I'm looking for flowers that represent gods or goddesses. Of any culture.
Hey there Nonny!
That is a great question! But also one that is very non-specific. There are a great many deities and a great many cultures. So without knowing what you're looking for specifically, we've decided to scan The Big Five – Greek, Roman, Indian, Egyptian and Norse mythology. I've found a great many things and this is going to be an incredibly long ask, so grab a drink and some food we'll be here for a while.
Put under a cut so this doesn't block anyone's dash.
Key:
misc: might be a symbol, might be a sacred plant IT'S SOMETHING to say the least
sacred plant: sacred plant
plant: might or might not be sacred but is certainly associated with them
offering: things offered to the deity in question
symbol: generally something they're depicted with or sth that was listed as their symbol, often both
incense: incense used for offerings/temples, listed as long as it’s derived from a plant
Notes:
if wine counts so does beer so does mead so does ale
cornucopia/horn of plenty listed bc flowers are a common filling, also it holds floristic value
I’ve had to translate some of the offerings to Indian deities, take ‘em with a grain of doubt
Greek Deities:
achelous – plant: cedar
aether – offering: saffron (according to a hymn)
althaea – offering: fruits
aphrodite – sacred plants: (wood) anemone, apples/apple tree, myrrh (tree), quince, (gallic and red) roses, lime tree, (prickly) cedar, (prickly) lettuce, big-leaf linden (unsure), myrtle, pomegranate tree, narcisssus/ offerings: apples, pomegranates, roses, myrrh, myrtle, wine / symbol: apple, myrtle wreath, flowers
apollo – sacred plants: (italian) cypress, larkspur, laurel, date palm, violet (unsure) / plant: (bay) laurel, palm tree, apple tree, poplar tree, mistletoe / incense: myrrh, frankincense / symbol: laurel wreath
arachne – plant: monkshood
ares – sacred plant: manna ash
artemis – sacred plants: (persian) walnut, almond, fir, (italian) cypress, willow, wormwood, daisy, laurel, chaste tree, (prickly) cedar, (italian) cypress, amaranth / offering: saffron
asklepios – sacred plants: various herbs
athena – sacred plants: mulberry, oak, olive tree / said to have created the very first olive tree
cerce – renowned for her vast knowledge of drugs and herbs
cotys – offering: wine
demeter – sacred plants: grains, wheat, barley, (penny royal and spear) mint, opium poppy, chaste tree, fig tree / plant: chaste tree, myrrh, sunflower / symbol: wheat ears, horn of plenty, lotus / goddess of corn, grain, harvest and the fertility of earth / her sacred eleusinian drink was made of barley, honey and mint
dionysos – sacred plants: bindweed, elm tree, fennel, fig tree, (grecian) fir, grapevine, ivy, (aleppo and corsican) pine, plany plant (w/e tf that is), calamus, cinnamon / symbol: pine cone, fig, grapevine, wine, pine cone tipped staff, ivy crown / god of wine agriculture and fertility of nature
eileithyia – sacred plant: (grecian) fir
eirene – sacred plants: corn, olive tree / symbol: horn of plenty, olive branch, often depicted carrying/wearing ears of corn
eos – sacred plant: saffron (was also associated with the colour of the same name)
eris – symbol: golden apple of discord
gaia – goddess of the earth
hades – sacred plant: asphodel, elm tree, spear mint, white poplar / plant: ebony, cypress / offering: pomegranates / symbol: narcissus
hebe – plant: lettuce, ivy sprigs
hecate – sacred plants: asphodel, various herbs, belladonna, hemlock, mandrake, poppies, many hallucinogenic plants, yew tree / plant: oak, cypress, aconite, dandelion, garlic, lavender, willow
helios – sacred plant: frankincense tree, heliotrope, black poplar
