Rose of Derbent A special place among the Decembrists who found themselves in Dagestan was occupied by Alexander Bestuzhev-Marlinsky. He could have avoided arrest, but he said to himself: “You managed to rebel, and manage to keep your answer!” Whistling cheerfully, he appeared at the palace and reported: “Alexander Bestuzhev has arrived!”

Rosa Luxemburg from Tsudahar On September 5, 1924, in Tsudahar, two senior officials of the regional committee of the Komsomol, Efendiev and Tsimonenko, came to the secretary of the party cell, Idrisov, from Makhachkala. Rosa Luxemburg-Tsudaharskaya It so happened that on that day Idrisov’s daughter was born. Her

Sea rose So, Isis (aka the Muse) appears, emerges from the water. At least against the background of water, in connection with water. Here, by the way, is also from “Eugene Onegin”: How often has the affectionate muse sweetened my mute path with the magic of a secret story! How often on the rocks of the Caucasus She is Lenora,

Irina Vyacheslavovna Mozzhelina

Rose. Stories and legends

Ekaterina Ziborova

Rose - the queen of flowers - is an object of worship and fiery love. Since time immemorial, the rose has been an object of worship and admiration.

The very first information about roses can be found in ancient Hindu legends: she was held in such esteem in ancient India that there was even a law according to which anyone who brought a rose to the king could ask him for whatever he wanted.

In Ancient Iran, hundreds of volumes were written about the charms of this flower. According to one of the poets, the rose was a gift from Allah himself. One day, all the children of Flora came to him with a request to appoint a new ruler to replace the beautiful but sleepy Lotus, who forgot his duties as a ruler in the middle of the night. Allah heeded their request and sent down to them a virgin white rose with sharp thorns.

Inspired poets and writers legend of the nightingale and the rose. The nightingale was so captivated by her charm that he clutched the rose to his chest in delight. But thorns, sharp as daggers, pierced his heart, and the blood of the unfortunate man stained the petals of the wondrous flower. That is why, according to a Persian legend, many of the outer petals roses still retain their pinkish tint.

Perhaps the Persian rose was originally a magnificent double rose with a musky scent. And in the Negaristan garden you can find the Eglantheria rose - up to 6 m high, with a trunk up to 70 cm in circumference. This pink tree has no analogues in the world.

From the Persians, the love for roses passed on to all Mohammedans, who attribute to them purifying powers - according to legend, a white rose grew from drops of Mohammed’s sweat during his night ascent to heaven. Therefore, not a single Mohammedan will step on a rose, but a petal lying on the ground will immediately be moved to a clean place. Rose water is credited with purifying force: Mohammed II, for example, after he captured Constantinople, ordered the Church of St. Sophia to be washed from top to bottom with rose water before turning it into a mosque.

In China, they say, the great Confucius was also fascinated by roses, praising her as the queen of flowers. They also say that more than 500 volumes in the library of the Chinese emperor tell only about the rose, and in the imperial gardens it grows in incredible quantities.

Whether the ancient Jews knew the rose is still a controversial question. However, according to the Talmud, the red rose grew from the innocently shed blood of Abel and therefore should serve as an adornment for every Jewish bride at her wedding.

In Egypt in the 7th century, during the time of Ptolemy, the town of Arsinoe became famous for its roses, where rose water was prepared from them. It is known that Queen Cleopatra, receiving Mark Antony, ordered the floor of the hall to be strewn with pink petals, the thickness of which was ? arshin.

In Greece - the center of all intellectual life of the ancient world - the rose was considered a gift from the gods. According to Anacreon, she was born from the snow-white foam that covered the body of Aphrodite. Seeing this lovely flower on her, the gods immediately sprinkled it with nectar, giving it a wonderful aroma.

There are many legends about that how the white rose turned red. One by one legend, she was stained with drops of Aphrodite’s blood when she, not noticing the sharp thorns, ran through the grove of Python, where her beloved Adonis lay wounded to death. Another says that during one of the feasts of the gods on Olympus, Cupid knocked over a vessel with nectar with his red-pink wings, coloring the white roses in red color and imparting a delicate smell to them.

Rose played an important role in everyday life: the bride was decorated with wreaths of roses, lovers sent them to each other, and the Greeks strewn the path of the winner returning home with roses. On the other hand, urns containing the ashes of the deceased were decorated with roses - the Greeks saw a symbol of infinity in the round bud. In general, the rose was credited with many miraculous properties - protecting remains from decomposition, restoring beauty, and many others. Knitters of rose wreaths were also held in high esteem.

From Greece, the rose was brought by colonists to Rome. During the Republic, the rose was considered a symbol of strict morality and was a reward for outstanding deeds, and warriors decorated themselves with wreaths of roses to instill courage. She was so highly valued that it was forbidden to adorn herself with it in days of sorrow and sorrow. And in houses they often hung a twig over the table roses as a symbol of the god Harpocrates - the god of silence. The catchphrase "sub rosa dictum" - Means: I said under a rose, that is, under a big secret.

Meaning roses during the fall of Rome has changed: she became a flower of fun during drunken orgies, an exponent of base feelings. Patricians and emperors stuffed mattresses and pillows with fragrant petals, and strewed the floors of their palaces with a thick layer of petals. In Emperor Nero's dining hall, the ceiling and walls rotated to represent the changing seasons, and instead of hail and rain, guests were showered with billions of fresh petals. Wanting to enjoy the scent of roses as much as possible, the emperors even ordered petals to be strewn on the surface of the sea during boat trips.

Vast rose gardens on the outskirts of Rome expanded to the detriment of grain crops. And the streets of Rome were so saturated with the smell of roses that an unfamiliar person felt sick.

This attitude of the Romans towards the rose initially inspired disgust for the first Christians. However, over time, she began to gain their favor thanks to her wondrous beauty and delicate scent. It was even dedicated to the Mother of God. And the white ones roses They were also called Magdalene roses - they lost their color from the tears of repentance she shed. In addition, the rose in Catholic legends- is the heavenly protector of good deeds.

The rose was most loved in medieval France. Here, not everyone was allowed to breed it. And even the poorest parent considered it his duty to give his daughter a wreath of roses, a “chapel.” And even baptism was carried out at this time with an admixture of rose water.

In England, under the banner of two peaceful roses - red and white - a terrible fratricidal war broke out, which lasted 30 years. The bushes from which these two historical roses, were in Temple Park in London and died only about ten years ago. Subsequently, English gardeners developed a special variety roses, Lancaster York, famous for the fact that both red and white bloom on the same bush roses.

At first, the rose in England served as a distinctive sign of actors who wore it on their shoes. But soon it became an attribute of the costume of the dandies and dandies of England, who wore it behind the ear, and the larger the rose, the more luxurious. Soon, Queen Elizabeth herself began to appear with a living rose behind her ear. Finally, the rose was the last flower that King Edward VII took with him from this world - his inconsolable wife Queen Alexandra placed a wonderful white rose in his hand.

In Germany, the rose appeared during pagan times. The god of fire Loki laughs at the onset of spring, and from his laughter the cold runs away, the snow melts and the earth is covered with roses. At the same time, the rose is a symbol of the sword and the mortal wound. As a result, both the battlefield and cemeteries were called rose gardens.

With the introduction of Christianity in Germany, the pagan worship of the rose was also transferred to it. By legend, white roses grew on a bush, where the Virgin Mary hung Christ’s diapers to dry. They said that touching a rose turns werewolves back into people and exposes witches.

