Lilies, symbolism and eyeliner

click photo to enlarge

Today's photograph of a display of well-illuminated lilies was taken in a church. I often see this particular flower, usually a white variety, in or near the chancel. In fact, there is a long history associating the lily with the Virgin Mary to the point where the name "Madonna Lily" has become widespread. Renaissance paintings often depict Christ's mother holding the white flower as a sign of her purity. In the Old Testament's Song of Solomon the lily is seen as symbolic of beauty: "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens". All these ideas remain current today notwithstanding the fact that sometimes, possibly due to the Victorians, the lily can be associated with death!

The fleur-de-lys (literal French for "lily flower") has long been associated with the French royal family and is commonly found in heraldry. There is a suggestion that the three prominent petals of the total of six, like the lily (Lilium) proper above, symbolise the Trinity. However, it is also thought that the fleur-de-lys derives from the iris (Iris pseudacorus) with which it has a stronger resemblance. Theory has it that short-hand usage combined with this flower's waterside habitat resulted in it being called the "lily flower" where it should have been "flower of the river of lilies" (presumably water lilies). Make of that what you will!

If you want to photograph these showy flowers you are still more likely to find them in a church than elsewhere. When I stopped to snap this group by an ancient stone font I was taken by the fact that the large, white petals were edged with a thin, dark line; something I hadn't seen before. A quick internet search uncovered the fact that they are a variety known as Lily L.A. "Eyeliner", taking their name from the eye make-up that some women favour.

photograph and text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Canon
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 40mm
F No: f7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/40
ISO: 640
Exposure Compensation: 0 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

Fleur de lys

click photo to enlarge

Ornament is fascinating. In the past it mattered more than today, and people decoded it, knowing how it originated. The anthemion ( from the Greek for "flower") and palmette (a palm-like leaf design) are very common in Greek and Roman architecture, being found on antefixae, the Ionic Order, and cornices. Yet, it is thought that the palmette originated in Egypt, drawn from the papyrus flower, or perhaps the lotus or lily, and was associated with the idea of the Tree of Life. Anthemion, often called "honeysuckle" from its similarity to the shape of that flower, is frequently paired (or alternated) with palmette, and is associated with another foliate ornament, acanthus, which itself may derive from cabbage leaves!

Now you may think this very abstruse, esoteric even, yet I guarantee that you can go into any major town or city and see multiple examples of palmette and anthemion (as well as acanthus). That is because they are examples of ornamental designs that have stayed with us down the ages. In much the same way that the fleur-de-lys has. This form is usually associated with the French monarchy (or the Boy Scouts!), and it too derives from a plant: in this case the iris flower (in the past called a lily). There are those who think the fleur-de-lys (or lis if you prefer) originated in Mesopotamian decorative design. But the French date it to the fifth century Frankish King Clovis, and track it through Charlemagne and the many Louis, until it was supplanted by the Revolution's tricolour. Others say its tri-form represented the Trinity, and that it came to be associated with Mary due to the association of the lily with the virtue of purity. Whatever the truth, it has remained popular for centuries if not millennia. Look around where you live, and you'll certainly see it still used in both two and three-dimensional form. My example is from the Victorian railings around a grave in a Lincolnshire churchyard, and was photographed on a very frosty morning.

photograph & text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Olympus E510
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 35mm macro (70mm/35mm equiv.)
F No: f4
Shutter Speed: 1/400
ISO: 400
Exposure Compensation: -1.0EV
Image Stabilisation: On