Narcissus is a Greek legend. The myth of Narcissus according to Ovid
Narcissus is a perennial plant belonging to the amaryllis family. Most of the daffodil species originated in the Mediterranean, and some of them originated in China and central Asia.
The name of the flower can be translated from Greek as “stunning”, “poetic”. It is no coincidence that many laudatory poems have been composed in honor of this delightful plant at all times, and prominent cultural figures have depicted it in paintings and other creative masterpieces. From millennium to millennium, the narcissus continues to fascinate, enchant and fill the soul with delight. In Eastern countries, it is even popular to compare a flower blooming in spring with the bottomless eyes of a beloved woman. The daffodil flower surpasses even such a flower as the number of legends and stories about it.
The graceful flower is shrouded in a trail of various myths. Thus, since ancient times in Greece there was a legend about a narcissistic young man named Narcissus.
The legend of Narcissus says that Narcissus was a young man, the son of the powerful river god Cephissus and beautiful nymph Lirioessa, who cruelly rejected the sublime feelings on the part of the nymph Echo.
The upset girl experienced her lover’s indifference so hard that she gradually dissolved into oblivion, having managed to place a curse on Narcissus before disappearing: from now on, let not a single object of his sympathy show the same love to the proud young man. Since then, more than one woman has tried to win the heart of the wayward handsome man, but everything was in vain. And one day, seeing his own reflection on the surface of the water, the young man fell in love with it without memory. Tormented by irresponsibility and hopelessness, Narcissus soon died of inescapable melancholy. In memory of the selfish young man, an elegant flower has blossomed on earth, emitting a delicate aroma, and its corolla, inclined downwards, seems to embody the desire to once again admire oneself on the surface of the water. For this reason, the ancient Greeks ranked the beautiful but sad plant among the flowers of sorrow, designed to preserve the memory of all those who died and died.
By the way, the famous artist Karl Bryullov even dedicated one of his paintings to this legend - the canvas “Narcissus Looking at the Water.” In general, over time, the name of the unfortunate Narcissus became a household name: a tradition began to call any selfish person by it.
The ancient Romans considered the narcissus an emblem of victory: with wreaths made from yellow varieties of the flower, they honored brave warriors returning from battles.
In Italy, the beautiful flower has long been recognized as the embodiment of passion. Even in modern world the daffodil, given by the ardent Italian, still expresses a declaration of fiery love.
The daffodil was also an eloquent sign in Prussia. There was an interesting custom: before getting married and leaving her father’s house, a girl would dig up a daffodil bulb from the garden, taking it with her. Having planted a flower in her own home, the newly-made mistress cared for it and cherished it. Narcissus was considered a faithful guardian of the hearth and love between spouses, a symbol of eternal family happiness and prosperity.
In Switzerland, the daffodil festival lasted two days in a row. The streets were literally buried in fragrant flowers: the walls of buildings, windows, doors and shop windows were decorated. Colorful garlands were stretched between the pillars, and the city was thoroughly saturated with a fresh aroma. Men fastened daffodils in their buttonholes, while women made cute wreaths for themselves. And, of course, daring folk festivities were held.
With the onset of each spring, many countries organize exhibitions and noisy celebrations dedicated to sophisticated daffodils. And in China, celebrating the New Year is simply unthinkable without these fragrant flowers: they not only decorate homes in abundance, but also complement the solemn decoration of the altars of the gods.
Well, the love for daffodils on the part of the British simply has no boundaries! In the vastness of Great Britain, the delicate flower is valued even more than the traditional “queen” - the rose. A lot of research is devoted to the development of new varieties of daffodils.
For many centuries, the narcissus has given others not only aesthetic pleasure, but also incomparable benefits. It was specially grown (and continues to this day) to obtain valuable essential oil. This component is widely used in the perfume industry.
Some peoples use the miracle flower for medicinal purposes: it promotes rapid healing of wounds. Also, the narcissus bulb plays the role of a talisman against any illness - it is often put in children’s pockets.
