Only God can make a flower
Uploaded: July 19, 2007
Joy L. Barber July 19, 2007
Nice job - love the pov and comp. I love passion flowers - and the story that goes with the flower. It amazes me that the flower varies slightly by region. -Joy #694421Lois Pierpont July 19, 2007
Thank you Joy for the comment,I live in Chicago,I too love this flower, they grow wild in Kentucky and I'm told that the winters here are too cold for them to come back. I wish I knew the story that goes with the flower.Deon July 19, 2007
This is aboslutely beautiful Lois, and I love your title also.Deon #4527103
Lois Pierpont July 19, 2007
Thank you Deon for the nice comment. #4528847Joy L. Barber July 20, 2007
Lois- You said you were interested in the story behind the flower - I found this on the internet - (used passionflower legend search) - JoyPassionflower
Despite its name, passionflower wasn't named for any aphrodisiac actions. Instead the "passion" in passionflower's common name refers to the "passion" or "suffering" Christ experienced during his crucifixion. As the legend goes, 17th century missionaries saw great symbolism in passionflower's appearance and used passionflower to teach the story of the crucifixion to Native peoples.
In passionflower's three pistils, they saw the nails that held Christ to the cross and in the five stamens, they saw the wounds He suffered. The circle of purple and white fibers in the flower represented the crown of thorns Christ was forced to wear while the ten petals on the underside of the blossom represented the ten apostles who didn't betray Christ.
It's not just passionflower's blossom that held importance to these early missionaries. Passionflower's leaves are shaped like a three-fingered hand, symbolizing the Holy Trinity, and some legends even suggest that the egg-shaped fruit suggested "rebirth" or "renewal". Even the color of the blossoms was significant. The deep, rich purple symbolized royalty or majesty while the stark white served as a reminder of Christ's purity.
#4530181
Lois Pierpont July 20, 2007
Thank you soooo much.Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.
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