Índice

     

    When the dandelion flower dries, it blooms a white fluff that you have surely blown away at some point. From there, the seeds of the plant are released and so others can be born around it.

    For a long time, this flower aroused the interest of the human being, who was responsible for creating very interesting meanings and legends. Read on to meet them.

    What is Dandelion?

    It is a perennial plant whose scientific name is Taraxacum officinale, popularly known as: dandelion, chipule, bitter chicory, star, baker, buttercup, dandelion, lechuguilla, cerraja, taraxacón, moraja, etc.

    It usually grows on vacant soils, meadows, sunny hills and grasslands. They have a greater tolerance for dry and cold weather and are mostly found in temperate zones in the northern countries of the planet.

    In certain places it is grown as a vegetable for its medicinal properties of its roots, leaves, stem and flowers. It usually reaches up to 40 cm in height and its stem supports the leafless flower, as they grow close to the ground.

    The flower is composed of hundreds of elongated yellow petalswhich once dry give way to the growth of white downy stems ready to take off with the wind.

    Advice!

    ♥ TIP: If you want to learn more about flower therapy with the 38 Bach Flowersyou can't miss this complete guide 👈.

    Legends that explain the meaning of dandelion

    Most people have the custom of making a wish by blowing on a dandelion flower, this is due to the many legends behind this plant, around the world and throughout history, which attribute magical properties to it.

    fairy paradise

    A European Scandinavian legend says that dandelion flowers are actually fairies in disguise.

    The legend says that before the arrival of the human being, the fairies and the elves lived in perfect peace and harmony, however with the arrival of the great creatures without magic, the fairies began to be trampled by these beings who do not couldn't see them.

    that is how they decide to disguise themselves with golden petals and perch on the stem of the dandelion.

    With their striking shape and color, they almost always avoided being stepped on, but even when crushed, their petals retract for protection and then rapidly regenerate thanks to the healing powers of the fairy lurking within. inside.

    Theseus' reward

    In Greek mythology, flowers appear in many of its legends, and the dandelion is no exception, although it does not have as important a history as that of the daffodil...

    It is said that Theseus received a special gift from the goddess Hecate, after defeating the minotaur. This gift consisted of a vegetable salad made with dandelions.

    The woman, the wind, the sun and the dandelion flowers

    Native Americans said thathe south wind had fallen in love with a young girl with golden hair very beautiful, but he was too lazy to court her and watched her every day while she smelled the flowers in the shade of a tree.

    He waited so long to be reciprocated that one day he noticed that the woman's golden hair had turned gray.

    At first he thought it was a blanket of frost formed by the delicate north wind. But then he realized that the young woman had grown old and thus lost the opportunity to love.

    when the wife died the great spirit turned his body into a dandelion flower.

    Another fairly similar Native American legend says that a woman with golden hair fell madly in love with the sunShe rejected all her suitors, hoping that one day he would love her.

    As she grew older, her sadness made her too fragile, so much so that the wind carried her away. It was then that the sun realized how cruel he had been in not paying attention to him and there was nothing he could do to bring him back.

    This is how the great spirit took pity on the woman and turned her graying hair into seeds which later turned into beautiful dandelion flowers vividly reflecting the sun that rejected her.

    Leprechauns and gold coins

    Another Irish origin story says that a hermit found a pot of gold coins at the foot of a rainbow.

    Greedy and selfish, the old man did not want to share his find, and fearing that his treasure would be stolen, he poured the coins into a bag and lay down with them to think of a good place to hide them, remembering a perfect place for his hiding place, he relaxed and fell asleep.

    Emboldened by the silence of the old man's house. A hungry mouse came out of its burrow and began to gnaw on the bag hoping to find a treat, but disappointed with the coins, it went to the kitchen.

    The next morning, the old man left early, carrying the bag on his back through fields and woods.

    As he walked, he didn't realize that the hole made by the mouse drops the coins little by little. So, once they arrived at their destination, most of the parts were gone.

    Frustrated and full of rage, the old man hid what was left of the gold in the ground and retraced his steps, bending down to retrieve the fallen coins.

    However, there was none, instead the elves had grown dandelion flowers in an attempt to share the joy of the old man's treasure.

    As they had expected, those who passed by were amazed by the beauty of the flowers, even when they were drying, they blew on them, filled with joy and shared that same joy with others, once new flowers appeared, to from the scattered seeds.

    Other Dandelion Flower Meanings

    Thanks to legends and tales, the dandelion flower began to have very direct meanings, which were collected even in literature and the arts.

    • In the Middle Ages, dandelion flowers in their blooming and bright yellow stage, were a symbol of wealth and abundance. Women would embroider them on children's clothing in an attempt to favor them and guarantee them a prosperous future or marriage to a wealthy suitor.
    • In the book Commentarii in sex libro pedacii dioscorides, by the doctor Pier Andrea Mattioli, written in the sixteenth century, it is mentioned the following: "The magicians say that if a person rubs himself with a flower to the touch of a lion you will be welcome everywhere and you will get what you want”.
    • In Victorian times, when the language of flowers was fashionable to communicate messages to young women and suitors, the dandelion flower symbolized fidelity, happiness, wish fulfillment and acceptance.

    In the language of flowers, if a dandelion is placed in a bride's bouquet, it works like amulet for the marriage to be happy, harmonious and full of love.

    • Scott Cunningham, a writer of the 80s and 90s recognized for his proposal of natural magic as an alternative to religion, in several of his books tells that the dandelion plant is one of the most powerful, for which it is necessary to plant in the north- west of the house, so that the wind spreads its petals towards us and good luck to us
    • In the language of dreams, it is believed that dreaming of dandelion flowers means hope and is related to desirechildhood memories, spring and summer seasons.
    • In collective culture, blowing on a dry dandelion flower is a common custom of making a wish. Certain conditions fix its fulfillment, such as closing your eyes, repeating the wish in your mind as many times as the time of day, or shouting it into the wind.

    Some people today believe that blowing the fluff in the wind releases the thoughts to reach the loved one.

    healing properties of dandelion

    Besides its multiple meanings, the dandelion is also a medicinal plant with healing properties that:

    • They help detoxify the liver, improving bile and liver function, thanks to their rich source of taraxacins.
    • They lower the amounts of bad cholesterol in the blood.
    • They eliminate different types of toxins that lodge in the bloodstream, such as uric acid, excess sugar, poisons, thus avoiding other diseases such as diabetes, overweight, hives, rheumatism , etc.
    • They stimulate diuresis, thanks to their high potassium content which stimulates the production of urine. Which helps to detoxify you, ward off infections, stone chips and kidney stones.

    “Did you like the legends about dandelion flowers? We therefore invite you to discover the meanings and legends of other flowers here.

    If you wanted to know more, watch the video that we leave you below about the meaning of dandelion, which you will surely love!