Daffodils - a real garden extravaganza
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Daffodils are a real treat for the soul. Today there is a huge assortment of varieties of these lovely flowers. Daffodils look gorgeous both in a pot and in a flower bed, surrounded by other plants.
They especially brightly emphasize the beauty of spring flowers with bluish tints - irises, primroses and hyacinths. Effective combinations with tulips, crocuses, blueberries, forget-me-nots, primroses, and delicate pansies.
It’s nice that daffodils bloom for a long time, and some of their varieties delight with their charm even in the fall.
Types and varieties of daffodils
In total, there are 12 groups of daffodil varieties. The most famous and popular are the following:
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— Tubular daffodils. They are a single flower crowning a medium or large peduncle. A distinctive feature is the tube, which is equal to or even longer than the perianth lobe. The color is plain white or yellow, although sometimes you can find two-color daffodils. The most famous varieties of this group: “Birsheba” (snow-white flower on an elongated tube), “Mount Hood” (pure white, without any inclusions, blooms quite early), “Gold Medal” (yellowish color) and “King Alfred” ( dark yellow, endowed with a tube with exquisite corrugation around the edge).
- Large-crowned. The flowers of daffodils belonging to this variety are quite impressive in size. They usually have a cream, yellow or orange tone. The shape of the crown resembles either a cup or a tube, slightly shorter compared to the perianth. Well-known varieties are “Helios” (deep yellow with an orange crown) and “La Argentina” (white with a yellowish crown).
— Finely crowned. They are distinguished by a crown that is greatly shortened in comparison with the perianth lobes. Varieties: “Arguros” (bright white perianth and greenish center), “Kansas” (white, crown with a creamy tint), “Verge” (white, crown dark red).
- Terry. The perianth of such daffodils is composed of several lobes. The most common are: "Golden Ducat" (juicy yellow tone, abundant terry), "Inglescombe" (light yellow) and "Snowball" (pure white narcissus).
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- Poetic. Presented in white shades. The flowers are seated on a neat flat crown of a bright, “screaming” tone. The most common varieties: “Actea” (white, with a bright orange crown), “Queen” (a fairly large boiling-white daffodil with a juicy red crown), “Milan” (aristocratic whiteness diluted with a rich green eye).
Features of growing daffodils
Flower growers consider narcissus to be quite unpretentious plants. Once you plant selected bulbs in the soil, you can be sure that flowers will appear regularly, every spring, for many years. Daffodils grow almost everywhere, but they prefer sunny areas with good drainage or light partial shade.
It is preferable to plant bulbs in the garden at the end of the summer - beginning of the autumn season, the optimal depth is 3 times greater than the height of the bulb. If you are planting in containers, then it is advisable to place the bulbs at different depth levels - this way more of them will fit in, which means the final composition will look more worthy.
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When the daffodils have finished blooming, the heads should be removed. As for the leaves, they need to be left for at least another 6 weeks. Flowers have to be divided and replanted, on average, once every three to five years (at the end of summer).
When you decide to combine fresh daffodils with a bouquet of other flowers, remember that first you need to keep them in separate water for a day. The fact is that for other plants, mucus from the stems of daffodils is destructive.
Care must be taken when handling daffodil bulbs: alkaloids (that is, plant poisons) from their composition can cause serious disorders of the digestive tract, as well as tremors, cardiac arrhythmia and dermatitis of various localizations. When working, do not neglect the use of gloves!
One day, the nymph Liriope was possessed by the river god Kephissus. Soon she had a son, whom she named Narcissus. And Leriope turned to the soothsayer Tiresias with the words, how long will my son live?
This was Tiresias's first prediction. According to legends, he changed his gender many times, he managed to be both a man and a woman. One day Hera and Zeus argued who gets more pleasure from love, a man or a woman?
Having experienced both, Tiresias replied that a woman definitely gets more pleasure. His words angered Hera, and she deprived him of his sight, in return for which Zeus endowed him with the gift of divination.
According to a less popular version, he went blind when he saw Athena naked. But over time, Athena took pity, but could no longer restore her sight, giving her the gift of divination in return.
