woolen fabrics and make ink.