DAISY 51 



Picky Oaisv. I-'wc-tjowan, ("inwan. May ( 'nnvan, ("icnvlan, Mary dow- 

 lan. 1 k'U and Chickfiis. lUrli Mar^aicl. Marili I )aisy, Marj^arcl's 

 1 Icrb, Marguerite, Mandliiiwoii, Moilnr ol thousands, SiKcr I'cniu, 

 rrinirosc, Sweep, Sweeps. 



The name Bairnwort may he given because chiklren galhcr it so 

 much; but as to Benwort. of wliich it may be a variant, Turner says: 

 ••The northern men call this herl>e a banwort because it helpcth bones 

 to kn\l agayne." The name llniiscwort is ap]ilicd because " llic 

 leavv'S stamped takith aw.iy bruises and s\\ clIiiiLis if ihcy be laide 

 thereon, whereujioii It was caHed in oKle time ISruiseu orle ". So at 

 any rate says Gcrarde. The name Daisy is from the .\..S. ifcrcj;rs i'(i<;r, 

 eye of day, from its opening and closing its flowers w ith the daylight. 

 in connection with the name May (iowan tin re is a Berwickshire 

 saving: '•Yell get round again, if ye had \our fit (tool) on the May 

 t'lowan." 



A Daisy is taken and its leaves plucked one by one to test sincerity 

 by lovers, who say at the same time, " Does he love me a little — much 

 — passionately — not at all?" when they count. 



La Blanche t-t sinijilc I'aguerette, 



Qui ton cceur consulle surtout, 



Dit, ton aniant, tendre filctte, 



J'aiiiK-, un pcu, beaucoiip, point du tout. 



Girls put Daisy roots under their ])illows to dream of their lovers. 

 To dream of the Daisy is lucky in spring or sinnmer, but not so in 

 autumn or winter. The appearance of the Daisy helps tlie peasant in 

 the north to mark the season's ad\ance. 



Spring has not arrived till you can set your toot on twelve Daisies. 



When a tooth is extracted, to be free from toothache, in Thuringia, 

 you must eat three Daisies. 



They were scattered over graves, says Gay. The name Marguerite 

 was erroneously derived from Margaret of Cortuna. 



There is a double flouret, white and red. 



That our lasses call herb-Margaret, 



In honour of Cortona's penitent, 



\\'hose contrite soul with red remorse was rent, 



While on her penitence kind heaven did throw 



The white of purity, surpassing snow; 



So white and red in this fair flower entwine, 



Which maids are wont to scatter at her shrine. 



The ointment •' Save " in Chaucer's day was partly prepared from 

 the Daisy. It was said in the eighteenth century to be a cure for 