And Tiresias answered that Narcissus would live exactly until he saw his reflection.
Sixteen years have passed. Narcissus was great. Outwardly he was like a god, everyone would like to be with him. But he refused everyone, did not consider anyone worthy of his attention.
One day, while he was hunting in the forest, the nymph Echo noticed him.
Echo was cursed by the goddess Hera for distracting her while her sisters spent time with Zeus. Thus, her sisters escaped Hera's jealous wrath, but she answered for all their sins. From now on, she will never be able to distract anyone with her sweet speeches; she can only repeat the last words.
Echo watched the narcissist for a long time and waited for him to say something. Soon the daffodil fell behind his companions and shouted: “Is anyone here?” And the nymph answered, “Here” and came out to him, hoping to hug Narcissus at least for a little while. But Narcissus was adamant, he rejected her, saying that he would rather die than hug her.
According to legend, the nymph fell in love with the narcissus so much that she could not cope with this grief. In shame, she hid in mountain caves, neither ate nor drank, and over time became so dry that her body turned to stone. From now on, only her voice lives and sometimes responds to the voices of travelers.
Having learned about this, her sisters prayed to the gods, they wanted Narcissus to also fall in love with a man, but he would not reciprocate his feelings. The gods heard Echo’s sad story and fulfilled the nymphs’ request.
Soon Narcissus finds an unusual lake. All this time it was hidden from the eyes of people and animals. The water in it was unusually clean; literally everything was reflected in it, like in a mirror. Narcissus went down to get some water and noticed the man.
He couldn't believe his eyes; in the reflection he saw the ideal of beauty. Admiring his reflection, he realized that he had fallen in love with himself. Now he could neither eat nor sleep; Narcissus spent all his time looking at his reflection. Over time, he grew thin, and he realized that he didn’t have much time left, but he didn’t want to live anymore, knowing that death would save him from torment.
Hearing Narcissus’s suffering, only Echo took pity on him. And she repeated his last words after him. Goodbye, said Narcissus to his reflection, goodbye, said Echo. With these words Narcissus died, but his reflection continued to live.
Soon, when his naiad sisters approached the lake to take Narcissus’s body, they did not find it, and in its place a beautiful flower grew, which was named Narcissus.
Because of the tears, the fresh water in the stream became salty, and the dryads asked the stream why it was crying? And Brook replied that he was crying because of the death of Narcissus. It’s not surprising that the dryads answered, because he was so handsome, and you saw his beauty so close. But the stream replied that he had never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful, in the depths of his eyes he saw his reflection.
What is the main idea of the myth of the narcissist?
The narcissist was narcissistic and rude to others. He rejected everyone, considering only himself worthy of the best. In people he saw only external beauty, not paying attention to internal qualities.
In this myth we see two extremes, Echo loves the narcissist too much, she literally dies because of him. But the narcissist, on the contrary, loves no one but himself and also dies from this. The myth teaches us that love is a strong feeling and we shouldn’t lose our heads because of it, everything should be in moderation. You can’t be selfish, but you also can’t give all of yourself without reserve, forgetting that life is not only love.
In addition, the myth of the narcissist and the Echo teaches us that everything in this world comes back. As Narcissus treated others, so fate dealt with him.
The ancient Greeks are today considered the teachers of the entire Old World. It was they who laid the foundations of science, sports, democratic government, art and literature. Much of their knowledge has come to us through ancient myths that explained the universe and the order of things, coincidences and others. The myth of Narcissus is very interesting, which we will consider in our article.
So, the myth of Narcissus. Briefly, its content can be recounted as follows: a young man fell in love with his own reflection and died, unable to tear himself away from contemplating himself in the water, even to eat. At the place of death, a flower grew from the young man’s body, which was just as beautiful and leaned down. He was named after the young man and was considered a symbol of death, sleep from which one can wake up in a different guise, oblivion, but also a symbol of resurrection. But in reality, the myth of Narcissus is much more complex.
