Dissecting Dragons: Episode 164: The Language of Flowers - Botanical Folklore in Myth and Speculative Fiction

Episode 164: The Language of Flowers - Botanical Folklore in Myth and Speculative Fiction

 

Myth and folklore from all kinds of cultures and pantheons around the world, all contain stories about flowers and plants that are either imbued with strange and eldritch properties, or which have special religious or anthropomorphic significance. Greek myth, for example, is full of stories of people being turned into plants. European folksong, on the other hand, often contains a secondary or tertiary meaning if you look at the plants casually mentioned in the song. This week the dragons seek to decode a few of these myths and folksongs, looking at the surprising, poetic and often sinister language of flowers. On the slab this week - The Mabinogion's Tengedau of Arianrhod and the tale of Bloudewedd, the story of Krocus, Apollo and Hyacinth, Scarborough Fair and many more.

 

Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic