The first century Greek physician Discorides wrote,
"of this wort it is said that it was produced out of dragon's blood, on top of mountains, in thick forests."
"of this wort it is said that it was produced out of dragon's blood, on top of mountains, in thick forests."
The Grape, or Wild, Hyacinth is in bloom right now and will hopefully continue through the end of May to early June if we are lucky. These little flowers are not true Hyacinths, which have six-petaled star-shaped flowers. Grape Hyacinths have little bluebell or 'grape-like' flowers. They can be planted but spread quickly, and are often found in the wild in large numbers in open fields or in forests.
The flowers have a slight, starch-like scent, which are not especially enjoyable and while beautiful to look at, are not grown for their scent.
This little plant was named after Hyacinthus. Hyacinthus was a charming and handsome Spartan youth, loved by both Apollo and Zephyrus. Hyacinthus preferred the Sun-God to the God of the West, who sought to be revenged. One day, when Apollo was playing quoits (a game kind of like our game of horseshoes) with the youth, a quoit that he threw was blown by Zephyrus out of its proper course and it struck and killed Hyacinthus. Apollo, stricken with grief, raised from his blood a purple flower on which the letters 'ai, ai,' were traced, so that the cry of woe might for evermore have existence on the earth.
Magickal uses for Grape Hyacinths include grieving and loss spells, rituals and as incense to help ease the pain of loss. Some varieties can be made into tea, though other species are so bitter that they have earned the name Bulbus vomitorium.
