Daffodil
I have childhood memories of daffodils – not because they grew in my hometown (Madras), but because of Wordsworth’s poem (see below). The first time I saw these flowers was in 1995, in Wordsworth’s country.
Its Latin name “narcissus” also provokes interest, related to narcissism, and there is a mythological story (see below) about it.
| Botanical name | Narcissus pseudonarcissus |
| English names | Wild daffodil, Lent lily |
| Nederlandse naam | wilde narcis |
| Indian names |
Characteristics
| Native habitat | northern Africa, Europe, Afghanistan, China, and Japan | |||
| Plant Type | bulb | |||
| Bloom time | spring, Feb, Mar, Apr | Fall color | ||
| Fruit | ||||
| Uses | ||||
Special notes
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTHI wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45521/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud
Mythological meaning
A well- known myth surrounding the narcissus flower comes from Greek mythology. Narcissus was the son of the River God Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. He was an incredibly handsome young man who belittled those who loved him.
In the classic version of this tale by Ovid (a Roman poet), Narcissus was walking in the woods when a mountain nymph called Echo saw him. Attracted by his beauty she decided to follow him. When Narcissus shouted ‘who’s there?’ Echo responded by repeating his words back to him because that’s all she could do.
Eventually she decided to reveal herself and embrace him. He rejected her advances and told her to leave him alone. Heartbroken, she spent the rest of her life roaming the woods until nothing was left but the sound of her voice (an echo). Learning of this, Nemesis – the Goddess of Revenge – decided to punish Narcissus by drawing him to a stream where he saw his reflection. Unable to look away from such perfection, he fell in love with it.
When his love wasn’t reciprocated, he couldn’t bear to leave his reflection. After staring at it for a few days he grew exhausted, fell into the stream and drowned. It’s said that daffodils are called narcissus because they commonly grow on the banks of streams and rivers where Narcissus perished.
Some believe that the way daffodils bend their necks towards the ground symbolises Narcissus bending over to admire his image in the water, and this is why daffodils are sometimes said to represent vanity and unrequited love.
The psychological term narcissism also comes from this tale; to describe people who are attention seeking and have a high opinion of themselves.
https://www.interflora.co.uk/page/flower-types/narcissi