In the 16th century, Freemasons decorated themselves with a rose on Midsummer's Day. And the mystical society of Rosicrucians chose as their symbol a wreath of roses with thorns with a St. Andrew's cross inside.

Finally, the image of a wreath of roses in a pentagon of stars served as a sign of the Order of Roses founded by the Brazilian Emperor Don Pedro I, which was considered the greatest honor.

In Russia, the rose as a decoration for gardens appeared under Peter I and especially under Catherine II. And the surname Rozanov, which is often found among us, also came from roses- this surname was given by one count to a family of serfs whom he set free for their outstanding skills in caring for roses, in which the father of this family outdid a specially invited Englishman.

Roses They come in white and pink, yellow and dark red, and even black and blue ones grow on the Hawaiian Islands. The beauty of the soft blue petals gives off the color of the tropical sky. The blue rose is, of course, rare. But no less rare is the emerald rose, bred in the Napoca Botanical Garden in the Romanian city of Cluj. The petals are salad green in color roses reminiscent of transparent dragonfly wings with a pearlescent tint.

They say that even a black rose was born, representing sadness. And in Italy, at a flower exhibition, the white rose Purezza was presented - Purity without a single thorn.

In the book “On the Properties of Herbs” by the ancient French physician Odo of Mena, roses are dedicated poetry: “Really, the rose is deservedly considered the flower of flowers. It surpasses all flowers in aroma and beauty, but the rose is not only able to delight us with its aroma and charm, but is useful with an abundance of healing qualities.”

Mar 12 2019

Myths, legends and historical facts about roses

We have already described quite a few indoor plants on our website. It was time for the indoor rose. In the diverse world represented by domestic flora, it rightfully bears the name of the Queen of Flowers, as well as its garden version. Modest dimensions, unique aroma, dense lacy leaves and a variety of flower shades have kept this flower at the top of popularity for a long time. If you have several bushes in original decorative flowerpots, then you cannot imagine a better decoration for your interior.

Perhaps there are as many legends and myths about any other plant as about the rose. This flower appeared on Earth approximately 30 million years ago (this is how the finds of fossilized roses are dated). Roses were revered in Ancient Persia, Greece, and France. Songs were written about them, treatises and odes were dedicated to them. Rosebuds were decorated with the coats of arms of noble families.

Goddess Lakshmi

Perhaps the history of the rose flower began in Ancient India - it was from there that the first mention of this plant came to us. One of the treatises talks about the existence of a law according to which a person who brought a rose to the king could ask him for anything. This manuscript does not say how the rose flower appeared, but there is a beautiful legend associated with it.

Goddess Lakshmi

One day, in an open rose bud, consisting of 108 large and 1008 small petals, the most beautiful girl in the world appeared - Lakshmi. The guardian of the Universe, Vishnu, seeing such beauty, kissed her and made her his wife. Lakshmi became the Goddess of prosperity, and the plant itself, the rose, became a symbol of divine mystery and a divine flower.

The rose was especially revered in Ancient Iran (Persia). In Persian, rose means “gul”, and this country was often called Gulistan, i.e. country of rose gardens. Many legends were also born there. Here is one of them.

One day, the children of the Goddess of Plants, Flora, appeared to Allah. They complained about the constantly sleepy Lotus Goddess and asked to appoint a new Lord in her place. Allah appointed the White Rose with sharp thorns as ruler. The nightingale, seeing the new queen of flowers, in delight pressed her so hard to his chest that he injured himself, and the rose petals turned pinkish from his blood. Based on this legend, Oscar Wilde wrote the fairy tale “The Nightingale and the Rose.”

Another myth remained from the descendants of the Ancient Persians, according to which a white rose flower grew from drops of sweat of the Prophet Muhammad when he ascended to heaven at night. Drops of sweat from the Archangel Gabriel who accompanied him gave life to a red rose, and a yellow one appeared from drops of sweat from a donkey that was under Muhammad. This is the retelling. This is where Muslims respect the plant and their belief in the cleansing power of rose water.

Myths of ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks considered the rose a gift from the Gods. They believed that she emerged from the white foam that covered Aphrodite's body as she emerged from the sea at birth. Having appreciated the new beautiful flower, the Gods immediately sprinkled it with nectar, thanks to which the white rose acquired the finest divine aroma.

There is also a myth about the appearance of the red rose. Aphrodite received news that her lover, Adonis, was mortally wounded by the Boar while hunting. Without making out the road, the Goddess of Beauty ran to the scene of the tragedy, making her way through the thorny bushes. Thorns scratched Aphrodite's body and face, and wherever her blood dripped, red roses grew.

There is another myth about how white roses turned red. Once, during a feast of the Gods, the son of Aphrodite Cupid, fluttering over the table with food, knocked over a vessel with nectar onto the roses, and this magical liquid gave the flowers a wonderful smell and colored their petals red.

The legend about the appearance of the name “Rose”

The goddess of reborn and dying nature, Flora, was struck by the arrow of the God of love - Cupid (in ancient Greece he was called Eros). Flora was inflamed with love for Cupid, but he began to avoid her. Then the Goddess Flora created an extraordinary flower that combined both sadness and joy. She wanted to dedicate this flower to her beloved and call it “Eros,” but she hesitated and said only “Ros.” Since then, everyone calls this flower a rose.

Another legend is associated with Cupid about where the rose came from. Cupid was in love with the beautiful nymph Rosalia. And the Goddess of the Hunt, Diana, who was in love with him, in a fit of jealousy, once waylaid Rosalia and wounded her to death with thorny thorn bushes. The distressed Cupid, having found the lifeless body of his beloved, cried bitterly. His tears, falling on the thorn bushes, turned into flowers of amazing beauty. These were roses.

Almost every nation has its own myths and legends. This only adds to the attractiveness of the magnificent flower.

Roses in the ancient world

In Europe, the earliest depiction of a rose is considered to be the frescoes of the Knossos Palace on the island of Crete (16th century BC). The palace is now located in the vicinity of the popular resort of Heraklion, is a beautiful monument of ancient architecture in Greece and is shrouded in many myths and legends. Many believe that this particular palace was the famous “labyrinth of the minotaur.”

Around the same time, roses were also grown in Egypt. During excavations of Egyptian tombs over 2,000 years old, wreaths of roses were discovered that were so well preserved that their botanical species could be determined.

The ancient Greeks also loved roses very much. They used these flowers to decorate their homes, public buildings, and streets. The temples of Aphrodite and numerous other gods were decorated with roses. Roses were worn on the head in the form of wreaths as a sign of mourning; they were used to remove monuments and urns with ashes. The ancient Greeks believed that the smell of this flower would protect the remains from destruction and would be pleasant to the souls of the dead.

“The Roses of Heliogabalus” - painting by English artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema

From Greece the rose came to Rome, where it also became a favorite flower. The Romans grew roses not only for beauty - they adored the scent of these flowers. They filled aromatic pillows with petals, added them to perfumes, food, cosmetics, and strewn the floors of houses with petals on holidays and the path of newlyweds. Already in ancient times, people knew the technology of making aromatic oil from rose petals. And rose water was one of the most common cosmetics.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the rose was forgotten for a while, because it was considered a pagan symbol by Christians. In the Middle Ages, popularity returned and, as paintings from that time show, they even became part of the cult of the Virgin Mary. During prayer, the monks fingered rosary beads made from dry rose hips.

