Scientists believe that the survival of the Orpheus flower after the ice age is due to its extraordinary properties. It can fall into anabiosis, which is a state of apparent death! If part of the flower dries up, it can sprout again if it is wetted and planted. Unbelievable, isn't it?
But why is this plant called the Orpheus flower?
According to legends, the Rhodope Mountains, and in particular the lands of the village of Gela, are the birthplace of the mythical Thracian singer Orpheus.
He was the child of the river god Eager and the muse of epic poetry Calliope. Orpheus mastered music and speech to perfection. His songs, sung to the accompaniment of the lyre, bewitched plants, rocks, even wild beasts.
Orpheus fell in love with the beautiful nymph Eurydice. However, the day after their wedding, she was bitten by a poisonous snake. The grieving Orpheus descended into the underworld with his lyre to search for his beloved Eurydice.
According to legend, this happened in the Devil's Throat cave, which is located only 30 km from the village of Gela in the Rhodope mountain.
There, even Hades, the god of the dead, was moved by Orpheus' sad songs and decided to return Eurydice to him but on one condition. The Thracian singer was not to address her until they reached the light. Orpheus left the Devil's throat followed by Eurydice. Shortly before they left the underground realm, he couldn't help but glance quickly at his beloved. Then Euredica disappeared forever into the world of shadows…
Orpheus' grief was inconsolable. He didn't want to see another woman. The Bacchantes - worshipers of Dionysus, kept trying to impress the Thracian singer, but he paid no attention to their songs and invites. One day they got really angry at his indifference and tore him to pieces. From the drops of his blood that fell to the ground, the Orpheus flower sprouted - immortal as the memory of Orpheus!
The Orpheus flower is among the oldest and rarest plants in Europe. Before the ice age, it was spread over the entire continent, but today it is preserved only in the Balkans. It grows in the Rhodopes, especially in the area of the village of Gela, in rocky, moist and shady places. The Orpheus flower blooms in early June and has beautiful purple flowers. It is also known by the names: Rhodope silivryak, immortelle, caberlia, guitar, stiraka, shapiva herb.
The Orpheus flower is included in the Red Book of Bulgaria - it is forbidden to pick and uproot it!
Although modern science discovered the Orpheus flower relatively recently, it was extremely well known by the Thracians. They skillfully used its healing properties and enjoyed health and longevity. Priests burned part of the flower and inhaled its smoke during sacred rituals to fall into a light trance and make their predictions.
Later, when the Romans came to the Rhodopes, they also discovered the miraculous properties of the Orpheus flower. The Roman emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161) even began minting coins with the Rhodope mountain depicted as a beautiful woman holding the mountain's symbol, the Orpheus flower. This plant was considered a gift from the gods!
It turns out that the fame of the Orpheus Flower reaches far beyond the Old Continent. Did you know that it is the main ingredient in the ever so popular Tibetan Youth Tea? The recipe for it was found in a Tibetan monastery, written on a clay tablet from the 6th century BC. What is even more strange is that all the ingredients for it are found on the territory of Bulgaria! Is it possible that someone carried the secret knowledge of the Thracians to the lands of distant Tibet?... Another curious fact is that: The monks there claim to be descendants of an ancient people tribe with vast knowledge that gave them power over life and death!
We will not know yet… but Time itself will reveal more soon ❤️
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Stob, Bulgaria
Cover image from WikiPedia by Desi.ficosota under CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.