Challenge Mini-Games Challenge (Now Open For NEW 2024 Challenges!)

@brodiew - Oh drats! I told myself that I wasn't going to snag another one of these until I wrote for the prompts I already have, and I was doing pretty good at self control through the last few awesome challenges. But now that's ruined! I adore Norman Rockwell's work, and I'm thrilled to see you stepping in here to participate.

So, good ol' #1 for me, if you please?

 

Yesterday, I was able to go outside and work in my garden for the first time this year. While I was digging in the dirt this idea hit me, and I couldn't let it go! So, to celebrate the beginning of spring and all of the smiling flowers we will soon have blooming, let's see if we can get a few story ideas to take root to match. Here we are with:

The Language of Flowers Challenge!



"There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.
Pray you, love, remember.
And there's pansies, that’s for thoughts.
There’s fennel for you, and columbines.
There’s rue for you, and here’s some for me.
We may call it “herb of grace” o' Sundays.
Oh, you must wear your rue with a difference.
There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets,
but they withered all when my father died.
They say he made a good end
For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy."

~ Ophelia, Hamlet: Act IV, Scene V, by William Shakespeare​

More than being just beautiful to look at, cultures throughout history have assigned symbolism to plants and flowers through the practice of floriography. From numerous myths and legends to the Japanese art of Hanakatoba and the Victorian practice of cryptological communication through 'talking bouquets', flowers have long since stirred the collective imagination of mankind. Some meanings are familiar to us; a red rose, for example, is synonymous with romantic love, while a daisy calls to mind thoughts of innocence. A four-leaf clover symbolizes luck, while a forget-me-not's meaning is right there in the name we commonly know the myosotis flower by: please remember me. Authors have long used the language of flowers to enrichen their work, from Jane Austen's passage about hyacinths and roses in Northanger Abbey, then famously so in Shakespeare's Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and even down to our day with Severus Snape's first words in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling. That, fellow authors, is where this challenge comes in! Pick a number, one through five, and then I will give you a flower and a brief blurb about its symbolism for you to use as inspiration for your own work. I tried to choose selections from all over the world, and represent as many different cultural point of views as I could, so believe me when I say that you won't be able to guess what you're going to get. I am so excited to share!

Alright then, step right up and let's decode a few floral mysteries together!


The Participants
1. @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha - Plumeria

Spoiler

Plumeria Acutifolia – also known as champa, frangipani, or temple tree – is a type of flowering deciduous shrub that, for most, immediately calls to mind thoughts of the tropics. These flowers are often used in Hawaiian leis, where they are synonymous with hospitality, friendship, and celebration. In modern tradition, if a Hawaiian woman wears a plumeria behind her left ear, she is in a relationship, but if she wears a flower behind her right ear she is open to meeting a romantic partner. However, for the plumeria being such a popular Hawaiian symbol, it is not native to Hawaii. Instead, there is some debate about whether or not these flowers originated in the Caribbean and Mesoamerica, or Southeast Asia. Either way, they are highly sacred flowers to both regions. According to the Aztecs and Mayans, the plumeria symbolized new life, while the earliest Mexican cultures believed that the gods were born from plumeria flowers. To the Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim cultures, the plumeria symbolizes immortality, most likely because the plumeria can still grow even when uprooted. A plumeria blossom will not burn, not unless the heat of that fire surpasses five hundred degrees! In Laos, where plumeria is the national flower, plumeria is planted outside of every Buddhist temple, while Hindu couples trade garlands of plumeria at weddings as a sign of loyalty and devotion. It is a Muslim tradition to plant plumeria by graveyards to keep a sweet scent and memory of beauty nearby their deceased. It seems that the common belief shared by all, however, is that the plumeria is a symbol of life, consistency, and joy.