Josephine Botanical Garden

In 1798, the most luxurious botanical garden for those times was created for the wife of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Josephine. All kinds of exotic plants were brought to her Malmaison castle from all over the world. Napoleon had a special love for roses. They say that his military leaders were obliged to bring the best varieties of this flower from conquered countries to Josephine’s garden. The collection turned out to be impressive - about 250 varieties. The French painter, botanical artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté, captured this unprecedented collection of roses, creating a whole series of “portraits” of them. Thus, the artist saved every rose in his paintings not only from withering, but also from oblivion. To this day, his paintings are considered unsurpassed masterpieces of botanical illustration.

One of Pierre-Joseph Redouté's paintings

It is known that cultivated roses originated from wild flowers. The most common of these, rosehip, is native to Northern Europe. In the 14th century, the Crusaders brought Gallic and Damask roses to Europe from the Middle East. They became the progenitors of, as they now say, ancient varieties.

Interesting facts about the scent of roses

Many large flowers, such as peonies, have a wide range of scents. Roses are no exception. The chemistry of rose fragrances is very complex, but it is well studied by specialists. On the upper side of rose petals there are microscopically small glands that secrete volatile substances of essential oils of different aromas. There are varieties of roses with such a strong aroma that people with a normal sense of smell can easily identify it. People with a keen sense of smell perceive odors differently. They can even recognize the odors of weakly scented varieties and perceive that rose bushes can smell, for example, of apples, violets, oranges and raspberries, geraniums and irises, even May honey, wine or pepper.

Experts have established a relationship between the aroma of a rose, the color of its flowers, temperature and weather conditions. For example, dark varieties smell stronger than light varieties. Roses with thick petals have more fragrance than those with thinner petals. In warm weather, flowers smell stronger than in cool weather. Specimens growing in heavy nutrient soil smell stronger than the same ones planted in light substrates.

Conclusion

We introduced you to the history of the appearance on our planet of the most wonderful indoor flower in all respects, with the beautiful name Rose. If you already have roses in your home collection, you can go straight to our website to view the article on caring for indoor roses -. If you are still thinking about which rose to buy, we advise you to first read our article, choose the one you like the most, and then go to the care article, which, by the way, has a section on choosing the right flower in the store. We will be glad if our recommendations help you purchase a real Queen of Flowers that will decorate the interior of your home for many years

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The first mention of the angelic flower, introduced into the territory of Rus', and later Tsarist Russia, dates back to the 17th century. The rose became widespread under Catherine II. Proof of this is the story of a sentry guarding the territory for more than 50 years, five hundred steps from the eastern pavilion, where the flower once grew. General Klinger, who accompanied Empress Maria Feodorovna, mother of Emperor Nicholas I, to Tsarskoye Selo, noticed a guard in the garden. He was surprised by the position of the sentry. The general did not see the point in it from a security point of view. When Klinger got to the bottom of the truth, it became known that since the reign of Catherine II there had been an order to protect the mentioned place in the garden after a blooming rose appeared there. The Empress liked the flower so much that she took care of its integrity in this “armed way”

People have composed many legends and fairy tales about the beautiful rose. The beauty and mystical attractiveness of the rose attracted the attention of man. She was loved, she was worshiped, she was sung from time immemorial. Rose enjoyed love and popularity among all peoples of the world. In Ancient Greece, the bride was decorated with roses; they strewn the path of the victors when they returned from war; they were dedicated to the gods, and many temples were surrounded by beautiful rose gardens. During excavations, scientists found coins with roses depicted on them. And in ancient Rome, this flower decorated the houses of only very rich people. When they held feasts, the guests were showered with rose petals, and their heads were decorated with wreaths of roses. The rich bathed in rose water baths; Wine was made from roses, they were added to dishes, to various sweets, which are still loved in the East. And then roses began to be grown in other countries. According to archaeological data, the rose has existed on Earth for about 25 million years, and has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years, and for most of this time it was considered a sacred symbol. The scent of roses has always been associated with something divine, inspiring awe. Since ancient times, the custom of decorating churches with fresh roses has been preserved. It was grown in the gardens of the East several thousand years ago, and the very first information about the rose is found in ancient Indian legends, although Persia is considered its homeland. In the ancient Persian language, the word "rose" literally means "spirit". The ancient poets called Iran Gyu l and stan, i.e. country of roses Bengal roses come from India, tea roses come from China. According to legend, Lakshmi, the most beautiful woman in the world, was born from an open rosebud. The progenitor of the universe, Vishnu, kissed the girl, woke her up, and she became his wife. From that moment on, Lakshmi was proclaimed the goddess of beauty, and the rose - a symbol of the divine secret, which she keeps under the protection of sharp thorns. There is another legend - a Hindu one, according to which the deities argued which flower was better, a rose or a lotus. And of course, the rose won, which led to the creation of a beautiful woman from the petals of this flower. The Queen of Flowers was also appreciated by privileged people. Roses were bred under Peter the Great and Catherine the Second. In the 17th century, the rose first came to Russia. The German ambassador brought it as a gift to Emperor Mikhail Fedorovich. They began to plant it in gardens only under Peter the Great.

Another story about why the rose turned red - it blushed with pleasure when Eve, who was walking in the Garden of Eden, kissed her. The rose is the flower most revered by Christianity. That's what they call it - the flower of the Virgin Mary. Painters depicted the Virgin Mary with three wreaths. A wreath of white roses meant her joy, red roses meant her suffering, and yellow roses meant her glory. The red moss rose arose from the drops of Christ's blood flowing down the cross. The angels collected it in golden bowls, but a few drops fell on the moss, and a rose grew from them, the bright red color of which should remind us of the blood shed for our sins. Poets and writers were inspired by the legend of the nightingale and the rose. The nightingale saw a white rose and was captivated by its beauty that he pressed it to his chest in delight. A sharp thorn, like a dagger, pierced his heart, and scarlet blood stained the petals of a wondrous flower. Muslims believe that the white rose grew from the drops of sweat of Mohammed during his night ascent to heaven, the red rose from the drops of sweat of the Archangel Gabriel who accompanied him, and the yellow rose from the sweat of an animal that was with Mohammed. Knights once compared the ladies of their hearts to roses. They seemed as beautiful and impregnable as this flower. Many of the knights had a rose engraved on their shields as an emblem.

