In Homer’s Odyssey the Sirens are one of the many perils the hero must overcome on his long journey home from the Trojan war. They live on a beautiful island, filled with meadows and flowers, a present from Zeus. They have the heads of women, with the bodies of birds. They aren’t physically seductive but their song is so potent that it erases all instincts for self preservation. The unwary sailor fails to see the blood stained bones which litter their shore. An artist friend tells me the iris is a difficult flower to paint. I’ve stood and gazed at the iris beds in Holland Park, enraptured by the velvety richness of the colours and the dynamic energy of the petals. Some have secret veins of silver or gold. Iris are less fragile than they look. They can withstand full sun and winds. They are found in many different countries and climates, including India, Japan, the Mediterranean, China, North Africa and Europe. There are currently between 260-300 different species, both wild and cultivated.In Greek Mythology Iris is the ‘rainbow’ and also a messenger of the gods. She’s usually shown with wings, carrying a herald’s staff and a vase. She has a special relationship with both sea and sky. Her father was a sea god and her mother a cloud-nymph. In some sources she marries Zephyros, the West Wind, and gives birth to Eros. As the rainbow, she bridged heaven and earth. Her duties as a water carrier encompassed both realms, and included elements of physical and ritual cleansing. She replenished the clouds after heavy rainfalls, and she purified the gods when they returned to Olympus. According to Ovid, after a visit to the Underworld, Juno returned to her heavenly home where Iris ‘purged her with sprinkled drops of cleansing rain.’[i] Today the roots continue to be used in perfume, often being dried for five years before being used. It takes one ton of iris/orris root to produce two kilos of the essential oil. The Perfume Society calls orris root ‘ahugely precious ingredient, this – with a heart-stopping price-tag.’ It gives a list of perfumes including Yves san Laurent’s Paris, Chanel’s Exclusif 28, Prada’s Infusion d’Iris, Vivienne Westwood’s Boudoir and Tom Ford’s Violet Blonde.(7) It’s rumoured to be an ingredient in Chanel No 5.
|
AuthorHazel Riley is an author, teacher and shamanic practitioner living in London. Archives
November 2021
Categories
All
|