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In South Wales, the custom of planting and ornamejmg
craves is noticed by Brand in his ‘ Popular Antiquities, as being
?ery common. He tells us that, in Glamorgan, many church j r d s
hfve something like the splendour of a rich and v a r io j parterre
Besides this, it is usual to strew the graves with f lo w js and
evergreens (within the church as well as out of it) J bast thrice a
vearf on the same principle of delicate respect as the s t o n j are
Uitened. No flowers or evergreens are P J^ f lt e d
graves but such as are sweet-scented: the Pink and Polya J im s ,
Sweet Williams, Gilliflowers and Carnations, Mignonette, Thyme,
hyssop Camomile, and R o s em jy make up the P - J ¿ e cm a P o n
of this consecrated garden. Turnesoles, Peonies,
Marigold, the Anemone, and some other flowers, though b J^ t ifo l,
should never be planted on graves, because they are not sweetprejudice
against old maids and old bachelors subsists
among the Welsh in a very marked degree, so that their j a v e s
have not unfrequently been planted, by some satirical neig J o u r s ,
not only with Rue, but with Thistles, Nettles, Henbane, and other
noxiouS(Wamorgans]^ire, the old custom is still rJmned of s^ew
the bed whereon a corpse rests with fragrant Jw e r s . In toe
South of England a chaplet of white Roses is borne befom the
corpse of a maiden by a young girl nearest in age and resemblance
to the deceased, and afterwards hung up over her accustomed seat
at church.
pfaafi«) ©eatR porrenti^.
Though scarcely to be characterised as “ funereal,” fbere are
some plants which have obtained a sinister reputation as either
predicting death themselves, or being associated in some m j n e r
with fatal portents. Mannhardt tells us of a gloomy S w j s tradition
dating from the fifteenth century, which rdates that the three
chMren of a bootmaker of Basle having each in their g a J e n a
favourite tree, carefully studied the inflorescence during Lent. As
the result of their close observation, the two sisters, Adelaide j d
Catherine, saw from the characteristics cDf the blossoms that they
were predestined to enter a convent; whilst the boy Jean J J n -
tively watched the development of a red Rose, which prediffied
his entry into the Church and his subsequent martyrdom : as a
matter of fact, it is said he was martyred at Prague by the
TheGreeks regarded Parsley as a fu n e re j herb_, and were fond
of strewing the tombs of their dead with i t : hence it came in time
te be tooulht a plant of evil augury, and those who were on the
point of death were commonly spoken of as being m j e d oi
Parsley. Something of this association of Parsley with death is
still to be found in Devonshire, where a belief exists that to
transplant Parsley is an offence against the guardian spirit who
watches over the Parsley-beds, surely to be punished, either by
misfortune or death, on the offender himself or some member of his
family within a year.
In the Siebenbürgen of Saxony, the belief exists that a.t the
moment when an infant dies in the house, Death passes like a
shadow into the garden, and there plucks a flower.
In Italy, the red Rose is considered to be an emblem of an
early death, and it is thought to be an evil omen if its leaves are
perchance scattered on the ground. An apt illustration of this
belief is found in the tragic story of poor Miss Ray, who was
murdered at the Piazza entrance of Covent Garden Theatre, by a
man named Hackman, on April 7th, 1779. Just prior to starting
with her friend Mrs. Lewis for the theatre, a beautiful Rose fell
from her bosom to the ground. She stooped to regain it, but at
her touch the red leaves scattered themselves on the carpet,
leaving the bare stalk in her hand. The unfortunate girl, who had
been depressed in spirits before, was evidently affecfled by the
incident, and said nervously, “ I trust I am not to consider this as
an evil omen!” Soon rallying, however, she cheerfully asked
Mrs. Lewis to be sure and meet her after the theatre—a request
the fulfilment of which was prevented by her untimely fate
Shakspeare has recorded that the withering of the B ay was
looked upon as a certain omen of death; and it_ is an old fancy
that if a Fir-tree be struck, withered, or burnt with lightning, the
owner will soon after be seized with a mortal illness.
Herrick, in his ‘ Hesperides,’ alludes to the Daffodil as being
under certain circumstances a death portent.
“ When a Daffodill I see
Hanging down her head t’wards me,
Guess I may what I must b e :
First, I shall decline my head ;
Secondly, I shall be dead ;
Lastly, safely buried.”
In Northamptonshire, a belief exists that if an Apple-tree
blooms after the fruit is ripe, it surely portends death
“ A bloom upon the Apple-tree when the Apples are ripe,
Is a sure termination to somebody’s life. ”
In Devonshire, it is considered very unlucky to_ plant a bed
of Lilies of the Valley, as the person who does this will m all
probability die before twelve months have expired ; and in the
same county, a plentiful season for Hazel-nuts is believed to portend
unusual mortality : hence the saying—
“ Many Nits [Nuts],^^
Many pits [graves].”