There is a sad legend that tells the story of a girl, Joelle, who had leukemia. She lived in the 20th century in France and loved to communicate with roses. The disease overcame young Joelle at the age of 10. A few days before her death, she, talking to her mother, said that if she died, she wanted to become a rose that would belong to her parents. Poor Joelle’s mother did not ignore the baby’s last wish and, after her daughter’s death, turned to French rose breeders with a request to breed a new flower and name it in honor of her girl. The new variety was distributed and put on sale, and the money from the sale was used to fight cancer. Perhaps the legend told about the rose for children with leukemia is a myth, but I still want to believe it. To believe that a beautiful plant not only saves hearts broken by love, but also helps bring back to life people who have lost hope of a normal existence

This flower has been worshiped and sung since time immemorial. Archaeologists have obtained information about the existence of a rose on the Cretan peninsula, where frescoes with this symbol were discovered. Rose wreaths have also been found in Egyptian tombs and silver coins minted in the 4th century BC. e. Legends about roses connect the first appearance of the flower with a gift from Allah to the Persians. In fact, the Chinese place themselves at the origins of the appearance of this fragrant plant. Although some sources still claim that the official place for breeding the queen of flowers from rose hips is Persia. Whatever the legends and beliefs about roses, the most ancient variety of the plant is considered to be the Damascus bush, which was brought to Europe from Syria in 1875. The French are called the best specialists in growing these plants, and the Dutch are the leaders in the supply of flowers of love. The center of production of rose oil, widely used in perfumery, is Bulgaria. The benefits of the prickly beauty known to mankind give rise to a bunch of legends attributing the appearance of the flower to its people

The temptress Cleopatra seduced the impregnable warrior Mark Antony among the mountains of fragrant rose petals. According to the legend of Ancient India. During the celebrations, one of the rulers ordered a ditch filled with water to be filled with pink petals. Later, people noticed that the water was covered with a film of pink essence. This is how rose oil was born. For the ancient Greeks, the rose has always been a symbol of love and sadness, a symbol of beauty in poetry and painting. One Greek legend tells us how the rose appeared - it was created by the goddess Chloris. One day the goddess discovered a dead nymph and decided to try to revive her. True, it was not possible to revive, and then Chloris took from Aphrodite the attractiveness, from Dionysus - the heady aroma, from the Graces - joy and bright color, from other deities everything else that attracts us so much in roses. This is how the most beautiful flower appeared, ruling among all others - the rose. In Greek mythology, as a symbol of love and passion, the rose served as the emblem of the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite (Roman Venus), and also symbolized love and desire. During the Renaissance, the rose was associated with Venus because of the beauty and aroma of this flower, and the thorn of its thorns was associated with the wounds of love. According to one legend, the rose first bloomed when the goddess of love Aphrodite was born from the waves of the sea. As soon as she reached the shore, the flakes of foam sparkling on her body began to turn into bright red roses. The ancient Greek poet Sappho called the rose “the queen of flowers.” The great Socrates considered the rose the most beautiful and most useful flower in the world. From ancient Greek myths we know that temples dedicated to the goddess of love Aphrodite were surrounded by thickets of these flowers, and the goddess herself loved to take baths in rose water. In the 2nd millennium BC. roses were depicted on the walls of houses in Crete, and thousands of years later - on the tombs of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt. The ancient Romans so deified the beauty of roses that they planted them in the fields instead of wheat, and in winter they exported flowers from Egypt in whole ships.

Legends about black roses are associated with the Turkish city of Halfeti, thanks to which they received an identical name. The flower is no different in appearance from a classic rose; the only sign of uniqueness is the alarming coal-black hue of the petals. The plant received its unnatural color due to the composition of the soil in which it grows. The reason for this is the level of acidity, which increases in the summer, just at the moment of flowering of Halfeti. Black roses began to be considered an endangered species after the flooding of old Halfeti by the waters of the Euphrates. Residents began to transplant flowers to a new place, where they were forced to move due to flooding, but the adaptation of the shrubs was difficult. Flower growers agree that it is impossible to achieve a black tint of rose petals using a natural method, since they lack blue pigment. The species of Halfeti bush is a way of attracting tourists. In fact, the darkest rose has a burgundy-violet hue.

For more than thirty years, the struggle continued in England between two dynasties: York and Lancaster. This conflict brought destruction to the kingdom and losses from the feudal aristocracy. Henry Tudor, a representative of the House of Lancaster, won the conflict. The victorious dynasty then ruled England for the next 117 years. But how are the legends about roses related to the mentioned military conflict of 1455-1485? It turns out that later the disagreement between the Lancaster and York dynasties was called the “War of the Scarlet and White Roses.” The reason for this was the symbols of warring forces. Thus, the white flower was chosen as the emblem of the losing party, as it later became known, the York party. The scarlet rose became a contrasting contrast to the symbol of the enemy. They say that English breeders even bred the Lancaster-York bush, which grows both white and red flowers

Beliefs about roses Superstitious people always look for the reason for past events. Roses can also serve as a harbinger of certain circumstances in fate. However, you should not take signs seriously, because the person himself is the creator of his own future. A bouquet of roses in the house promises prosperity, wealth and happiness. A prick with thorns from a prickly beauty portends disappointment in a loved one or conflict. It is considered a sign of good luck to see an open flower bud in early June. The desire to give a bouquet is considered insincere if the next day the petals of the gift begin to fall off. It is a well-known truth that yellow roses (or any other flowers of this shade) should not be presented to loved ones, because they are harbingers of separation. Legends about roses reflect the widespread use of this flower in funeral rituals among the ancient Greeks and Romans: they decorated graves and then scattered them on the ground. Hence the belief that at a wedding it is better to refrain from sprinkling the road with young rose petals. The prickly beauty is also used as a symbol in different religions and cultures. So, in India it is a sign of the divine word. In Christianity, a red rose is a sign of the suffering of Christ, a white rose is a sign of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary's symbol is a white flower without thorns, which represents liberation from sins. In Western religion, the rose bush has the same meaning as the lotus in the East. In Kabbalah, this flower is considered the mystical center and heart of creation. In modern society, a rose is a sign of attention and an attribute of sympathy.

Pure white color created an aura of purity, innocence and mystery for roses. Myths and legends from different cultures say that the first rose was white, and only later did it turn red. How did it happen? Legends tell of roses whose pure white color was stained with blood, or of a white rose turning red from a kiss. All this once again proves that the white rose is a symbol of purity. On Olympus, Aphrodite wove white buds into her curls. Velvet petals reminded the goddess of her birth. One day, hearing that her beloved Adonis was wounded and dying in Python's grove, Aphrodite rushed headlong to his aid through the garden, not noticing how the sharp stems scratched her legs. As ancient Greek legends say, the white rose was the first to be born. A white rose was born from sea foam, which accompanied the emergence of the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite from the depths of the sea. But when Aphrodite's lover, the handsome young man Adonis, was killed by a monstrous boar while hunting, drops of his blood painted the rose red. Symbolic meaning of the white rose Traditionally, the white rose symbolizes the wedding flower. In this capacity, the white rose represents unity, virtue and purity of the new bonds of love. White roses also symbolize young love, evoking and strengthening associations, making them ideal flowers for marriage. The presence of white roses and other white flowers in wedding bouquets is not uncommon. White rosebuds, for example, have traditionally been symbols of girlhood and convey the hidden message that she is too young for love. Although such symbolism is no longer part of our knowledge, it is still an important part of the language of roses. Rose in Christianity A rose grew on a bush after the Virgin Mary hung Christ's swaddling clothes on it...St. Dominic, wanting to be pleasing to God, tears his chest with thorns, which turned into roses...St. Nicholas, in the bitter cold, wanted to take a piece of bread to the poor , but the abbot reprimanded him for giving away the monastery’s reserves. And at that very moment a miracle happened: the bread turned into roses, as a sign that Nicholas had started a noble cause. The rose came to Russia only in the 16th century and for a long time was a court flower. Our healers have found a medicinal use for the rose, here is an excerpt from Magic: “If the whites of someone’s eyes turn red and you can’t look at it in the evening by fire, then take half a glass of rose water, light a candle, stick a piece of incense on a match and burn a little on that candle. Extinguish the incense in rose water and repeat this up to 30 times. This will turn the rose water white.