hera – misc: iris / sacred plants: apple tree, chaste tree, pomegranate tree, lotus, willow / plant: opium poppy / symbol: lotus staff, pomegranate
hermes – sacred plants: crocus, greek strawberry tree
hestia – misc: unknown flowering plant / sacred plant: chaste tree
hymen – symbol: flowers in general
hypnos – plant: poppy
iris – sacred plant: iris
nemesis – plant: apple tree
nike – sacred plant: date palm
pan – sacred plants: (corsican) pine, calamus
persephone – sacred plants: grain, lily of the valley, spring flowers, pomegranate, asphodel, spear mint, black poplar, wheat, white willow / offerings: seeds, flowers in general, pomegranate, grain / symbol: pomegranate
phanes – incense: myrrh, god of creation
pluto – plant: cypress / offerings: figs, dates / symbol: horn of plenty
pontus – plant: seaweed / symbol: seaweed
poseidon – sacred plants: (aleppo) pine, parsely, wild celery, rock-rose (unsure)
rhea – sacred plants: fruit bearing trees, pine, oak
selene – misc: selentrope / plant: chamomile, valerian, hyssop, rosemary, mugwort, myrtle, birch, willow / offerings: white roses, poppies / incense: aloe, jasmine, lotus, sage
zephyrus – plant: hyacinth
zeus – sacred plants: manna ash, parsley, wild celery, holm oak, olive tree, white poplar
Roman Deities:
abundantia – guardian of the horn of plenty / symbol: horn or plenty, corn, wheat
aesculapius – symbol: several herbs, pineapple
aeternitas – symbol: horn of plenty
angitia – goddess of healing herbs
anna perenna – plant: fruit trees, rose, foxglove, violet, daffodil, birch, elder / offering: wine / symbol: wreaths / incense: honeysuckle, sandalwood, jasmine, lavender, vanilla, pine
apollo – symbol: laurel, hyacinth
bacchus – plant: fennel, pine, ivy / offerings: wine, honey, figs / symbol: grapes, wine, grapevines, pine cone tipped staff
bellum – offerings: grain, fruit, flowers, wine (among others)
bona dea – offering: wine / symbol: horn of plenty
bonus eventus – plant: poppies / symbol: grain stalks
cardea – plant: hawthorn
carmenta – plant: walnut, willow, juniper / offering: flowers, fruits, vegetables / symbol: bean leaves / incense: bay, laurel
ceres – sacred plants: chaste tree, corn, pumpkin / plant: poppies / symbol: wheat, grains, horn of plenty, poppy / offerings: flowers, wheat, first fruits of harvest / goddess of agriculture, grain crops among other things / “Poppies were her emblem as the grow in cornfields. All other flowers were banned as she had lost her daughter to the underworld when she was out picking flowers.” / enna is her most ancient sanctuary and its said flowers bloomed on it throughout the year on its “miraculous plain”
cloacina – plant: myrtle / offering: incense / symbol: incense burner
concordia – symbol: horn of plenty
consus – offerings: garlands, flowers, corn seed / symbol: corn seed
cupid – symbol: rose
cybelle – personified mother earth
diana – sacred plants: oak groves, apple, balm, beech, jasmine, mugwort, oak trees, vervain, wormwood / symbol: cypress tree, woodland/woods / goddess of the woods/nature, her followers would wash and decorate their hair with flowers for the festival of torches
egeria – plant: oak tree
fecunditas – symbol: horn of plenty
felicitas – symbol: horn of plenty
feronia – some believed her to be a harvest goddess appeasing her with the first fruits of the harvest, also considered a goddess of wilderness, of untamed nature, and nature's vital forces
fides – offerings: (unnamed) flowers, wine, incense / symbol: olive/laurel branch
flora – misc: blossoming plants, wheat, crops / plant: flowers / offerings: grain, fruits goddess of flowers and the season spring (so?? spring flowers??)