Narcissus was a very handsome guy, the son of a nymph named Liriope and the river god Cephissus. When the boy was born, the soothsayer Tiresias told his parents about his future. He was destined to live a long and happy life, but only if he never saw his reflection. Since there were no mirrors then, the parents were calm.
But time passed. Narcissus grew up to be a guy of amazing appearance, with whom girls and women fell madly in love. Even representatives of the stronger sex paid attention to the handsome man. But he remained indifferent and pushed everyone away. The rejected fans called on the Olympian gods for help and tearfully asked to punish the proud man. As the ancient myths go on to tell, Nemesis heeded their pleas, and Narcissus saw his face in the river mirror. The old prophecy immediately came true: the young man became inflamed with passion for his own reflection and died, unable to move away from the water.
Unhappy Echo
The myth of Narcissus tells not only about the sad fate of a beautiful young man, but also about the nymph Echo. Many boys and girls were dying of love for Narcissus and, pushed away by the proud handsome man, raised their hands to the sky, begging for revenge. Among them was the nymph Echo.
Her fate is especially tragic. She was once a friend of Hera (Juno), her trusted companion. The formidable goddess trusted her as herself. But Echo accidentally learned about the adventures of Zeus (Jupiter), the wife of Hera, and hid them from her mistress. The angry mistress of Olympus drove the nymph away and also took away her voice. The girl could only repeat the last words spoken by someone. Only love could save her, and she diligently searched for her other half.
Love line Narcissus - Echo
According to Narcissus, he is a handsome and proud guy who did not love any woman. When he met the nymph Echo, she did not make an impression on him. The girl, on the contrary, was inflamed with passion. She followed him until her body withered away and only her voice remained. But the young man still did not pay attention to her. Then the nymph clasped her hands to the sky and cursed the guy, wishing that the one whom Narcissus would finally love would also remain indifferent to him.
Love did not bring happiness to either Echo, who disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving only her voice - feedback, echo - or Narcissus. The image in the river couldn't reciprocate even if it wanted to.
Philosophical research
The myth of Narcissus is not just a story about He carries hidden meaning, condemnation, but also regret. The young man is gifted by the gods with rare beauty, but he is a toy in the hands of fate. He saw external beauty, albeit his own (Narcissus did not know that he saw his own face in the river), and forgot about everything in the world. The guy is not trying to find inner beauty, to see the soul. Perhaps if he tried to do this, he would understand that a person is both a soul and a body, he would find himself, his Self. The narcissist really suffers as the girls in love with him suffered, but cannot or does not want to take pull yourself together. He remains weak-willed, preferring melancholy and suffering, death to the struggle for his own happiness.
Echo - exhausted, disappointed. She could not resist Zeus and hid his adultery from Hera. By doing this, she betrayed her friend, for which she received punishment. But her lot seems very difficult: she lost herself, but could not find solace in love. The nymph also saw only visible beauty, only external gloss, and therefore was doomed.
Delightful flower
An amazing flower grew from the body of the dead Narcissus. Its touching petals and incredible aroma captivated at first sight, but also made me sad. This is probably why the plant was considered a symbol of death, dead people, a sign of sadness. But the flower, which received the name of the hero of ancient myths, is also the personification of resurrection, the triumph of life over the kingdom of dark Hades. And this is probably why people grow daffodils in their front gardens and flower beds, and they are delighted with their rare beauty, blooming as soon as the snow melts and the sun warms the earth with its rays.
Irina Vyacheslavovna Mozzhelina
An ancient Greek legend about Narcissa
Narcissus in legends and myths
"The tulip and bitterweed lit up with love,
And a wonderfully handsome man in love Narcissus,
Blooms over the stream and looks at itself,
Until he dies, loving endlessly..."
(Shelley "Mimosa")
This flower has been sung so much by poets of all countries and centuries, like no other, except the rose. Mohammed himself said about him: "Whoever has two loaves of bread, let him sell one to buy a flower narcissus, for bread is food for the body, and narcissus - food for the soul". And the Persian king Cyrus called him "a creature of beauty - an immortal delight."
