Lily,The Goddess Hera

The lily was dedicated to the goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus. Legend has it that when Zeus fathered Hercules with the mortal woman Alceme, he wished his son to partake more fully of divinity. To this end he had the baby brought to Hera after he drugged her to sleep. He had the baby placed at her breast and Hercules nursed. Hera awoke in horrified surprise and flung the baby from her. Some of her milk gushed across the heavens and formed the milky way. A few drops fell to earth and from those drops sprang the first lilies.

Lilies have been associated with many ancient myths, and pictures of lilies were discovered in a villa in Crete, dating back to the Minoan Period, about 1580 B.C.
Roman legend has it that when Venus rose from the sea-foam she saw a lily and she became filled with jealous envy at the whiteness and beauty of it.Seeing it as a rival to her own beauty she caused a huge and monstrous pistil to spring from the lily's snow-white center. This myth accounts for the the lily being associated with Venus and the Satyrs who are the personification of lustful ardor.
Lilies are also a symbol of death, and at one time lilies were placed on the graves of young innocents. The lily has no true medicinal value although at one time it was thought to posses certain medicinal virtues. It was thought to have magical properties and there were thousands of recipes in Elizabethan times for the use of lilies in the treatment of fever or as a unguent containing lily root for cleaning wounds,burns and sores. as well as relieving rheumatic and arthritic symptoms.

Calla Lilies,So Beautiful

When people think of calla flowers they most commonly associate them with calla lilies (technically known as Zantedeschia, a tribute to the famous botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi). However, there is a species in the same family referred to Calla palustris that grows wild in the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Although these two plants are similar in appearance and are part of the same genus, this variety only has a single species and contains a cluster of red berries at its center. Calla lilies boast a slightly larger family with eight recognized species; comes in a variety of colors and patterns (from a similar white to that of Calla palustris, to a golden hue, or spotted yellow or pink); grow to roughly around 1 to 3 feet, and are native to Southern Africa.

Although both Zantedeschia and Calla palustris varieties of calla flowers are considered highly poisonous to consume, many still take their chances. The rhizome of the wild calla can be dried, ground or boiled to make it edible. The leaves of calla lilies can also be cooked before consumption; however, most people will advise you to err on the side of safety with this particular culinary art. Calla flowers have a good deal of history, starting as far back as the Romans. This particular plant has, over time, fluctuated between being an emblem of happiness, to a respectful sign of sadness. During Roman times calla lilies were planted just inside the doors of homes at the time of winter solstice. This was done to bring some well needed “light” during the dark and dreary winters. Later on, callas were associated with funerals as they are not only a symbol for peace, they are also long lasting and can withstand warmer temperatures than many other flowers. Calla flowers have returned to a more cheerful use in recent times. During 1937 in New York, one of the largest blooms ever grown was a calla lily; Georgia O’Keefe painted at least eight pieces depicting callas, and an exhibition at the Brooks Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico featured over 50 depictions of this famous flower, and around 1934 the calla lily became very popular in weddings when a photo of a South African bride displaying a bouquet of callas surfaced.
As a gift, calla flowers can be very meaningful. Although they are predominately thought of as an emblem for spiritual peace, they are also thought to represent magnificence, purity and rebirth. Callas can be given as a houseplant, in a bouquet, boutonniere, or even clipped and given as a single flower.