​

2. @brodiew - Asphodel

Spoiler

Asphodelus is a type of perennial lily that naturally thrives in barren, rocky soil where few other plants can grow. Mainly a wildflower, though now cultivated for garden planting in our modern age, it has often been discredited as a gawky, somewhat ungraceful weed over the years. In Greece they are called fiori di morti, the flowers of the dead. Asphodel was commonly planted by tombs in ancient times. Even now they symbolize my regrets follow you to the grave or remembrance beyond death. According to Homer, this flower was believed to cover the Asphodel Meadows, where ordinary souls who neither deserved the horrors of Tartarus nor had earned paradise in the Elysium Fields were sent in the Underworld. Hades’ wife, Persephone, was often depicted as wearing a crown of asphodel to honor her dual roles as Queen of the Dead and the goddess of spring and rebirth. Before agriculture advanced around the Mediterranean, Asphodel was commonly ground into flour and baked into bread, especially by the poor; it sustained life just as it was believed to nourish the dead. For that, along with being a funeral flower, the ancients wove stalks of asphodel into symbols of protection for their soldiers, and planted asphodel around their fields to guard their crops – maybe somewhat ironically looking for the approval of Persephone’s mother Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. Asphodel still grows wild across the rocky island of Corsica, and a saying there, “He has forgotten the asphodel,” means that a man has traveled far away and has purposefully left behind the traditions of his home and birth.

3. @TheRynJedi - Snowdrop

Spoiler

Galanthus nivalis is a type of perennial herbaceous plant that can grow in winter. The French call this flower perce-neige: the snow-piercer. The snowdrop flower collapses on itself in harsh weather, but the plant produces a natural anti-freeze that allows it to recover its shape and bloom again when the temperature rises. For this rare ability, the snowdrops represents hope and rebirth; they are light promising a reprieve from darkness, heralding the approach of spring and the start of the new year. Many cultures have mythical roles assigned to the snowdrop – contrarily to most, the Victorians saw the snowdrop as a symbol of death and considered it unlucky to bring into the house, while the Christian celebration of Candlemas portrays the snowdrop as a symbol of purity and innocence – but we’re going to focus on the Romanian legend of Snowdrop and the Snow for variety’s sake. According to the Romanians, when Snow was first created it received permission from God to borrow a color from one of the flowers of the field for its own. Snow blanketed the earth and kept all of nature safe and warm throughout the cold winter, and for that it deserved such an honor! But neither the sunflower nor the violet nor the rose would share their bright, beautiful colors with Snow. Finally, the sweet little snowdrop stepped up and said, even though it was only white, it would share with Snow if Snow would like. Snow was touched by the snowdrop’s humility and generosity, and, for sharing its white color, remembers the snowdrop’s gift and allows it to bloom first amongst all the flowers every year.

​

4. @devilinthedetails - Protea

Spoiler

Protea Cynaroides is a flowering plant native to our Southern Hemisphere. Though its name comes from Greek Mythology – honoring Proteus, the shape-shifting son of Poseidon for the hundreds of unique shapes and colors the flower comes in – this flower is found in abundance in South Africa and Australia, in particular. It is South Africa’s national flower, and has even been adopted by their cricket team as their name and symbol. The protea flower symbolizes courage, determination, and transformation – and with good reason. Thanks to its unique root system, this hardy flower not only grows, but thrives, in hot, dry soil lacking nutrients. Most impressively, this flower can even survive the bushfires that so often raze their habitats of choice. They emerge, time and time again, from the ashes of wildfires and keep on growing right where they were before. Though they need very little to sustain them, they produce a large amount of nectar compared to most flowers, and support numerous species of birds and insects. There are over 1,500 specials of protea flowers, 850 of which can be found in Australia alone. Botanists believe that these flowers have been around since prehistoric times, with fossilized samples going back three hundred million years; yet, here they are, still going strong when almost everything else has changed around them. A truly special flower, it’s little wonder that the protea is associated with the beauty to be found in diversity and perseverance!