In China, they say, the great Confucius was also fascinated by roses, praising her as the queen of flowers. They also say that more than 500 volumes in the library of the Chinese emperor tell only about the rose, and in the imperial gardens it grows in incredible quantities. Whether the ancient Jews knew the rose is still a controversial question. However, according to the Talmud, the red rose grew from the innocently shed blood of Abel and therefore should serve as an adornment for every Jewish bride at a wedding. The legend of the rose - a mysterious and beautiful flower Kings admired the rose flower, it was persecuted and destroyed, but it survived. Legends about the rose exist in many countries in both Europe and Asia. The medieval legend of the rose takes us back to those times when the expression said under the rose was clear to everyone. During the Inquisition, denunciations flourished, spies worked brilliantly. A rose was hung above the table or in the room where the conspirators gathered. This means that you can speak without fear, and what you say will remain right there. One of these stories told how one day the inhabitants of the flower kingdom came to the almighty Zeus and asked for a new patron to replace the old one - the beautiful but sleepy Lotus. The terrible Zeus granted the request of Flora's children, appointing a beautiful white rose with sharp and prickly thorns as their queen. It was the thorns, according to another legend, that injured the beautiful nightingale, and its blood stained the delicate white petals - perhaps this is how scarlet roses appeared, but perhaps this is just another legend about the rose. Roses and love are two inseparable concepts. That is why the glory of the “Love Flower” has been forever assigned to this plant. “Take three roses,” said fortune tellers and fortune tellers of all stripes to those unfortunate in love, “dark burgundy, light pink and white. Wear it on your heart for three days, and then keep it in wine for three days. This wine is a love spell for your sweetheart. Treat him to this dish - and, as the legend of the rose says, he will be yours forever.” This miraculous drink is called “Rose Wine”. Its properties are unique.

The very first information about the rose is found in ancient Indian legends, from which it is known that it was held in high esteem in Ancient India. There was even a law according to which anyone who brought a rose to the king could ask him for whatever he wanted. Rose is the queen of flowers and this does not surprise anyone. There are many legends. Indian legend about the rose The most charming woman in the world - the goddess Lakshmi appeared from a rose bud. Lakshmi became the queen of beauty, and her cradle was a rose, a symbol of divine mystery. Muslim legend about the rose The rose was given by God himself. All the plants of the Earth turned to Allah so that he would give them a new ruler instead of the sleepy, overly important Lotus. Allah listened to the request and created a wonderful rose flower. Persian legend about the rose In Persia, the rose was so revered that even the country itself received the name Gulistan - Country of Roses ("gul" - rose). Rose and fragrant rose water were credited with cleansing powers. When the Turkish Sultan Salladin at the end of the 12th century recaptured the Omar Mosque from the Christian rulers, which was turned into a church, he ordered ablution. More than 500 camels delivered rose water there, and the room was “washed.” Muhammad II did the same in 1453 with the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. According to another Persian legend, when the nightingale saw the wonderful Queen Rose, he was so captivated by her beauty that he pressed her to his chest in delight. But sharp thorns, like a dagger, pierced his heart. Warm, scarlet blood, splashing from the loving breast of the unfortunate man, watered the delicate petals of the wondrous flower. This is why, says Persian legend, many of the outer petals of a rose still retain a pink tint. Greek legends about the rose The goddess of love Aphrodite, walking through the garden on Olympus, stopped thoughtfully near a single rose bush and frivolously touched one of the branches with the tip of her pink finger. Crying out from unexpected pain, the beautiful goddess raised her finger to her face; a drop of blood was red on it, like a precious ruby. Before she even had time to look at it, a droplet, falling to the ground, turned into a wonderful fragrant red rose, which Eros, in love with the goddess, asked to give to himself. Since then, lovers have given each other scarlet roses containing a drop of Aphrodite’s blood. Rose is a flower of love, helps shy lovers to confess their love, to talk about their ardent but tender passion. The Greeks considered the rose to be the tree of the gods, and the famous poetess Sappho gave it the name “queen of flowers.” The goddess of the hunt, Diana, in love with Cupid, became jealous of the wonderfully beautiful nymph Rosalia. One day, in anger, she grabbed the unfortunate woman and dragged her into the nearest thorn bush and, wounding her with terrible thorns, took her life. Having learned about the bitter fate of his beloved, Cupid hurried to the crime scene. He found her dead and burst into burning tears in inconsolable grief. Tears fell, dripped onto the thorny thorns like dew, and - lo and behold! The bush, watered with tears, began to be covered with wondrous flowers - roses. For the Greeks, the rose is a symbol of the short duration of life, which is as fleeting as the beauty of a fragrant flower. They even have a proverb: “If you pass by a rose, then don’t look for it anymore.” The Roman legend of the rose The cult of the rose has surpassed the boundaries of the possible. The patricians showered their beloved matrons with roses. Girls fumigated themselves with rose incense, bewitching their loved ones. Gladiators anointed their bodies with rose oil in order to be invincible in cruel games. During feasts, the pseudo-followers of Epicurus reclined on beds of rose petals, and beautiful slaves showered them with a rain of delicate petals. And one day, during a feast, such an avalanche of rose petals fell on the guests that some of the guests suffocated in them. During the reign of Emperor Nero, ships carried tons of rose petals from distant Africa through storms and storms, fulfilling his insane orders. The rose also served as a symbol of silence, which is why it was dedicated to Harpocritus, the god of silence, who was depicted as a handsome young man with a finger put to his lips. As you know, during the decline of Rome it was very dangerous to publicly express one’s thoughts. To remind reckless people that they needed to keep their mouths shut, an artificially made white rose was hung on the ceiling of the hall during the feast. A look at this rose made many talkative Romans restrain themselves. It is believed that this custom formed the basis of the Latin expression: “Said under a rose (in secret).” The Romans made wine from it; eggs were mixed into the petals and it turned out to be something like pudding; made jelly; pink sugar, beloved by both adults and children. Rose in Germany The original monument to the rose is the city wine cellar built in the 17th century in Bremen. In one of the compartments there are two inscriptions on the wall. The first one reads: “Here the rose blooms” and contains 12 Rüdesheimer barrels from 1624, each containing 1,500 bottles. This wine was called "wina razy". On the other wall there is a huge rose depicted and a Latin inscription: “Why does this rose decorate the Hall of Bacchus? But because without good wine Venus herself will freeze...” The cellar served as a meeting place for the city council. Not bad, right? In former times, this wine was given only to the sick or on very special occasions. Now they sell it to everyone. 2-3 drops of wine give off a surprisingly pleasant smell, but you can’t drink it, it won’t give you any pleasure, since it’s very thick, like oil. And here is the recipe for ancient Germanic fortune tellers, it is very similar to the one that sorcerers from Western Ukraine will offer you: “Take 3 roses - dark red, pink and white. Wear them for 3 days, 3 nights, 3 hours on your chest near your heart, but like this so that no one sees or knows this. Then read “Our Father” 3 times and “Theotokos” 3 times, accompanying the prayers with the sign of the cross. Then put these 3 roses in wine for 3 days, 3 nights, 3 hours. And let the object of your love drink this infusion. But again, so that he does not know what is in the wine (this is your secret with God). They will love you with all their souls and will be faithful to the grave." The rose came to Russia only in the 16th century and for a long time was a court flower. Our healers found the rose to have medicinal uses, here is an excerpt from Magic: ""If the whites of someone's eyes turn red and in the evening you can’t look at the fire, then take half a glass of rose water, light a candle, stick a piece of incense on a match and burn a little on that candle. Extinguish the incense in the rose water, and repeat this up to 30 times. This will make the rose water white. After this moisten a cloth with water and apply it to your eyes at night, but first put a little of that water in your eyes. In the morning you will be healthy. If there is pain in your eyes, then add half a glass of human liquid milk to rose water and carry out the treatment as stated above. When from this treatment If it doesn’t make your eyes feel better, then no healers will be able to cure you with any potions or drugs.” Serious sentence. White and pink roses, which have a delicate aroma, are a rich source of vitamin E, and this is the vitamin of youth, high sexual performance and ability, an excellent stimulator for ovarian function, improving spermatogenesis in men. It is necessary to collect white and pink rose petals and prepare water, oil, and syrup from them. Syrup from white and pink roses facilitates conception, if the “culprit” of infertility is a woman, if a man, then you need to take a red or dark pink rose for treatment. They say that if a pregnant woman puts a half-bloomed rose in water before giving birth, and the flower fully blooms there, then the birth will go well. Eastern healers for increased sexual excitability recommended sleeping on a bed of rose petals. Even in Ancient Greece, venereal diseases were treated with water from rose petals. Dark red roses relieve headaches, calm the nervous system, help with vegetative dystrophy, insomnia, strengthen the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, and eliminate bleeding. A powder of finely ground dried petals promotes the healing of wounds and abraded areas, relieves pain and speeds up the recovery process in areas of bone fracture.