fons/fontus – offering: garlands / fountains and well-heads where adorned with garlands for his festival
fortuna – plant: oak tree / symbol: horn of plenty / protector of grain supplies under the name annonaria (brings luck of the harvest)
janos – offerings: dates, figs
juno – sacred plant: wild fig tree / symbol: pomegranate
jupiter – plant: oak tree / offering: walnuts / symbol: oak tree
juturna – offering: oil
lares – symbol: horn of plenty
laverna – plant: wild poppy
liber – plant: ivy / offering: oil, the first, sacred pressing of the grape-harvest, known as sacrima / protector of vines and grapes
libitina – plant: mugwort, patchouli, hourehound, sage, henbane
lucina – misc: lotus trees
meditrina – offering: wine
mercury – plant: dogs mercury, anise, dill, fennel
minerva – sacred plants: olive, mulberry, alder tree / symbol: olive tree
mithras – symbol: pine cone
ops – symbol: corn spikes/corn / earth goddess
pales – offerings: branches, wreaths / may be male or female
pax – plant: olive tree / symbol: horn of plenty
pilumnus – symbol: grain
pomona – sacred plant: apple (tree) / offerings: fruits / symbol: horn of plenty / goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards / was said to be a wood nymph, generally depicted with a platter of fruit or a horn of plenty in art
priapus – symbol: flowers, fruit, vegetables
proserpina – offering: pomegranate / symbol: poppy, white rose, pomegranate
rumina – plant: fig tree
salacia – symbol: crown of seaweed
salus – offering: grain
saturn – symbol: wheat / god of seeds, harvest and agriculture among other things
silvanus – plant: cypress / offering: grapes, grain, wine
tellus/terra (mater) – offerings: flowers, fruit / symbol: flowers, fruit, horn of plenty / “mother earth”, goddess of the earth
terminus – offerings: crops, wine, garlands / marker would be decorated with garlands
tranquilitas – symbol: grain
trivia – offerings: grain, fruit, flowers, wine
venus – sacred plants: aloe, wood anemone, apple, benzoin, maidenhair fern, heather, sweet marjoram, (especially) myrtle, parsley, quince, sandalwood, pomegranate, rose / offering: wine / symbol: rose
victoria – symbol: laurel wreath, palm branch
virbius – god of forests
volturnus – offering: wine
vortumnus/vertumnus – god of seasons, gardens, fruit trees, change, plant growth
Indian Deities:
aranyani – goddess of forests
ardhanarishvara – in the four-armed form the left hands holds a flower, an early depiction shows the left side of the head covered in flowers
ayyappan – flowers are commonly scattered near the shrine
bhairava – offerings: red flowers / one of his forms is depicted with a garland of red flowers / eight types of flowers and leaves are used in arcana to bhairava
bhikshatana – garland of sylvan flowers which is the only thing he wears to entice the sages' wives to humble and enlighten the sages
bhumi – plant: blue lotus / offering: pomegranate, vegetables / symbol: blue lotus, pomegranate / personification of mother earth
brahma – offerings: white lotus (6)
chamunda – plant: fig tree / offering: wine
dattatreya – offerings: jasmine (7), bael tree leaves, indian fig tree leaves, indian fig tree branches
durga – plant: lotus flower / offerings: lotus, jasmine flower and bael tree leaves (1 or 9), most red flowers (e.g. hibiscus) / some shaktas worship durga's symbolism and presence as mother nature
ganesh – offerings: red sandalwood paste, red flowers in general, dhurva grass blades (1,3,5,7) , the red hibiscus is his favourite, lotus, champa (magnolia most likely), rose, jasmine, yellow and orange marigold flowers, bael tree leaves, herbs / usually 21 different varieties of flowers and leaves are used while performing ganesha puja
ganga – having washed the lotus feet of the Lord, which are covered with reddish saffron, the water of the ganges acquired a very beautiful pink colour
gayatri – plant: red lotus
hanuman – offerings: chameli (a type of jasmine flower), garland made up of basil or crown flower leaves
jagannath – (ratha yatra festival) chariots/rathas have wheels painted with flower petals and inverted loti behind the throne
kali – worshipped as the preserver of nature, standing on shiva her presence represents the preservation of mother nature, red hibiscus flowers to match the blood she's depicted with
kathyayini – incense: sandalwood
krishna/avatar or vishnu – offerings: blue lotus (3), coral flowers, carnation of india, basil leaves, local flowers
lakshmi – plant: lotus / offerings: pink lotus, yellow marigolds) and desi gula/rose (no hybrids), bael tree fruit, likes loti best, red jasmine, red flowers in general / often depicted on a seated on a lotus flower, holding lotus buds in her upper pair of limbs
lingam – offerings: flower petals, fruit, fresh leaves
mahakali – offerings: yellow oleander (9)
mariamman – plant: limes, red flowers
