Faerie bells ringing new beginnings

vi: Foraging for Colour

Faerie bells ringing new beginnings

Marissa Stoffer

After a long winter lockdown, the season is slowly, but surely, changing. Brighter, longer, warmer, days are approaching as tree buds form, leaves emerge, and flowers rise above the earth to colour the ground beneath our feet. Like flowers gesturing in the wind, our lives move and transform with the tides of the air, and flowers help us to reconsider our position and frame of mind. Wordsworth’s famous Daffodil poem is probably resonating with many of us just now, so Narcissus Pseudonarcissus will be our plant in focus this month. As we forage for colour, we braid links between people, place, language, and identity.

Our common Daffodil has many common names: Affodil; Bacon and Eggs; Belle-blome; Bell Flowers; Bell Rose; Butter and Eggs; Chalice Flower; Codlins and Cream; Cuckoorose; Daffy-down-dilly; Faerie Bells; Gold Bells; Golden Trumpets; Goose Leek; Golden Narcissus; Hoop Petticoats; King’s Spear; Lady’s Ruffles; Lent Cocks; Lent Lily; Queen Anne’s Flowers; St Peter’s Bell; Sun Bonnets; Yellow Maidens...to name but a few (Philips, 2012). The symbolism of this humble flower ranges from good fortune to death, taking in chivalry, conceit, deceit, hope, disdain, egotism, new beginnings, regard, regret, refusal, respect, self-esteem, and selfobsession (ibid.). The giving of Daffodils was once meant to suggest ‘The sun shines when I’m with you’ (ibid.).

The Daffodil is native to many parts of Britain and Europe, but its stories are rooted across the world, reaching to the East. Perhaps most well-known is the myth of Narcissus, who was so transfixed by his own reflected beauty and melancholy that he stabbed himself with a sword, frustrated that he could never obtain the object of his desire. From his blood sprang the white Daffodil with a red centre, and the cup is said to hold his tears (Philips, 2012). In another myth, it was as she lay among Daffodils that Persephone, daughter of Demeter, was snatched away to the underworld by Pluto. It is said this is why the flower became associated with death, used in wreaths or placed on graves (ibid.). In Christian mythology, the Daffodil first appears in the Garden of Gethsemane to comfort Jesus in his hour of sorrow, just before his arrest and subsequent crucifixion (ibid.). Whilst in China, the flower represents fortune, benevolence, and propriety after the legend of an old woman from Fukien province who gave her last bowl of rice to a beggar. Grateful for her generosity, the beggar ate his rice, spitting a few grains on the ground before leaving. The next day, an abundance of Daffodils grew where the rice had been, making the old woman rich from their sale and bringing fame to the Fukien province (ibid.). Closer to home, Daffodils are said to bloom on 1 st March, the feast day of St David, the patron saint of Wales. Wearing a Daffodil close to your heart is said to bring good luck, but it is considered unlucky to take a single daffodil into your house. Yet placing a vase of daffodils in the bedroom is said to boost the fertility of those who sleep there. In medicine, Daffodils were once used to treat a variety of ailments— from coughs and colic to splinters and sunburn (ibid.).

The Daffodil is one of the earliest cultivated plants; during the Medieval period, women used to collect the juice of the flowers to tint their hair and eyebrows. You can follow this recipe to make five small jam jars (285ml) of ink, though I wouldn’t suggest you use it on either your hair or eyebrows, but it’s nice to think that you can turn a flower into colour and paint with it. You can forage Daffodils from March ‘til April, or you can even use a bunch bought at a local shop. You can pick/ use the flowers when they have started to wilt but still have their yellow colour. Remember, when foraging only take what you need, and only if it is plentiful.

You will need: x16 Daffodils 2 pints of water Non-reactive pot (e.g., stainless steel or Pyrex) Gum Arabic 1 Clove per jar of ink Glass jar(s) with tight fitting lid(s) ½ tsp of modifier (such as Alum Sulphate, Bicarbonate of Soda, Iron Sulphate, Copper Sulphate, Lemon, or Vinegar) Coffee filter, cheesecloth, or fine strainer

Method: 1. Cut ⅔ of the Daffodil stems into pieces. Add the chopped stems and flower heads to the non-reactive pot. In a kettle boil 2 pints of water and pour over your cuttings, leaving to steep overnight. 2.The next day, simmer your steeped Daffodils for 30-40 minutes. Keep the lid partly open on the pot to prevent boiling, as this will burn and spoil the colour. Do this in a well-ventilated area (i.e., hood extractor on, or window open). 3. Strain out the Daffodils and simmer the remaining liquid for a further 20 minutes. Again, keep the lid placed partially on top. This extra simmering will help intensify the colour without losing much water. 4: At this point you will have a fair amount of pale-yellow liquid. Now reduce the liquid by simmering without a lid. As water evaporates, the colour will intensify. Half a cup (4oz/ 118ml) simmered for 15-20 minutes will make a small jam jar’s worth of ink (2oz/ 57ml). Optional: At step 4, you can separate your ink liquid into batches and add ½ tsp of your modifier before simmering. I found Bicarbonate of Soda worked best, creating a deep yellow hue. However, you do not have to add a modifier when making the ink. Instead, you can brush some ink onto the surface of a piece of paper, then add a water-diluted modifier, e.g., dilute some Bicarbonate of Soda in a little water, brush/ drip it over the ink and watch it transform. This can be done for each modifier, though Lemon and Vinegar should only be used after you have made your ink. 5. Decant your ink into a jar and add Gum Arabic. You do not need Gum Arabic, but the more you add, the thicker the ink will become; I usually add ½ tsp for a 58ml jar. Then add 1 clove to each jar, as a preservative. 6. Store your ink in a cool/ unlit space— a cupboard, or box —because sunlight will make your ink fade, like a flower. I find something quite poetic about this, as if floral inks are somehow still alive.

Results: Plain Daffodil ink is a very pale yellow, but with modifiers the colours mirror the sun, green leaves, and woody tones of Spring. Bicarbonate of Soda seems to be the best modifier, whilst Lemon and vinegar lighten the ink.

Learning the alchemy of the natural world not only helps us consider creativity and sustainability, it also strengthens our sense of place and respect for the nature with which we are so deeply interconnected.

References Philips, S. (2012) An Encyclopedia of Plants in Myth, Legend, Magic and Lore, Robert Hale: London. Images: Marissa Stoffer