LEGENDS OF ROSE
Since ancient times, the rose has remained the unsurpassed queen of flowers, a symbol of beauty and greatness among all peoples of the world.

Poets of all centuries sing about it.
There is nothing more tender and beautiful in the world,
Than this bundle of scarlet petals,
Opened with a fragrant cup.
S. Marshak

According to archaeological data, roses have existed on Earth for about 25 million years, and roses have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years!!!
In the 2nd millennium BC. roses were depicted on the walls of houses in Crete, and thousands of years later - on the tombs of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt.

The rose was grown in the gardens of the East several thousand years ago, and the first information about the rose is found in ancient Indian legends, although Persia is considered its homeland.
In Old Persian the word "rose" - "GUL" literally means "spirit". The ancient poets called Iran Gulistan i.e. country of roses.

Indian goddess of beauty Lakshmi born from a blossoming flower, composed of 108 large and 1,608 small petals rose bud.

Vishnu, the guardian of the universe, seeing this beauty hiding in her lovely pink cradle, captivated by her beauty, woke her up with a kiss and turned her into his wife.
The rose was held in such esteem in ancient India that there was even a law according to which anyone who brought a rose to the king could ask him for whatever he wanted.
According to Indian legend, during the celebrations, one ruler ordered a moat of water to be filled with pink petals. Later, people noticed that the water was covered with a film of pink essence. This is how rose oil was born.

Greece
From the waves of the sea the goddess of love was born Aphrodite . She had barely reached the shore when foam flakes, sparkling on her body began to turn into luxurious White Rose.
Goddess of the island Rhodes considered to be the nymph Roda, the wife of Helios, the patron saint of the island. The name Rhoda came from the rose, and the name in turn gave the name to the island.
And in Rhodes, where one of the most magnificent temples of Aphrodite existed, even images of the divine rose were minted on coins.


The priestesses of Aphrodite took white roses to the temples of this goddess and decorated the altar and the garden surrounding them with them. And the roses remained white until the heart of Aphrodite was struck by terrible news: her beloved Adonis lay wounded to death by a boar.
Then the goddess rushes into the grove of Python, where her path is, and runs, not paying attention to the thorns covering the roses, which wound her legs until they bleed. A few drops of this divine blood fall on the roses and turn them from white into red.


According to another legend, a white rose turned red during one of the feasts of the gods on Olympus. Cupid somehow accidentally knocked over a vessel with nectar, which spilled onto the white roses that were blooming right there, turning them red and giving them a lovely scent.

Even more poetic is the legend about the creation of the red rose by the goddess Flora. Flora was struck by Cupid's arrow, and was inflamed with passionate love for him. It was then, in an unsatisfied passion, that she decided to create a flower that both laughs and cries - combines both sadness and joy.
Seeing the wonderful flower growing in her hand, the goddess wanted to exclaim in admiration: "Eros"(that’s what the Greeks called Amur), but she faltered and, swallowing the first syllable, only shouted: "grew up" The flowers growing around picked up this word, and from then on this flower and began to be called a rose .

Myths are interesting about the origin of thorns at the rose. According to one version, Bacchus, who was pursuing a nymph, found himself in front of an insurmountable fence of thorns and ordered her to become a fence of roses. However, later, seeing that the fence could not hold the nymph, Bacchus supplied the rose with thorns.

Among the Romans During the republic, the rose served as a reward for outstanding deeds, and during the fall of Rome it was a symbol of vice and a luxury item on which crazy amounts of money were spent.
At first, when Roman soldiers went to war, they even took off their helmets and put on rose wreaths to give you courage. It was like an order that was given as a reward for heroism.

This was not the meaning of the rose during the fall of Rome. From a royal flower it becomes a flower of fun for drunken orgies
Wanting to revel in the scent of roses as much as possible, some patricians strewn even the surface of the sea with its petals when they went out on galleys for a walk, and during one of the celebrations the surface of the entire Lake Lucina was even strewn with them.


But he surpassed everyone with his ugly destruction of roses Emperor Heliobalus.
At one of his feasts, nobles the guests were abandoned so many rose petals fell from the ceiling that some of them, to his great pleasure, suffocated under them.
According to legend, Heliogabalus decided to get rid of his associates, whom he suspected of infidelity.
Roses of Heliogabalus Alma Tadema Lawrence


This is reflected in the poem L.A. Meya "Flowers":

“And the flowers fall and fall,
And they rain uncontrollably...

Their hundred hands from the extinct choir throws
Baskets, heaps, aroma
Pours deadly poison into the air...
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In vain is the cry of the feasters: “Mercy!
We are dying!" Flowers are falling -
There is no mercy - all the doors are locked..."

Helioglobal bathed in rose wine, which the mob was then forced to drink.

Cleopatra
An interesting custom of the Romans was to throw rose petals from the wreaths of their interlocutors into glasses of wine and drink this wine as a sign of goodwill. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra used this custom to convince her of her love. Mark Antony .
Once upon a time Cleopatra sprinkled rose petals with poison your wreath. When Mark Antony plucked the petals from her wreath into his cup and was about to drink, Cleopatra stopped him. “Look, dear Anthony, how easy it would be for me to get rid of you if I could live without you.”
To confirm her words, Cleopatra ordered the slave sentenced to death to be brought in and ordered him to drink Anthony's cup. The poor slave died on the spot.
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In the work of the ancient writer Apuleius “Metamorphoses”, the main character Lucius, who turned into a donkey due to witchcraft, turns to the gods for help. Isis invites him to eat the blooming roses, after which Lucius again takes on human form.

Roses are also edible. They made jam from them and made a delicacy from candied roses. Roman writers talked about the magnificent wine made from roses, which they likened to the nectar of the gods. Ancient doctors highly valued rose oil, rose water and rose ointments.
But among all the feasts and orgies, the rose, in addition to decoration, also had an even more original meaning.