narayana – described holding a lotus flower
padmanabha – offerings: flowers (daily)
parvati – plant: lotus flower / offerings: arabian jasmine, white lotus, parrot tree, crown flower, prickly chaff flower, champa and chameli (a type of jasmine flower), fond of all flowers offered to shiva / one of her festival encourages flowers as gifts, gauri-shankar is a particular rudraksha (bead) formed naturally from the seed of a tree found in india (represents parvati and shiva esp when seeds fuse together naturally)
rama/avatar of vishnu – offerings: chameli (a type of jasmine flower) (4)
saraswati – plant: white lotus / offerings: any white flower or white lotus (9) or parrot tree flowers, yellow flowers / seated on a lotus
shiva – offerings: flowers, fruits, fresh leaves, blue lotus (if there is no blue pink or white loti can be offered), oleander, bael tree leaves (9 or 10), dhatura flowers, indian rose chestnut, night jasmine, crown flower, flowers, any white flower, loves wild flowers
tripura sundari – symbol: flower arrows / her hair may be decorated with flowers among other things
umi – plant: lotus flower
vaidheeswara – offerings: grain, flowers
vaikuntha kamalaja – the vishnu half holds the common attributes of vishnu among them a lotus, the female half might hold a kalasha (coconut-mango leaves atop a pot) and sometimes a lotus among other things
vishnu – offerings: pink lotus, jasmine, burflower tree, screw pine, chameli (a type of jasmine flower), champa (magnolia most likely), ashok, velvet pink banana and marigolds(?), basil leaves (1,3,5,7,9), fond of loti, mogra / his fourth arm holds a lotus flower
Egyptian Deities:
amunet – plant: papyrus / symbol: papyrus (staff)
bast – sacred plant: catnip / symbol: papyrus wand
dedun – offering: incense / god of incense
geb – god of the earth, depicted with green skin and plants growing from his body
hapi – plant: papyrus, lotus
hathor – sacred plants: myrtle, sycamore tree / plant: rose, papyrus
hauhet – plant: palm
heka – plant: twisted flax
heket – plant: lotus / symbol: lotus
huh – plant: palm
imhotep – symbol: papyrus scoll
ipy – offering: incense
isis – plant: sycamore tree / symbol: sycamore / incense: myrrh, cedar, narcissus
iusaaset – plant: acacia tree
khepri – plant: blue lotus
meret – symbol: blue lotus, papyrus
min – plant: lotus / symbol: lotus
nefertem – plant: lotus, water lily
neper – offering: grain / symbol: grain, barley, emmer wheat
nut – plant: sycamore tree
qetesh – goddess of nature among other things
rem – his tears produce vegetation
sekhmet – offerings: wine, beer
seshat – sacred plant: papyrus in form of writing paper / plant: palm
shezmu – offerings: wine, grapes / god of the oil press for some time
tenenet – offering: beer
wadjet – plant: papyrus
Norse Deities:
aegir – offering: beer
bragi – offering: mead
freyja – sacred plants: cowslip, daisies, primrose / plant: elder, birch, rose / offerings: strawberries
frigg – sacred plant: mistletoe / plant: lady's bedstraw, alder, birch, elder, feverfew / incense: myrtle, rose, sandalwood / frigg's grass is a plant was traditionally used as a sedative during birth
gerðr – offerings: mead, apples
heimdallr – offering: mead
hel – sacred plants: holly, yew (toxic), elder and more
höðr – plant: mistletoe
iðunn – sacred plant: apples / offerings: apples / symbol: apples
kvasir – offering: mead
mímir – offering: mead
thor – plant: oak tree / offering: mead, ale
ullr – plant: yew tree / symbol: yew tree (toxic)
valkyries – offering: mead
Misc Deities:
Celtic
arianrhod – sacred plant: ivy
cerridwen – sacred plant: corn
epona – sacred plants: garlands of roses / offerings: incense, wine
morrigan – sacred plants: mugwort, yew (toxic), willow
Misc Religion:
west african deities are commonly offered food rather than flowers bc they like practical offerings and flowers aren't practical but food among other things is
yoruba religion includes the fruit of the palm oil tree more than often, either in parts or as a whole, its 'white' and 'red' oils are associated to specific deities, its 'nut' is used for traditional divination, mostly it's offered as a source of food
- Mod Jana
Disclaimer
This blog is intended as writing advice only. This blog and its mods are not responsible for accidents, injuries or other consequences of using this advice for real world situations or in any way that said advice was not intended.
Sources:
http://www.thespiritualindian.com/flowers-offered-to-hindu-gods-and-goddess/
https://www.boldsky.com/yoga-spirituality/faith-mysticism/2012/hindu-gods-flowers-030009.html
http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.goddess-guide.com/
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
http://www.theoi.com/
http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/
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