It was also admired by Shakespeare, who charmingly described it in his tragedy “The Tempest,” and by Edgar Allan Poe, who described it as one of the flowers of that “valley of multicolored grass,” where he was able to experience heavenly love. German poet Isidore Orientalis, looking at narcissus, exclaims: “This slender figure, this wonderful head bends towards itself and, shining with eternal beauty, as if looking for a source.”
The reason for such universal admiration for it is partly the beauty and elegance of the flower itself, and most importantly, as it seems to us, the myth that arose about it in ancient times, which made its name a household name; name someone" narcissist"As you know, it doesn't matter what say: This man is in love with himself. This is where the term came from narcissism. In the language of flowers" narcissus" means false hopes, desires, selfishness.
There is an ancient Greek story about the origin of the flower. The river god Kephissus and the nymph Lirioessa had a son, a beautiful young man who rejected the love of the nymph Echo. For this he was punished: when he saw his own reflection in the water, he fell in love with it. Tormented by an unquenchable passion, he died, and in his memory there remained a beautiful, fragrant flower, the corolla of which bends downward, as if wanting to admire itself in the water once again. The young man’s parents at one time turned to the oracle Tireseus. The soothsayer said that Narcissus will live to old age if he does not see his face. Narcissus He grew up to be a young man of extraordinary beauty, and many women sought his love, but he was indifferent to everyone. When the nymph Echo fell in love with him, the narcissistic young man rejected her passion. The nymph dried up from hopeless passion and turned into an echo, but before her death she said a curse: "Let him not answer The narcissist reciprocates who he loves."
According to this legend, K. P. Bryullov painted his famous painting " Narcissus looking into the water. " (1819). It depicts a young man admiring his own reflection in the water. This painting can be seen in the State Russian Museum.
According to another, no less sad and beautiful legend, Narcissus I unexpectedly lost my twin sister. Bending over the stream in inconsolable grief, he saw in his own reflection the features of his beloved sister. No matter how much he immersed his hands in the water to embrace his native image, it was all in vain... So he died of grief, bending over the water. And the flower appeared on the spot, symbolizing the bowed image of a beautiful young man.
As a result of all this narcissus among the ancient Greeks it was the flower of the dead, the flower of the dead, and it is often this emblem in ancient greek mythology. From time immemorial daffodils they call narcissistic people and, of course, they are “to blame” for this the legend of the beautiful Narcissus. But in Ancient Rome the daffodil was a symbol of victory. The Romans had a wreath of yellow daffodils We met the victorious soldiers returning from the war.
He also enjoyed great success among Roman fashionistas. The Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans grew daffodils not only as ornamental plants, but also as valuable essential oil plants. The essential oils and alkaloids found in the plant are still widely used in perfumery today. Grown for perfume purposes poetic narcissus with a particularly strong aroma.
In Switzerland, in honor of this beautiful flower, an annual festival is held with a performance where they play the ancient Greek the legend of Narcissus.
In China, from ancient times until now, narcissus plays an important role in New Year's ceremonies. IN New Year it is a must-have attribute in every home. On this day, the beautiful flower takes part in all ceremonial processions and decorates the altars of the gods. In Ancient China narcissus grown in glass bowls with water, sand and pebbles.
Currently, they are especially interested in breeding English daffodils. They have the same interest in these flowers as two hundred years ago in Holland they had in tulips and hyacinths.
At all times, poets from different countries have sung the praises of a flower with a beautiful name - narcissus. In terms of magnificence, this plant is not inferior even to a rose. The elegance and beauty of the flower is amazing. It is possible that the myth of Narcissus, who was born to the ancient Greeks, also contributed.
Thanks to legend, the name of the plant has become a household name. Now the narcissist is compared to selfishness. In the world of botany, this flower is associated with selfishness, empty hopes and dreams.
