pfaat Tsore, Iseger^/, oriel ^S^t\cf, 299 



CROCUS. — Legendary lore derives the name of this flower 

 from a beautiful youth named Crocus, who was consumed by the 

 ardency of his love for the shepherdess Smilax, and was afterwards 

 metamorphosed into the flower which still preserves his name ; 

 Sniilax being also transformed, some accounts say into a flower, 

 others into a Yew. 



*' Crocus and Smilax may be turned to flowers, 

 And the Curetes spring from bounteous showers." — Ovui. 



Rapin says : — 



" Crocus and Smilax, once a loving pair, 

 But now transformed, delightful blossoms bear." 



According to a Grecian legend, the Crocus sprang from the blood 

 of the infant Crocus, who was accidentally struck by a metal disc 



thrown by Mercury whilst playing a game. One of the Sanscrit 



names of the Crocus, or Saffron, is asrig, which signifies " blood." 

 The dawn is sometimes called by the classic poets, on account of 



its colour, crocea. The ancients often used to adorn the nuptial 



couch with Crocus-flowers, perhaps because it is one of the flowers 

 of which, according to Homer, the couch of Jove and Juno was 

 composed. 



" And sudden Hyacinths the turf bestrow. 

 And flowery Crocus made the mountains glow." 



The Egyptians, at their banquets, encircled their wine cups with 

 garlands of Crocus and Saffron, and in their religious processions 



these flowers were carried with other blooms and aromatics. 



The Jews made use of the Saffron Crocus {Crocus sativus) as an 

 aromatic, and in the Song of Solomon it is referred to as highly 

 appreciated : — " Thy plants are an orchard of Pomegranates, with 

 pleasant fruits; Camphire, with Spikenard; Spikenard and Saffron," 



&c. The Greeks employed the Crocus in the composition of 



their perfumes. Thus Hipponax says : — 



" I then my nose with baccaris anointed 

 Redolent of Crocus." 



The Romans were so fond of the Crocus, that they not only had 

 their apartments and banqueting halls strewed with this plant, but 

 they also_ composed with it unguents and essences which were 

 highly prized. Some of the latter were often made to flow in 

 small streams at their entertainments, or to descend in dewy 

 showers over the audience. Lucan, in his 'Pharsalia,' describing 

 how the blood runs out of the veins of a person bitten by a serpent, 

 says that it spouts out in the same manner as the sweet-smelling 

 essence of Saffron issues from the limbs of a statue. In both 

 Greece and Rome, as in later years in this land. Crocus was a 

 favourite addition to dishes of luxury, and Shakspeare speaks of 



Saffron to colour the warden pies. In olden times. Crocus was 



held to be a great cordial and strengthener of the heart and lungs ; 

 it was also considered useful in the plague and similar pestilences ; 