​

5. @amidalachick - Sagiso

Spoiler

Pecteilis Radiata is a species of orchid found in Japan, China, Korea, and some parts of Russia. In Hanakatoba, the Japanese language of flowers, the sagiso symbolizes my thoughts will follow you into dreams, perhaps owing to the fact that the orchid’s petals resemble a bird in flight. That is why the sagiso is also called the crane orchid, or the white egret flower. Cranes are revered throughout Asia, but the Japanese, especially, consider them to be a national treasure. Cranes, more so than anything else, symbolize longevity; a crane could live for a thousand years according to ancient belief. Cranes are monogamous and mate for life, so they are often used to decorate wedding kimonos as symbols of fidelity and unbreakable bonds. Borrowing from its namesake, the sagiso shares many of those same qualities. It’s a bittersweet flower, symbolizing everlasting love and loyalty, even beyond death. According to Japanese legend, there was once a princess who sent a letter along with her husband-to-be as he rode off into battle. In the letter she included a sagiso bulb as a gift. No matter her prayers, her love was struck down by an arrow, and a crane orchid blossomed on the field where he died. It is now a superstition in Japan that if you give a sagiso to a loved one, they will never return to the place where they received it. Orchids as a whole mean several different things to many cultures all over the world, but white orchids usually encompass purity, elegance, and integrity. Yet, the more specific symbolism of the crane orchid was too beautiful to pass on by!

​

The Index
1. Transitions Towards the Wonder of Us, by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha
2.
3.
4.
5. All I Remember Are The Dreams In The Mist, by amidalachick

 

@Mira_Jade I'll take lucky number four in the flower challenge even though I should probably devote my energies to the challenges I have already accepted because I'm a wildly irresponsible person.

 

You know I agree with you there! And if you want to talk about someone with symbolism in his flowers and his gorgeous descriptions of nature, it's Tolkien!

Alrighty, for you I have to suggest good ol' number one.

#1. Plumeria: Plumeria Acutifolia – also known as champa, frangipani, or temple tree – is a type of flowering deciduous shrub that, for most, immediately calls to mind thoughts of the tropics. These flowers are often used in Hawaiian leis, where they are synonymous with hospitality, friendship, and celebration. In modern tradition, if a Hawaiian woman wears a plumeria behind her left ear, she is in a relationship, but if she wears a flower behind her right ear she is open to meeting a romantic partner. However, for the plumeria being such a popular Hawaiian symbol, it is not native to Hawaii. Instead, there is some debate about whether or not these flowers originated in the Caribbean and Mesoamerica, or Southeast Asia. Either way, they are highly sacred flowers to both regions. According to the Aztecs and Mayans, the plumeria symbolized new life, while the earliest Mexican cultures believed that the gods were born from plumeria flowers. To the Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim cultures, the plumeria symbolizes immortality, most likely because the plumeria can still grow even when uprooted. A plumeria blossom will not burn, not unless the heat of that fire surpasses five hundred degrees! In Laos, where plumeria is the national flower, plumeria is planted outside of every Buddhist temple, while Hindu couples trade garlands of plumeria at weddings as a sign of loyalty and devotion. It is a Muslim tradition to plant plumeria by graveyards to keep a sweet scent and memory of beauty nearby their deceased. It seems that the common belief shared by all, however, is that the plumeria is a symbol of life, consistency, and joy.

I know, right?? It's hard not to keep on scooping up new prompts when we have so many fantastic mini-challenges going right now. We really do have a fun, creative bunch of folks here, don't we? But, number four is one of my personal favourites, so I'm glad to see it snatched up!

#4. Protea - Protea Cynaroides is a flowering plant native to our Southern Hemisphere. Though its name comes from Greek Mythology – honoring Proteus, the shape-shifting son of Poseidon for the hundreds of unique shapes and colors the flower comes in – this flower is found in abundance in South Africa and Australia, in particular. It is South Africa’s national flower, and has even been adopted by their cricket team as their name and symbol. The protea flower symbolizes courage, determination, and transformation – and with good reason. Thanks to its unique root system, this hardy flower not only grows, but thrives, in hot, dry soil lacking nutrients. Most impressively, this flower can even survive the bushfires that so often raze their habitats of choice. They emerge, time and time again, from the ashes of wildfires and keep on growing right where they were before. Though they need very little to sustain them, they produce a large amount of nectar compared to most flowers, and support numerous species of birds and insects. There are over 1,500 specials of protea flowers, 850 of which can be found in Australia alone. Botanists believe that these flowers have been around since prehistoric times, with fossilized samples going back three hundred million years; yet, here they are, still going strong when almost everything else has changed around them. A truly special flower, it’s little wonder that the protea is associated with the beauty to be found in diversity and perseverance!

