DAISY 51 



Dicky Daisy, Ewe-gowan, Gowan, May Gowan, Gowlan, Mary Gow- 

 lan, Hen and Chickens, Herb Margaret, March Daisy, Margaret's 

 Herb, Marguerite, Maudlinwort, Mother of thousands, Silver Penny, 

 Primrose, Sweep, Sweeps. 



The name Bairnwort may be given because children gather it so 

 much; but as to Ben wort, of which it may be a variant, Turner says: 

 " The northern men call this herbe a banwort because it helpeth bones 

 to knyt agayne." The name Bruisewort is applied because "the 

 leaves stamped taketh away bruises and swellings if they be laide 

 thereon, whereupon it was called in olde time Bruiseworte ". So at 

 any rate says Gerarde. The name Daisy is from the A.S. daeges cage, 

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

 In connection with the name May Gowan there is a Berwickshire 

 saying: " Ye'll get round again, if ye had your fit (foot) on the May 

 Gowan." 



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 et simple Paguerette, 



Qui ton coeur consulte surtout, 



Dit, ton amant, tendre filette, 



J'aime, un peu, beaucoup, point du tout. 



Girls put Daisy roots under their pillows to dream of their lovers. 

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

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

 the north to mark the season's advance. 



Spring has not arrived till you can set your foot 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, 



Whose 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 



