Pretty Irises Try to Cheer Me

Three pretty irises bloomed for me today.  There are more than 200 different varieties of iris, and they come in an rainbow of colors. In fact, the name, ‘iris,’ comes from the Greek word that means ‘rainbow.’ These flowers are found almost everywhere in the world, both naturally and on flower farms.

Where does the iris come from? Its history is interesting, and we can trace it back to the times of the Ancient Greeks. The Greeks had a goddess, Iris, who was seen as the messenger of the gods. She was also the personification of the rainbow, and the people believed that she was the link between earth and heaven. Because of this, the Greeks placed purple irises on the graves of women who had died in order to summon Iris, the goddess, to help the dead reach heaven.

The Greeks were not the only ones who loved the iris flower, though. We know that the Ancient Egyptians also liked irises.  There have been a number of paintings of irises found in Egyptian buildings.  The iris is also associated with France, specifically with the French monarchy. This pairing occurred during the Middle Ages. The famed Fleur-de-lis eventually became the national symbol of France.  Fleur-de-lis means power of the lily.