 

I wrote my entry for this challenge, a Han/Leia piece entitled Bumping Elbows with Aristocrats, so I can feel slightly less bad about being a shameless challenge hog now. Thanks for the inspiration for a story I never would have written otherwise!

 

Yay, another entry for the Mulan Challenge!

I'm so impressed with the variety of wonderful stories this challenge has inspired for everyone to enjoy.

I will add this one to the index.

 

Yay! Of course you may.

#5. Sagiso: Pecteilis Radiata is a species of orchid found in Japan, China, Korea, and some parts of Russia. In Hanakatoba, the Japanese language of flowers, the sagiso symbolizes my thoughts will follow you into dreams, perhaps owing to the fact that the orchid’s petals resemble a bird in flight. That is why the sagiso is also called the crane orchid, or the white egret flower. Cranes are revered throughout Asia, but the Japanese, especially, consider them to be a national treasure. Cranes, more so than anything else, symbolize longevity; a crane could live for a thousand years according to ancient belief. Cranes are monogamous and mate for life, so they are often used to decorate wedding kimonos as symbols of fidelity and unbreakable bonds. Borrowing from its namesake, the sagiso shares many of those same qualities. It’s a bittersweet flower, symbolizing everlasting love and loyalty, even beyond death. According to Japanese legend, there was once a princess who sent a letter along with her husband-to-be as he rode off into battle. In the letter she included a sagiso bulb as a gift. No matter her prayers, her love was struck down by an arrow, and a crane orchid blossomed on the field where he died. It is now a superstition in Japan that if you give a sagiso to a loved one, they will never return to the place where they received it. Orchids as a whole mean several different things to many cultures all over the world, but white orchids usually encompass purity, elegance, and integrity. Yet, the more specific symbolism of the crane orchid was too beautiful to pass on by!

 

I know, right?? The crane orchid has always been one of my faves - even if I am hit or miss when it comes to growing them myself. More miss than hit, unfortunately!

And, for #3 we have another favourite of mine, the . . .

Snowdrop: Galanthus nivalis is a type of perennial herbaceous plant that can grow in winter. The French call this flower perce-neige: the snow-piercer. The snowdrop flower collapses on itself in harsh weather, but the plant produces a natural anti-freeze that allows it to recover its shape and bloom again when the temperature rises. For this rare ability, the snowdrops represents hope and rebirth; they are light promising a reprieve from darkness, heralding the approach of spring and the start of the new year. Many cultures have mythical roles assigned to the snowdrop – contrarily to most, the Victorians saw the snowdrop as a symbol of death and considered it unlucky to bring into the house, while the Christian celebration of Candlemas portrays the snowdrop as a symbol of purity and innocence – but we’re going to focus on the Romanian legend of Snowdrop and the Snow for variety’s sake. According to the Romanians, when Snow was first created it received permission from God to borrow a color from one of the flowers of the field for its own. Snow blanketed the earth and kept all of nature safe and warm throughout the cold winter, and for that it deserved such an honor! But neither the sunflower nor the violet nor the rose would share their bright, beautiful colors with Snow. Finally, the sweet little snowdrop stepped up and said, even though it was only white, it would share with Snow if Snow would like. Snow was touched by the snowdrop’s humility and generosity, and, for sharing its white color, remembers the snowdrop’s gift and allows it to bloom first amongst all the flowers every year.






Alrighty, we have just Number 2 left in the The Language of Flowers Challenge . . . any takers?

 

Yay for productivity, all! There have been some truly awesome pieces posted the last few days, and I can't wait to see what else these mini-challenges inspire next!

To that end, I was able to sit down and write a little bit of something for @Pandora's Classical Music Roulette Challenge - of which there are still two spots left, I am shocked to see! As Rolls a Thousand Waves to the Rock is a triptych of TCW vignettes, the first of which features Ahsoka and Rex.