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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
261
The
colour
of
the
rose
has
been
explained
by
various
legends,
the
Turks
attributing
its
red
colour
to
the
blood
of
Mohammed.
Herrick,
referring
to
one
of
the
old
classic
stories
of
its
divine
origin,
writes:--
"Tis
said,
as
Cupid
danced
among
the
gods,
he
down
the
nectar
flung,
Which,
on
the
white
rose
being
shed,
made
it
for
ever
after
red."
A
pretty
origin
has
been
assigned
to
the
moss-rose
(Rosa
muscosa):--
"The
angel
who
takes
care
of
flowers,
and
sprinkles
upon
them
the
dew
in
the
still
night,
slumbered
on
a
spring
day
in
the
shade
of
a
rosebush,
and
when
she
awoke
she
said,
'Most
beautiful
of
my
children,
I
thank
thee
for
thy
refreshing
odour
and
cooling
shade;
could
you
now
ask
any
favour,
how
willingly
would
I
grant
it!'
'Adorn
me
then
with
a
new
charm,'
said
the
spirit
of
the
rose-bush;
and
the
angel
adorned
the
loveliest
of
flowers
with
the
simple
moss."
A
further
Roumanian
legend
gives
another
poetic
account
of
the
rose's
origin.
"It
is
early
morning,
and
a
young
princess
comes
down
into
her
garden
to
bathe
in
the
silver
waves
of
the
sea.
The
transparent
whiteness
of
her
complexion
is
seen
through
the
slight
veil
which
covers
it,
and
shines
through
the
blue
waves
like
the
morning
star
in
the
azure
sky.
She
springs
into
the
sea,
and
mingles
with
the
silvery
rays
of
the
sun,
which
sparkle
on
the
dimples
of
the
laughing
waves.
The
sun
stands
still
to
gaze
upon
her;
he
covers
her
with
kisses,
and
forgets
his
duty.
Once,
twice,
thrice
has
the
night
advanced
to
take
her
sceptre
and
reign
over
the
world;
twice
had
she
found
the
sun
upon
her
way.
Since
that
day
the
lord
of
the
universe
has
changed
the
princess
into
a
rose;
and
this
is
why
the
rose
always
hangs
her
head
and
blushes
when
the
sun
gazes
on
her."
There
are
a
variety
of
rose-legends
of
this
kind
in
different
countries,
the
universal
popularity
of
this
favourite
blossom
having
from
the
earliest
times
made
it
justly
in
repute;
and
according
to
the
Hindoo
mythologists,
Pagoda
Sin,
one
of
the
wives
of
Vishnu,
was
discovered
in
a
rose--a
not
inappropriate
locality.
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