The rose served as a symbol of silence, and was dedicated to Harpocrates - the god of silence , who was depicted as a young man with a finger attached to his lips.
According to one of the myths, Cupid gave Harpocrates a white rose in order to suppress rumors and gossip about the frivolity of his mother Venus.


The Latin proverb says: "In vino veritas"(there is truth in wine) indicating that a person intoxicated with wine may blurt out his secrets.
And since during the decline of Rome it was very dangerous to share your thoughts publicly, to remind you that you need to keep your mouth shut, people were hanged during Roman feasts. on the ceiling of the hall there is an artificially made white rose .
A look at this rose forced many to restrain their frankness. They say that the famous Latin expression came from this rose: "sub rosa dictum" - " what was said under the rose», in the sense: under secret.
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Rose is the flower most revered by Christianity. That's what they call it - the flower of the Virgin Mary.
Painters depicted the Virgin Mary with three wreaths. A wreath of white roses meant her joy, red roses meant her suffering, and yellow roses meant her glory.
According to Christian legend, white garden roses owe their origin to the Blessed Virgin Mary. They grew on a bush on which she hung Christ’s swaddling clothes to dry.


The red moss rose arose from the drops of Christ's blood flowing down the cross. The angels collected it in golden bowls, but a few drops fell on the moss, and a rose grew from them, the bright red color of which should remind us of the blood shed for our sins.
Another story about why the rose turned red - it blushed with pleasure when Eve, who was walking in the Garden of Eden, kissed her.
At that time, white roses were also called Magdalene roses, and they were said to have lost their color due to Magdalene’s tears of repentance shed on them.

It was believed that the rose grew in paradise without thorns, but acquired them after the fall of man as a reminder.
In Catholic legends, the rose is the heavenly protector of good deeds. So, one of them tells about St. Nicholas. When one day in the middle of a freezing winter he was carrying bread taken from the monastery to feed the poor, and was stopped by the abbot of the monastery, this bread turned into roses - as a sign that this was a good deed.

Golden Rose
Since the 11th century Pope annually awards golden rose to the monarch who has shown the highest virtue during the past year. “On the day of “Dominica in rosa” (the fourth Sunday of Lent), the Pope, in the presence of the cardinals, blessed this rose in St. Peter’s Basilica, and then sent it to the one who during the year turned out to be worthy of a high reward.” Interestingly, only the Santelli family has the right to make such a rose.


Over the years, the owners of the golden rose were: Joan of Sicily, German Emperor Henry III, Mexican Empress Charlotte and Spanish Queen Isabella.

A real gift from heaven was a branch of a living rose, the mention of which is found in the records of Columbus's expedition. When Columbus's ships were sailing in the Sargasso Sea, one of the sailors saw a rose branch in the water. This was a good sign, instilling hope in everyone and adding determination to continue the journey. This is how America was discovered.
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Muslims believe that a white rose grew from drops of Mohammed’s sweat during his night ascent to heaven, a red rose from drops of sweat from the Archangel Gabriel who accompanied him, and a yellow rose from the sweat of an animal that was with Mohammed.
Muslims attribute cleansing powers to roses and rose water.
Sultan Saladdin, having again taken Jerusalem from Christians in 1189, he entered the Mosque of Omar, converted by the crusaders into a church, no earlier than washing the entire floor and all its walls with rose water. Mohammed II did the same with the temple of St. Sofia after his capture of Constantinople in 1453. Before turning this wonderful temple into a mosque, he ordered it to be washed from top to bottom with rose water.


According to one of the Eastern poets, the rose was a gift from Allah himself. One day all the children of the flora came to him with a request to appoint them a new ruler instead of the sleepy lotus (Nile water lily), who, although wonderfully beautiful, forgot his duties as a ruler in the middle of the night. Then Allah, having listened to them favorably, heeded their request and gave them a white virgin rose with sharp thorns guarding it as their ruler.

Nightingale and rose
When the nightingale saw this wonderful queen of flowers, he was so captivated by her charm that he pressed her to his chest in delight. But sharp thorns, like daggers, pierced his heart, and warm scarlet blood, splashing from the loving breast of the unfortunate man, watered the delicate petals of the wondrous flower. This is why, says a Persian legend, many of the outer petals of a rose still retain their pinkish tint.
Thus, rose thorns became associated with the wounds of love.

Knights Once upon a time they compared the ladies of their hearts to roses. They seemed as beautiful and impregnable as this flower. Many of the knights had a rose engraved on their shields as an emblem.
In the 13th century, a custom arose in France for ladies to wear wreaths of roses, which are called “chapels,” and those who knit them are called “chapelliers,” a word that now denotes hat manufacturers; the current French word comes from these wreaths "chapo"(chapeau) - hat.

In 1324, the legendary Clémence Isor founded in Toulouse Flower Games - first in history tournament of poet-knights. The reward for the talented winner was silver rose .
Since then, the Flower Games have become a tradition, and outstanding poets of France, such as Ronsard, Chateaubriand, Hugo, Vigny and others, became holders of the silver rose.

Gallic rose - one of the oldest and most studied types of roses.
In earlier times, rose petals were dried, rolled into balls, and then used to make beads.
Such rosaries were called “ rose gardens “. They were used when counting the number of prayers offered to the Lord God. Later this name passed for flower beds, in which roses were bred.


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Rose in England
Many legends and stories about roses in England are associated with
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the beautiful Rosamund .
Gallic rose appeared in Europe thanks to the French king Louis VII (1120-1180), who brought it after the second crusade for his wife, the beautiful Eleanor.
But Louis VII divorced Eleanor, and soon she married a handsome man Duke of Anjou . As a dowry, the Duke received the Duchy of Aquitaine and white rose as an emblem.

Subsequently Henry of Anjou became Henry II, the first Plantagenet king of England, father of the legendary king Richard the Lionheart .
And so, Henry had a mistress - Jane Clifford, Jane was extraordinarily beautiful, she was called “Rosa Mundi” (Graceful Rose) and “The Fair Rosamund” (Charming Rosamund ).
Romantic legends say that Henry II and Rosamund met in a secret tower hidden by a bower of roses. The path to the gazebo ran through a labyrinth, and the way could only be found with the help of a silver guiding thread.

William Bell Scott "Fair Rosamund in the Bower", 1854
But Queen Eleanor managed to find the way to the secret tower and destroy Rosamund. Legend has it that Rosamund died in the town of Woodstock, and there, near Blenheim Palace, a healing spring began to flow, and a new scarlet rose grew, called “Rosa Mundi” (Graceful Rose).


When one of Henry II's descendants Edmund the Hunchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster , married Blanche Artois, the widow of the French king Henry III, then adopted her emblem - Provençal (Gallic) scarlet rose. And then the scarlet rose became the official symbol of the Lancaster dynasty.
In England they call it Red Rose of Lancaster .

About the famous War of the Scarlet and White Roses
Between representatives of the two Plantagenet lines in 1455. the war for the throne began.
War of Scarlet and White roses. The war that tore England apart for more than 30 years was caused by clan rivalry Lancaster and York who had these flowers on their coats of arms.

