A Rabbit's Tale 6/24/2010

Grieving Lilacs
By Tammi Thiele


It's that time of year again when the lilac bushes are in full bloom filling the air with their sweet aroma. So what better topic to embark upon then that of the lilac and the folklore tied to this beautifully aromatic plant.

Photo by Tammi Thiele

The lilac plant is one of many beautiful plants that has been given a bad reputation because of its original uses during the Victorian era and the many beliefs held about it. For example, the lilac bush was once believed to grow in Hades and had associations with the night. Lilac extract was also well know as an old ingredient in spell-casting among voodoo practitioners. The lilac's associations with the night and dark magic, from the wedding bed to cemeteries, are numerous.

They have been believed to be bad luck, even bringers of death if brought into ones home for quite some time. Especially the white lilacs, they were thought to be the most unlucky of the lilacs because they were quite difficult to grow, therefore, rarely seen except at funerals. The white lilac have the strongest aroma and were often used to mask the odor of the dead as they laid in state. Also during the Victorian era black and pale lavender became appropriate colors for mourning attire, therefore giving yet another reason for this flower to became associated with death.

But, strangely, the lilac bush was also believed to ward off evil. So it was often planted around the homesteads and cemeteries. Because of this belief the flowers were often used to line coffins and graves in hopes to protect the souls of the deceased.

Photo by Gale Wall

Later in folklore the lilac became associated with love. It was believed one could test whether or not the object of their affection would be reciprocated by eating five lilac petals in secession. If this could be accomplished without a petal getting stuck in the throat, the love was true. One could also test to see if a marriage proposal was a good match. This could be accomplished by bringing a well budded lilac limb into the house in late autumn; if the limb budded by Christmas it was a good match.

And so the next time you see a lilac bush in a cemetery or a yard just remember it may have been planted many years ago to ward off evil or to bless a marriage. Either way it is deep with history so breath in deeply and enjoy it's splendor.