Popular Studies of California Wild Flowers 23 



glory, these Indian women wove fine garlands and wreaths of its 

 blossoms, and on a spring day, when the flowers were in full per- 

 fection of their mid-day loveliness, they executed their weird "dance 

 of the poppies." This took place on the trail up Mt. Wilson; and 

 the Indian women in their picturesque garb, made of braided grasses, 

 with the blazing poppy fields for a background, must have presented 

 a strange scene. That was in the days when the poppy fields were 

 uncrossed save by El Camino Real and the trails of the aborigines. 

 From mostly forgotten Indian lore a few of the tribal names for the 

 poppy have been rescued. One name was "tesanaht" ; and in South- 

 ern California they called it "a-tow-sha-nat" ; while the place where 

 Pasadena now stands was "a-tow-shan-a-my," "place of poppies." 

 Northern California tribes called the flower "dis-shu-le" and "to- 

 shu-le" and "shu-le." But then they called all flowers "shu-le." f 

 The Indians used the young plants for greens. They used its 

 blossoms and leaves for medicinal purposes. 



There is a pretty legend attached to the Spanish name "Calce- 

 de-oro" as applied to the poppy. An early Spanish explorer, upon 

 first seeing the flower, reverently raised its golden cup to his lips 

 and exclaimed : "Behold ! I have found the Holy Grail the Calce- 

 de-oro" (which means chalice of gold). 



Sister Anna Raphael, of Notre Dame College, in San Jose, has 

 told us that Padre Junipero Serra is said to have exclaimed when 

 first he saw the Golden Poppy fields : "O happy omen !" She 

 embodied this thought in the following sweet lines : 



"Be still to us by dusty inlays, 

 An angel-song of peace and praise, 

 Be still a chalice lifted up, 

 The Holy Grail's anointed cup 

 That blesses, strengthens, purifies, 

 And woos our spirit to the skies." 



It was probably this thought that gave rise to another tradition, 

 immortalized by Carrie Stephans Walter : 



"but one day came, 



An hundred years and more ago, a band 

 Of holy friars to our shores. 

 The sun- gold flower they 'Amapola' named 

 . . . Adding, as whispered benedicite, 

 'Copa-de-oro,' Holy Grail, ^uhich holds 

 Within its sacred chalice heaven's gift 

 Of Golden Beauty, California's doiuer." 



("Amapola" means poppy, and "copa-de-oro," cup of gold.) 



The Spaniards had other quaint names for the flower. Among 

 them were "dormidera" (the sleepy one) and "torosa" and "to- ' 

 rongo" but I am not quite sure of their meaning. They used the 

 plant for remedial purposes and also steeped its leaves in bear oil 

 or olive oil to make a tonic for their hair, which they claimed pro- 

 duced a wonderful growth and imparted a peculiar luster. 