Based on the tragedy “Henry VI” by the great Shakespeare, it all started in Temple Park.
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, having picked a white rose from a bush, offered to do the same to everyone who wanted to see him as king. “I will not rest until my white rose is stained with Lancaster blood,” Richard declared.
Lancastrian supporters responded by pinning red roses to their hats. After this, white and scarlet roses were used on castle coats of arms, shields and banners.
And as a result of this, the discord that arose during Henry VI Lancaster for the right to the English throne Edward of York, bears, name wars of the scarlet and white roses.

As a result of the war Henry VII Tudor , (who had distant rights to the throne), won Richard III , the last of the House of York. Henry VII married Elizabeth of York and created a new royal emblem combining white and scarlet roses(the white rose is inside the scarlet rose).
Tudor emblem

In London's Temple Park, those two historical rose bushes with which the whole story began were preserved for a long time...

English gardeners did not stand aside from the events and developed a special variety of roses.
Rose Lancaster York, with flowers with white and scarlet petals

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Black roses

Black rose from the fantasy garden
Mourning velvet - its petals


They say that this variety of roses was bred for the Queen of England, who preferred to lay just such flowers on her husband’s grave.
Actually completely black rose It was not possible to breed, but there are varieties with such a rich dark red color that these roses can be called black.
These roses include the Black Magic or Baccarat varieties. Petals are the color of red Burgundy wine with a black tint. It seems that real magic comes from the rose flower...

The buds are actually black. But as soon as the bud opens, its color becomes burgundy with a velvety tint of black.
Also, black tulips are actually very dark red.
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In Germany The rose (rose hip) dates back to pagan times.
In the ancient Germanic sagas it is dedicated Queen of Heaven Frigga, in many places it is still called Friggadorn. It was allowed to tear it only on Friday - the day dedicated to Frigga.
The Germanic language also uses roses. fire god Loki when spring comes. He laughs, and from his laughter the cold runs away, the snow melts and the earth is covered with roses.
She also plays a role in the tale of Brunnhilde, when she, having become a Valkyrie, whose duty was to carry the souls of dead soldiers from the battlefield to Valhalla, betrays the vow she made. Intervening in the battle of two kings, he helps one of them, who Wotan (One), the god of war, was destined to perish.

As punishment for this, the angry Wotan places it under her head. wild rose branch(rose hips) with mossy growths, and Brünnhilde and all her surroundings fall into deep sleep, from which she can only awaken when some prince comes to awaken her.
All this served as a prototype for our existing fairy tale “ About Sleeping Beauty ”, which in German is called “Wild Rose”. or "Rosehip".
In Germany, roses are still called " sleeping beauties" The word "rosehip" is translated from German as "sleeping beauty."

The symbol associated with the rose Order of the Rosicrucians.
Rosicrucians - a mysterious and secret mystical society founded in Germany in the 15th century by Christian Rosenkreutz (hence the name - the Rosicrucian Order, “Order of the Rose and Cross”).
This is the teaching, " built on ancient truths" that "provide understanding of nature, the universe and the spiritual realm", which is symbolized by the emblem of the brotherhood - a rose blooming on a cross.


As alchemists and spellcasters, they became legendary. Later, more modern theosophists, led by Paracelsus, and alchemists descended from them.
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The oldest rose in the world growing in Germany near the cathedral in Hildesheim - it is about a thousand years old, and the height of the bush is comparable to the height of the cathedral. And there is an old legend about this bush.

Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious, while hunting in winter in Saxony, he lost his pectoral cross. The servant found this cross among the snow on a blooming rose bush. But when I wanted to remove the cross, the bush wouldn’t let me in. The servant told about this, and then Louis himself went to get the cross.
Arriving at the place, he saw a huge spot in the snow in the form of a cathedral plan, in the upper part of which there was a rose bush.
Having removed the cross, he ordered a cathedral to be built on this site and a wonderful bush to be preserved with it. The place was named Hilde Schnee, deep snow; hence the word Hildesheim (Hidelsheim).

And the bush turned into a huge tree that exists today and is covered every year with thousands of magnificent roses!
At the end of World War II, Hildesheim was almost destroyed by Allied bombing. Then the rose trunk burned, but the next year the rose sprouted and grew as before!
Just imagine - in a thousand years, world history is forgotten, entire cities go away, and the rose is still blooming!
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In the 17th century, the rose first came to Russia.
The German ambassador brought it as a gift to Emperor Mikhail Fedorovich. They began to plant it in gardens only under Peter the Great.

Tea rose , so called for its wonderful tea smell, was brought to Europe only at the beginning of the 19th century, and, moreover, the pink one - in 1860 from the East Indies, and the yellow one - in 1824 from China.
From a cross between these two species we got those hundreds, even thousands of hybrids of tea roses that make up the beauty of our modern flower beds.

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The best of the best!!

Among roses, climbing forms are the most vigorous plants.


Biggest A rose bush grows over a tombstone in Tombstone, USA. The flower was planted in 1885, and today it has a trunk of 3.7 meters in girth, occupying an area of ​​740 square meters. During the flowering period, more than 200,000 buds of yellow roses bloom on it.


Unusual colors

Rainbow Roses, cast in all the colors of the rainbow, are a miracle that boggles the imagination. Each petal in a flower has its own unique coloring.


The effect of such an unusual color is achieved by coloring the flower through the stem. The stem of the selected flower is split and placed in a solution with special dyes. As the water is absorbed, the rose petals turn into the most unusual colors.
Now you can find rainbow tulips, lilies, gerberas, etc.
The cost of one rainbow rose reaches 20 dollars - the most expensive!

Blue or blue roses

Roses do not naturally have the blue pigment known as delphinidin. That's why there are no blue roses. Unattainable blue shade there were even roses synonymous with impossibility.

Red roses and white roses

I brought it to my beloved.

She doesn't need those, no!

Give me a bouquet of blue roses...

I returned to those lands

My love has died.

I waited, I waited until I cried

In the kingdom of death of blue roses...

It was an empty question:

There are no blue roses in the world...

R. Kipling

But the dream of getting blue roses never left the gardeners. The Japanese holding Suntory subsidized genetic research of the Australian company Florigen. The blue gene from pansies was introduced into roses.
in Paris .


Rose in sculpture
38 huge roses “grew” on the streets of New York. The stems and leaves of the flowers are steel, and the buds are made of fiberglass. The largest roses are seven meters high


And this rose is in St. Petersburg, in the Museum of City Sculpture.


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In Bulgaria , in Kazanlak and Karlovo, at the end of May they hold Rose Festival . Here the rose is considered a messenger of happiness. At this time, the collection of petals for the preparation of rose oil in the Rose Valley begins. The Rose Parade and the election of the pink Queen and King take place here.

Some interesting facts about roses:

1. The rose is the national flower of the USA, England and Iran.
2. The wild rose Rosa Acicularis can be found in the Arctic Circle.
3. Long before Sappho immortalized the rose with the epithet “queen of flowers,” the Greeks called it “king of flowers.”
4. Natural rose oil is one of the most expensive; on the international market it is valued more than gold and platinum.
5.Yellow, orange, and coral roses appeared from crossing with the wild rose of the Persian yellow variety, and the bright red color was inherited from Chinese roses.
6. The gene responsible for scent is recessive, and if you cross two roses with a strong scent, you will get a hybrid with either a weak scent or no scent at all.
7. Shakespeare mentioned roses more than 50 times in his poems.
8. Avicenna’s recipes using roses take up several pages.
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For those interested in this topic:

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