Fern flower
Encyclopedia
The fern flower Chervona Ruta
is a magic
flower in Slavic mythology
and in Baltic mythology
.
(celebrated on June 23 or sometimes July 7) The flower brings fortune to the person who finds it. In various versions of the tale, the fern flower brings luck, wealth, or the ability to understand animal speech. However, the flower is closely guarded by evil spirits and anyone who finds the flower will have access to earthly riches
, which have never benefited anyone, so the decision to pick the flower or leave it alone is left up to the individual.
(jaaniõhtu
or jaaniöö in Estonia), the celebration of the summer solstice
with pre-Christian origins. Here, it is a symbol of fertility
. During this supposedly magical night, young couples go into the woods "seeking the fern flower", which is most commonly read as a euphemism for sex. Sex can lead to pregnancy; the child could be thought of as the fern flower.
Referring to this tradition, Papardes zieds ("fern flower" in Latvian) is the name of an NGO in Latvia that promotes education about matters pertaining to sexuality
, fertility, and relationships.
, Ukraine
, Belarus
and Poland
, the holiday is practiced on the eve of Ivan Kupala Day
. Young girls wear wreaths in their hair and couples go into the woods searching for the fern flower. When they come out of the woods, if the male is wearing the girl's wreath, it means the couple is engaged to be married.
According to folklore, the flower is Chervona Ruta
. The flower is yellow, but according to legend, it turns red on the eve of Ivan Kupala Day.
s are not flowering plants. However some experts think that the flowering fern myth has roots in reality. In the past, the grouping of plants was not as exact as modern taxonomic ones. Numerous flowering plants resemble ferns, or have fern-like foliage, and some of them indeed open flowers during night time. Also, certain true ferns, e.g., Osmunda regalis have sporangia in tight clusters (termed "fertile fronds"), which may appear in flower-like clusters, and as a result, they are commonly known as "flowering ferns".
Chervona Ruta
Chervona Ruta is a flower, but also part of the Ukrainian culture related to the holiday of Ivan Kupala Day. According to the legend, still respected in Carpathian mountains and Bukovina, rue is a yellow flower which turns red only for a couple of minutes on the night of Ivan Kupala...
is a magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
flower in Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....
and in Baltic mythology
Baltic mythology
Baltic mythology generally covers the pre-Christian mythology of the Latvians, Lithuanians and Old Prussians, which are thought to have at least some common roots....
.
Slavic tradition
According to the myth, this flower blooms for a very short time on the eve of the Summer solsticeSummer solstice
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also...
(celebrated on June 23 or sometimes July 7) The flower brings fortune to the person who finds it. In various versions of the tale, the fern flower brings luck, wealth, or the ability to understand animal speech. However, the flower is closely guarded by evil spirits and anyone who finds the flower will have access to earthly riches
Christian views on poverty and wealth
Since the inception of Christianity, there have been a variety of Christian attitudes towards materialism and wealth. John Cobb, Jr. argues that the "economism that rules the West and through it much of the East" is directly opposed to traditional Christian doctrine. Cobb invokes the teaching of...
, which have never benefited anyone, so the decision to pick the flower or leave it alone is left up to the individual.
Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian tradition
In the Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian tradition, the fern flower is supposed to appear only on the night of JāņiJani
Jāņi is a Latvian festival held in the night from 23 June to 24 June to celebrate the summer solstice , the shortest night and longest day of the year. The day of Līgo and the day of Jāņi are public holidays, and people usually spend them in the countryside...
(jaaniõhtu
Jaaniõhtu
St John's Eve and St John's Day are the most important days in the Estonian calendar, apart from Christmas. The short summer seasons with long days and brief nights hold special significance for the people of Estonia...
or jaaniöö in Estonia), the celebration of the summer solstice
Summer solstice
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also...
with pre-Christian origins. Here, it is a symbol of fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
. During this supposedly magical night, young couples go into the woods "seeking the fern flower", which is most commonly read as a euphemism for sex. Sex can lead to pregnancy; the child could be thought of as the fern flower.
Referring to this tradition, Papardes zieds ("fern flower" in Latvian) is the name of an NGO in Latvia that promotes education about matters pertaining to sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
, fertility, and relationships.
Russian, Ukrainian, Belarus and Polish tradition
In RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the holiday is practiced on the eve of Ivan Kupala Day
Ivan Kupala Day
Kupala Day is celebrated in Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine currently on the night of 6/7 July in the Gregorian or New Style calendar, which is 23/24 June in the Julian or Old Style calendar still used by many Orthodox Churches. Calendar-wise, it is opposite to the winter solstice holiday...
. Young girls wear wreaths in their hair and couples go into the woods searching for the fern flower. When they come out of the woods, if the male is wearing the girl's wreath, it means the couple is engaged to be married.
According to folklore, the flower is Chervona Ruta
Chervona Ruta
Chervona Ruta is a flower, but also part of the Ukrainian culture related to the holiday of Ivan Kupala Day. According to the legend, still respected in Carpathian mountains and Bukovina, rue is a yellow flower which turns red only for a couple of minutes on the night of Ivan Kupala...
. The flower is yellow, but according to legend, it turns red on the eve of Ivan Kupala Day.
Blooming ferns
In fact, fernFern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s are not flowering plants. However some experts think that the flowering fern myth has roots in reality. In the past, the grouping of plants was not as exact as modern taxonomic ones. Numerous flowering plants resemble ferns, or have fern-like foliage, and some of them indeed open flowers during night time. Also, certain true ferns, e.g., Osmunda regalis have sporangia in tight clusters (termed "fertile fronds"), which may appear in flower-like clusters, and as a result, they are commonly known as "flowering ferns".