Our distant ancestors did not doubt that the plants came to this world not by chance, have special significance. The paths of their appearance were shrouded in mystery, giving rise to numerous theories, including "magic". One of these symbols turned out to be an aster. The legend of the flower, the appearance of which served as the source of the name, ascribes to it a divine origin. So where did this beautiful plant come from?
The legend of the flower: aster from Persephone
The most beautiful description of the history of this "star" plant went to our contemporaries from the inhabitants of Ancient Greece. It was they who first wrote down an interesting myth explaining where the aster came from. The legend of the flower says that people should thank Persephone for it.
How is the ever-young goddess of spring connected with the appearance of this plant? Persephone - the unfortunate wife of Hades, who ruled the underworld. He forcibly took her as a wife, kidnapping her from his mother Demeter. The gods ordered the young wife to spend at least half of her life (autumn and winter) in her husband’s abode, so year after year she went underground with the advent of cold weather.
And here is the aster? The legend of the flower claims that once at the end of August, the unfortunate goddess noticed a boy and a girl in love, who exchanged kisses, being hidden by night darkness. Persephone, deprived of love and forced to soon go to Hades, wept with despair. The tears of the sufferer turned into stardust, falling to the ground and transforming into wonderful asters. It is not surprising that from ancient times this plant has been associated with love by the Greeks.
"Stars" were found by monks
Not only Persephone is “accused” of the appearance on our planet of such a miracle as aster. The legend of the flower, which is popular in China, contains another explanation. It all started with the journey of two Taoist clerics who decided to get to the stars. The path of the monks, as expected, was long and difficult. They had to penetrate through the juniper thickets, fall, slipping along the icy paths, wandering around the inhospitable forest.
Finally, the clergy climbed Mount Altai. Once at the top, they decided to rest, as their legs were torn off in blood, only rags remained from their clothes. The monks hardly descended into the valley, where they saw a transparent stream and a flowery meadow. And here is the legend of the flower? Astra turned out to be exactly that beautiful plant that travelers found in the valley. Noticing this miracle, they realized that there are stars not only in the sky.
The monks could not resist not taking plant samples with them. They began to grow them on monastic lands, having come up with a suitable name. Translated from Latin, the word "aster" means "star".
Aphrodite's Gift
The people who once inhabited Ancient Greece were rich in imagination. It is not surprising that they propose another legend about the flower. Astra, as you know, is considered a symbol of the sign of Virgo. People who are controlled by a romantic constellation will be interested to know why this particular plant is chosen for them.
It turns out that the ancient Greeks, who lived before our era, were actively interested in astrology, already had an idea about the constellation Virgo. It, in turn, was identified among the inhabitants of the ancient world with the goddess Aphrodite. The theory says that the tears of the goddess of love shed due to the death of a beautiful lover turned into cosmic dust. This is another legend about the flower (the aster, as it turns out, has long been popular) differs from the story, whose heroine is Persephone. Dust settled on the ground, gradually transformed into a plant.
Astra in Ancient Greece
This was the first state whose inhabitants began to grow asters. Given the "divine" versions of the origin of "star" plants, it is not surprising that they were given a special place. The legend of the autumn flower aster, which was believed in those times, claimed that he had the ability to ward off troubles from home, to drive away evil spirits. This explains the habit of the ancient Greeks to decorate house adjoining territories with these plants.
It is interesting that asters were brought to Crimea precisely from Greece. Evidence that the flower was still grown by Scythians was found in Simferopol. Excavations carried out there revealed patterns in which these plants appeared. They were located on the walls of the imperial tomb. Interestingly, the Scythians saw the sun in this work of nature and also considered it a divine gift.
Symbol of love
In ancient Greece, temples were widely used, glorifying the powerful and beautiful Aphrodite. As mentioned above, the legend of the autumn flower (aster means) assures that the tears of this goddess of beauty turned into a plant . This explains why he was chosen as the symbol whose drawings decorated the altars. Parishioners attending the temple of Aphrodite to offer prayers also wove the plant in their hair and clothing.
Not many people know that the aster was used during divination by young Greek women. Girls who want to start a family, thanks to a magical ritual, recognized the name of the bridegroom. The ritual ordered to visit the garden in the middle of the night, to approach the flower bushes and listen carefully. It was believed that the asters would recognize the name of the future bridegroom from the stars and inform the one who would be able to hear their quiet whisper.
"Star" of the East
Not only Greeks, but also Chinese have been growing asters for many centuries, giving these beautiful flowers a special meaning. From generation to generation, recommendations have been passed that describe how to make bouquets correctly. Feng Shui doctrine, which sees in it a symbol of love, is favorable to this plant. According to feng shui, “stars” help those who wish to activate the love sector. It is necessary to arrange a bouquet in it.
The legend of a flower (an aster for children is also a kind of symbol), transmitted in China from father to son, says that these gifts of nature save from evil demons. To protect the inhabitants of the country burned petals, scattering ashes around the house.
It is interesting that the "star" bouquets also help spouses, whose feelings have faded after years. There is even a recipe for a special salad with flower petals, which Chinese women have shared with their daughters for centuries. It is believed that it is enough to feed a cooled husband with such a dish so that he regains the lost fervor. Such foods are also recommended for childless couples, as it incites sexual desire, which will lead to the appearance of babies.
European traditions
Europeans also had an idea of how magical an aster (flower) is. The legends and beliefs surrounding him had a direct impact on European traditions. With the help of this plant, one could even express secret thoughts. The donor, presenting a bouquet of "stars", could tell the recipient about admiration, friendly respect, hidden love, and even report hatred. It all depended on how the bouquet was composed. Most often, asters were presented to ladies by ardent gentlemen.
However, far from all the inhabitants of Europe, a delicate flower was associated with love. In the eastern part, this plant was considered as a symbol of sadness, which was associated with sadness about the ending summer.
An interesting fact is that the aster decorates the coat of arms of the Republic of Tatarstan, since in this country the flower symbolizes eternal life. Here it is also used to decorate residential buildings, attracting prosperity to the family.
Myths about other colors
Of course, not only "stars" are surrounded by myths, they also have other autumn flowers of legend and belief. Astra, for example, will not be able to compete in the number of stories about its origin with violets. One popular version insists that these gifts of nature appeared thanks to Zeus. The Thunderer turned Atlas's daughter, hiding from Apollo's love, into violet, but forgot to spell the girl.
Gladiolus is another record holder for the number of myths. The famous theory says that it arose on the planet as a result of the battle that took place between the Thracians and the Romans. After the victory of the Romans, many young Thracians turned out to be slaves, among them two friends. When the cruel ruler ordered them to fight to the death, they refused. The brave young men were killed, but the first gladioli grew out of their defeated bodies.
This is how the most famous legends about asters and other beautiful flowers look like.