Spring flowers

A bouquet of these flowers has been sitting on my bedside table for the last week. Every morning I smell them and they remind me that it is finally spring. I have fallen in love with these flowers as they start to wither away I thought I would preserve them in this picture and this text. After a little research I found the Greek mythology that the name Narcissus was derived from.

"It all flows from the famous Greek myth about Narcissus, the handsome youth who was granted his great good looks by the Gods. But as in most myths, there was a catch. His beauty was permanent and he was immortal, as long as he never viewed his own reflection. Once, while Narcissus was hunting in the woods, a nubile wood nymph named Echo saw him from her hiding place behind a tree. He was so handsome, she fell desperately in love, but Narcissus spurned her. She was so devastated by his rejection that she wept and wailed, and was ultimately consumed by her love. She pined so that soon all that was left of her was her voice. The prophecy of her name had come true. But the Gods were not pleased. The goddess, Nemesis, heard about poor Echo, and lured Narcissus to a shimmering lake. There in his vain state, he was unable to resist gazing at his own reflection, and fell in love with himself! As he gazed, the divine penalty took effect, and he simply faded away. In his place sprang up the golden flower that bears his name today. Now you know how Daffodils came to be, and also why psychologists warn vain patients about the 'Narcissus complex.' "


ALSO, the first few pages of the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho has a nice little twist to this story and it is on my post-final exam reading list.

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