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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
187
Few
flowers
have
been
more
popular
than
the
daffodil
or
lent-lily,
or,
as
it
is
sometimes
called,
the
lent-rose.
There
are
various
corruptions
of
this
name
to
be
found
in
the
West
of
England,
such
as
lentils,
lent-a-lily,
lents,
and
lent-cocks;
the
last
name
doubtless
referring
to
the
custom
of
cock-throwing,
which
was
allowed
in
Lent,
boys,
in
the
absence
of
live
cocks,
having
thrown
sticks
at
the
flower.
According
also
to
the
old
rhyme:--
"Then
comes
the
daffodil
beside
Our
Lady's
smock
at
our
Lady's
tide."
In
Catholic
countries
Lent
cakes
were
flavoured
with
the
herb-tansy,
a
plant
dedicated
to
St.
Athanasius.
In
Silesia,
on
Mid-Lent
Sunday,
pine
boughs,
bound
with
variegated
paper
and
spangles,
are
carried
about
by
children
singing
songs,
and
are
hung
over
the
stable
doors
to
keep
the
animals
from
evil
influences.
Palm
Sunday
receives
its
English
and
the
greater
part
of
its
foreign
names
from
the
old
practice
of
bearing
palm-branches,
in
place
of
which
the
early
catkins
of
the
willow
or
yew
have
been
substituted,
sprigs
of
box
being
used
in
Brittany.
Stow,
in
his
"Survey
of
London,"
tells
us
that:--"In
the
weeke
before
Easter
had
ye
great
shows
made
for
the
fetching
in
of
a
twisted
tree
or
with,
as
they
termed
it,
out
of
the
wodes
into
the
king's
house,
and
the
like
into
every
man's
house
of
honour
of
worship."
This
anniversary
has
also
been
nicknamed
"Fig
Sunday,"
from
the
old
custom
of
eating
figs;
while
in
Wales
it
is
popularly
known
as
"Flowering
Sunday,"
because
persons
assemble
in
the
churchyard
and
spread
fresh
flowers
upon
the
graves
of
their
friends
and
relatives.
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