Orchis (mythology): Difference between revisions
Deiadameian (talk | contribs) ←Created page with '{{short description|Unattested tale from Greek mythology}} {{Other uses|Orchis}} '''Orchis''' ({{lang-grc|Ὄρχις|Orkhis|testicle}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=o)/rxis | title = ὄρχις | last1 = Liddell | first1 = Henry George | last2 = Scott | first2 = Robert| author-link1 = Henry Liddell | author-link2 = Robert Scott (philologist) | work = A Greek-English Lexicon | publ...' |
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Revision as of 14:46, 29 January 2023
Orchis (Ancient Greek: Ὄρχις, romanized: Orkhis, lit. 'testicle'[1]) is often claimed to be a minor character in Greek mythology whose transformation is the origin of the orchid flower. However, Orchis's existence and myth does not seem to be attested in classical times.
Mythology
The myth supposedly goes that Orchis was the son of a nymph and a satyr whose names are not enclosed. One day, during a festival in honour of Dionysus the god of wine, Orchis raped or attempted to rape one of Dionysus's priestess, so the god killed him. His father mourned his death and asked the gods to bring him back, but they refused, and instead settled on creating the orchid flower out of him. In some cases, he is said to be the son of the fertility god Priapus.
See also
Background
Over the years, this story has been repeated in books (mostly those on herbology),[2][3][4] sites[5] and journals, without however a citation to some original source dating to ancient Greece or Rome backing those claims. The story cannot be found in modern high-quality encyclopedias on ancient Greek mythology such as Der Neue Pauly,[6] which is considered to be an unparalleled masterpiece of classical German scholarship.[7][8] Likewise, it does not appear in Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith,[9] which has been praised for its thorough and accurate entries that draw directly from ancient literary sources,[10] or in Paul C. M. Forbes Irving's Metamorphosis in Greek Myths, a work specifically dealing with the themes of transformation in Greek mythology.[11]
The orchid was known to the ancient Greeks, and the connection they made between it and satyrs is genuine; early herbalists would also call the orchid 'satyrion', as the name itself implies a testicle,[12] it was seen as an aphrodisiac, and some species (particularly the orchis italica) were thought to resemble a little satyr in shape.[13] Theophrastus, author of one of the most important books of natural history written in ancient times, wrote that they were called thus due to its round root, which bore a resemblance to human testicles, and recorded their healing and aphrodisiac properties. Orchids were thought to help produce male progeny if given to men, female if given to women.[14] Nevertheless, those traditions do not seem to be come with a mythological account.
The closest thing in Greek mythology to Orchis is the story of Butes, a Thracian man who raped Coronis, a follower of Dionysus. She called upon her god, and he punished Butes by driving him mad. Butes thus met his end when he fell down a well.[15]
References
- ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1940). "ὄρχις". A Greek-English Lexicon. Perseus Digital Library.
- ^ Bernhardt 2008, p. 114-117, 183.
- ^ Zining 2020, p. 122.
- ^ Hixson 2015, p. 12.
- ^ "Flowers in Greek Mythology: Orchid". valentine.gr. Retrieved June 23, 2008.
- ^ Der Neue Pauly. Available at referenceworks.brillonline.com
- ^ Bernhard Kytzler: Kathedrale der Gelehrsamkeit. In: Die Zeit. Hamburg 1979,6 (2. Febr.), S. 39. (German)
- ^ Wolfgang Schuller: Einführung in die Geschichte des Altertums. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1994, S. 140. (German)
- ^ Which can be found here
- ^ Green, Peter (2013). "Review: [Untitled]". The Classical Journal. 108 (3): 369–72. doi:10.5184/classicalj.108.3.0369. ISSN 0009-8353.
- ^ Forbes Irving, Paul M. C. (1990). Metamorphosis in Greek Myths. Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-814730-9.
- ^ Sheela 2008, p. 224.
- ^ Farrar 2016, p. 153.
- ^ Joshi 2012, p. 7.
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, Historic Library 5.50.5
Bibliography
- Bernhardt, Peter (2008). Gods and Goddesses in the Garden: Greco-Roman Mythology and the Scientific Names of Plants. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-4266-9.
- Diodorus Siculus (1933–1967). Historic library. Loeb Classical Library, 12 volumes. Vol. 6. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. Harvard University Press.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - Farrar, Linda (February 29, 2016). Gardens and Gardeners of the Ancient World: History, Myth and Archaeology. United Kingdom: Oxbow Books. ISBN 978-1-909686-85-4.
- Hixson, Joan E. (April 15, 2015). Growing Orchids Like A Pro: The Complete Guide on How to Grow Orchids. Living Plus Healthy Publishing.
- Joshi, Devi Datt (November 2, 2012). Herbal Drugs and Fingerprints: Evidence Based Herbal Drugs. New York, London: Springer Science+Business Media. ISBN 978-81-322-0803-7.
- Sheela, V. L. (March 5, 2008). Flowers for Trade. New Delhi: New India Publishing Agency. ISBN 978-81-89422-51-6.
- Zining, Mok (August 12, 2020). The Orchid Folios. Ethos books. ISBN 978-981-14-4294-0.