So, the myth of Narcissus. Let's briefly summarize what it's about. The story is about a young man who fell in love with his own reflection and died. He couldn’t take his eyes off the reflection in the water for a second, admiring himself. At the site of the death of the handsome young man, a flower of unusual beauty grew, called a narcissus. The plant began to be considered a symbol of sleep or oblivion, from which you can get out in a different guise. This is a kind of symbol of resurrection. But everything is not so simple, because the myth of Narcissus is very complicated. Summary it will not reveal the whole essence of the story.
A young man named Narcissus was handsome and narcissistic. He was born by the nymph Liriope from the river god Cephissus. After the birth of the boy, the parents heard Tiresias' prediction about the fate of Narcissus. The soothsayer promised the boy good fortune and a long life, provided he never sees his own reflection. There were no mirrors at that time, and the parents were not frightened by the prediction. The years passed, the boy grew up. He was stately and handsome, all the girls tried to win his love. Even grown men were amazed by the beauty of Narcissus. But the guy didn't pay attention to anyone.
Numerous fans were offended; they asked the gods of Olympus to punish the proud young man. The myth of Narcissus says that a goddess named Nemesis heard his cries for help, and soon Narcissus saw his own reflection in the water. The prophecy came true: the guy fell in love with his reflection and died, unable to move away from the water.
The fate of the nymph Echo
But the myth doesn’t end there either. Ancient Greece about Narcissus. It is worth telling the sad story of Echo, a nymph madly in love with Narcissus. Her fate is very tragic. Echo was close friends with the goddess Hera, who was quite stern.
Zeus was the husband of Hera, and Echo learned about his secret adventures, but carefully hid it from her mistress. Hera was angry for this, she deprived Echo of her voice and drove her away. The girl repeated only the last phrases spoken by people, and her salvation should have been love.
Unhappy love
The myth of Narcissus is a tragic story of unrequited love. The handsome guy didn’t love anyone and refused everyone. Echo fell in love with him and followed him everywhere. The young man did not pay any attention to the nymph. All that was left of the girl was her voice. Echo cursed Narcissus, she wanted him to experience the same unrequited love.
Love in this case did not unite two hearts. She did not make either Narcissus or Echo happy. All that was left of the girl was her voice - an echo. And the young man died from unrequited love, because the reflection is soulless.
Let's go deeper into philosophy
We told a complicated love story. There is a hidden meaning, or condemnation, in this myth. The handsome young man is essentially unhappy, and fate played a cruel joke on him. He fell in love with external beauty, although it was only his own reflection, which Narcissus had no idea about. The reflection overshadowed the guy’s mind, and he forgot about everything. He didn’t want to get to the bottom of the inner beauty, the soul. If Narcissus knew what the soul is, then perhaps he would find “himself.” Indeed, the guy experienced the pangs of unrequited love, like hundreds of girls. But this did not stop him: the young man was weak-willed, he chose melancholy and sadness instead of a happy life.
A nymph named Echo is unhappy and exhausted. She tried to preserve someone else's happiness and doomed herself to suffering. A devoted friend punished the girl; she took Echo’s voice away. The nymph lost the meaning of life and still tried to find her other half in order to become happy. Only mutual love could create a miracle, but the young nymph was unlucky. Echo fell in love only with her appearance; she liked the body, but not the soul, which doomed her to death.
Hidden mythical meaning
A beautiful flower grew in the place where Narcissus died. Everyone who saw it instantly fell in love with its beauty and amazing aroma. The plant looked slightly sad, and this gave it charm. Narcissus became a symbol of death, the dark kingdom of Hades. It is closely associated with longing, sadness and oblivion.
In this myth, Narcissus was the personification of coldness and insensibility. In ancient Greece, a flower called narcissus was a symbol of death.
Initially, ancient Greek history described the fear of people of that time to face themselves in reflection, that is, to experience reality. A little later, the concept of “narcissism”, or selfishness and excessive narcissism, was coined. But no myths or beliefs can scare gardeners who love to grow this beautiful fragrant flower. Mentions of daffodils are often found in works of art, poets glorify flowers, and people collect them and present bouquets to their loved ones.
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