I've decided to compile a list of people from mythology who were
transformed into plants. Feel free to add names and info as you feel
fit.


Adonis: (Male) Lover of Aphrodite/Venus, Transformed into an Anemone
or Poppy after being gored to death by a boar. We apply the name
"Adonis" to a completely different flower today. Coincidently, The
Mother of Adonis was also transformed into a Plant.

Attis: (Male) Lover of the Goddess Cybele, Body transformed into a
Pine Tree and Blood transformed into Violets after he castrated and
killed himself.

Narcissus: (Male) Transformed into a flower after dying. Fell in love
with his reflection in a pool and refused to leave to eat or drink.
Not quite sure "what" flower he was transformed into, but it wasn't the
same flower we know as "Narcissus" today.

Menthe: (Female) Lover of Dionysus, transformed into ground ivy upon
her death. For some reason we apply her name to "mint" and "menthol"
today.

Clytie: (Female) Wanna-be Lover of the Sun God, Helios. So obbsessed
over him she sat on the ground and watched him sail across the sky each
day, never moving to eat and only drinking the rain and morning dew.
Helios felt sorry for her and transformed her into a Heliotrope flower,
Greek for "Turning (toward) the Sun". Unfortunately we apply this name
to a completely different plant. The Greek "Heliotrope" is better
known to us as "Sunflower".

Hyacinthus: (Male) Lover of the God Appollo, transformed into an
anemone after accidently being killed while throwing Discus. (Some
accounts say that Boreas, the God of the North Wind actualy murdered
Hyacinthus because he was jealous Hyacinthus chose Apollo as his lover
over him.) Just as in many other instances, the flower we know as
"Hyacinth" today is not truly the flower the Greeks had in mind.

Daphne: (Female) Nymph and Object-of-Desire of Apollo, After fleeing
her obsessed stalker Daphne prayed to either Gaia, mother earth, or her
father, a river god, for protection. They responded by transforming
her into a Bay-Laurel Tree which Apollo quickly pruned and made a crown
for himself.. Thanks Bunches Mom & Dad!

Syrinx: (Female) Nymph and Object-of-Desire of GoatBoy, Pan. She
barely escaped being raped by him. She prayed to a river god for
protection and was transformed into a patch of reeds which Pan quickly
chopped down and made into his famous "Pan Pipes". (Note: When about to
be raped by god, Do not call upon mother earth or river gods for help.
Trust me, you are better off trying to escape on your own!)

Heliades: (Females) Numerous divine daughters of Helios, the sun god.
Their mortal brother, Phaeton, was killed by a lightning bolt hurled by
Zeus. They so mourned the death of their brother that the Gods
transformed them into Poplar trees in order to silence their sobbing
and dramatic convulsions.

Myrrha: (Female) Mother of Adonis, After commiting incest with her
father and becoming pregnant, Myrrha attempted to kill herself. The
God Zeus intervened, as he had once been her lover, and transformed her
into tree. Amazingly, after 9 months, the bark of the tree split open
to reveal the infant Adonis. Myrrha still weeps for her sins and her
resin "tears" are the source of the incense we call "Myrh".

Deucalion and Pyrrha: (Husband & Wife) The Greek version of Noah and
His Wife. After the flood that wiped out most of humanity, Zeus
offered to grant them one wish. They responded that Death take them at
the same time, less one be left to live without the love of the other.
Zeus so touched by their wish, secretly decreed that the couple shall
never die. Upon reaching old age, Deucalion and Pyrha arose one
morning and walked to the top of a local hill to watch the sunrise. As
they embraced a funny thing happened. Roots began sprouting from their
legs and feet, while branches and leaves began sprouting from their
upper torsos. In a matter of minutes, the couple had been turned into
trees. Deucalion became an Ash, while his wife Pyrha became an Elm.

-Jason

Lucky wrote:
I've decided to compile a list of people from mythology who were
transformed into plants. Feel free to add names and info as you feel
fit.
snip...

But you forgot to include those real people who are vegetables. Or
bushes. And at least one who manages to be both...

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

"Lucky" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've decided to compile a list of people from mythology who were
transformed into plants. Feel free to add names and info as you feel
fit.



If you step out of classical mythology you might find a few more, try
theAustralian Aboriginal dreamtime legends.

David

John McGaw wrote:
Lucky wrote:
I've decided to compile a list of people from mythology who were
transformed into plants. Feel free to add names and info as you feel
fit.
snip...

But you forgot to include those real people who are vegetables. Or
bushes. And at least one who manages to be both...

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

Favortie Bush Quote: "There's a saying in Texas, "Fool me once..
(Blank Stare)"

-Jason

David Hare-Scott wrote:
"Lucky" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've decided to compile a list of people from mythology who were
transformed into plants. Feel free to add names and info as you feel
fit.



If you step out of classical mythology you might find a few more, try
theAustralian Aboriginal dreamtime legends.

David

Ya, I was originaly hoping others would know of examples from just
such, or at least other cultures. I'll do a search and see what I can
find.

-Jason

Janet Baraclough wrote:
There's the Green Man legend in England which I think predates
Christianity... a cross between a tree and a man. ( basis for the Ents
in Lord of the Rings).

Janet.

"The Green Man" is a bit too confusing for most people to understand.

Freemasons think he corresponds to Adonis/Tammus/Damuzzi, who was the
Middle Eastern "Dying God" of vegetation, who was reborn each year.

Wiccans and NeoPagans, view him as a God.

Historicly, "The Green Man", is simply an actor in a Spring Celebration
that took place yearly. A man literaly dressed in all green, with
vegetation attached to his clothing, and wearing a mask made of leaves.
His role was to play the part of the return of nature and the growing
season. The Green Man was never truly a "God" or mythological figure
in and of himself.

During the Middle Ages, "Green Man Masks" were utilysed by Stone Masons
as decorative accents on many Cathedrals, Churches, and other
buildings.

-Jason