Dandelion Myths, Symbolism and Folklore

Intentionally transplanted from Europe over to the New World in the early days of the American Colonies, the humble dandelion has long been at the side of man, providing nutrition, herbal medicine and the little burst of cheer that comes with the bright little flowers. Throughout the ages, dandelions have been woven into cultural folklore and have become a positive symbols with a variety of meanings. Here is but a sample of the folklore associated with the dandelions.

With some of the first edible foliage and blossoming flowers of spring, dandelions have long been symbols of good things. Woven into a wedding bouquet, they are meant to be good luck for a newly married couple. When dandelions appear in dreams, they are thought to represent happy unions. They are also considered to be symbols of hope, summer and childhood. Alternately, dandelions are symbols of grief and the Passion of Christ in theological symbolism. The name dandelion itself is an alteration of a French term for the plant that means lion's teeth, a reference to the petals of the plant.

Dandelions were used for all sorts of superstitious divinations by the flower admirers of old, although one must suspect that this was generally done tongue in cheek. For instance, it was legend has it that the tallest dandelion stalk that a kid could find in the early spring will show how much taller he or she will grow in the coming year. Dandelions have also been used as a variation on the daisy petal plucking past time of "he loves me, he loves me not" If you blow on a white dandelion head and every seed scatters then you are loved. If some seeds still cling to the stalk, you're out of luck. Also, it's said that if you make a wish right before blowing on dandelion, your wish just might come true. Others claim that the number of seeds remaining are how many years you have left to live.

Some have gone as far as to believe that dandelions have truly magical properties. Burying near the northwestern corner of your home is said to bring good weather. They also say that you can send a message to another person by visualizing your message as blow on the snowy white seed head. Others use sachets of dandelion matter for psychic dreaming and good luck.

Sources:

http://www.mtnlaurel.com/herbs_flowers/dandelin.htm
http://fohn.net/dandelion-pictures/folklore.html
http://www.themidnightplane.com/Dandelions.html
http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbDandelionMag.htm
http://www.experienceproject.com/dream-dictionary/Dandelion-dreams