45 1 JRIDEJE. 



History, Uses, &C. — Sallron, on account of its brilliant 



yellow colour, like that of the rising sun, has been especially 

 valued by mankind from the earliest ages ; in Sanskrit it bears 

 the name of Kunkuma (a name also given in India to the red 

 colour prepared from turmeric), and is described as Charu 

 "fair/^ Vara "suitor," Agnisikha '^having a crest of fire," 



Saurabha "fragrant/^ Mangalya " propitious,^' &c. In Persia 

 the word Zard^ derived from the Zend^ signifies "yellow, and 

 saffron,^' and the sun is called Zard-rii "yellow or golden- 

 faced/^ and Zardah"i-kamran 'Uhc fortunate yellow/'' Saffron 

 is the Karkom of the Hebrews, a name borrowed from the Per- 

 sians, and in the Song of Solomon the beauty of the bride is 

 likened to it. Amonn-st the Greeks <poKos sio-nified both saffron 



,.^ v«.v. ^.^^^.^ , .-.^Q 



and yellow ; Eos or Aurora^ the goddess of the morning, is clothed 

 in it, and in Homer she is described as accompanying the 

 Sun throughout the day* 



Yellow, and plants having that colour^ have also an erotic 

 signification, hence we find them playing an" important part in 

 marriage ceremonies and the relations between the sexes : Juno 



in the Iliad is represented as preparing a bed of saffron and 

 hyacinths when she wishes to tempt Jove, and Jayadeva in the 

 Gifa Govinda represents Ilari as inviting Radha to repose upon 

 Q, bed made of the saffron-coloured flowers of the Asoka. The 

 following lines indicate the significance which is attached to 

 this colour in popular estimation in India : 



Sanjh suni piyd aran piyari, sundarnari singar banai; 

 Piar kesar, piar besar, piat bar liya larkai, 

 Piar chir diyo kamlapati, piar chandan de lagui^ 

 Piar pan ki biri lagi, piyari piri bhai, piu nahin ai. 

 ** The loved one heard that her lover would come in the 

 evening, and made a grand toilette : yellow saffron, a yellow 

 nose-ring, and a threaded necklace of yellow flowers. She has 

 donned a yellow robe, applied yellow samLJwood, and x>l^iced 



1 leaves iu her mouth. The damsel herself has 

 grown yellow waiiiuo^ fo^ ^ loyor who ha.^ not conic/' 



bet 



The Urcrian Hctair... and also effeminate youths used to wear 

 the <i^-K^r.H, or ^^^aitVou.coluured y^ivm-KC' and the Arabs 



