Pan And Syringa
There is a story that talks about how Pan was in love with a nymph by the name of Syringa. She was scared of him and fled from him by going into a forest. As the god pursued her, she tried to hide by turning into a lilac bush. When he found the bush, he broke off one of its branches to make the first panpipe. Both Syringa and the plant’s botanical name come from “syrinks,” which is Greek for the pipe.
Pan And Syringa
Not Just The Greeks
The Greeks are not the only ones who have the lilac in high regard. As a matter of fact, the plant’s sweet scent has led the Celtics to think of it as “magical. The Victorians, on the other hand, thought that it was a symbol of an old love. Back then, it was not uncommon to find a widow wearing this flower. In Russia, parents would wave it over newborn children in the hopes that it was going to impart wisdom.
Not Just The Greeks
