Author Topic: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.  (Read 4535 times)

Offline Snowleopard

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What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« on: June 17, 2011, 05:32:23 PM »
I'm trying to work on a story and I was looking for a new way to say good or evil inclined particularly around the non-magical.
Others have used - White path, right path, Black wizard, dark way, etc.
I was thinking possibly of using a flower or plant.  Such as the Lilyway or Lilypath for white magic and the Mandrakeway or path for
black magic.
I couldn't think of a specific flower that's associated with black magic but the plant Mandrake has a shady reputation.
Any ideas or suggestions? 

Offline BobForPresident

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2011, 05:43:06 PM »
I associate flowers more with emotions: passion, happiness, physical beauty, peace, etc.
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Offline LizW65

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2011, 09:33:32 PM »
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Offline Nicodemus Carpenter

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2011, 10:42:01 PM »
This is a fantastic passage from The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss where the protagonist is challenged by the girl he likes (heh, understatements are fun) to choose a flower that suits her.  It might not help you much with your specific goal of finding "good" or "evil" flowers, but the passage sheds a lot of insight into the complexities of flower symbology, and might prove useful, especially if you want to have a morally complex magical system.  

My recommendation is to simply read The Name of the Wind.  It's one of the very few books that I recommend equally to anyone, without reservation or qualification.  It is damn damn damn damn good good damn damn good good good damn good... damn.  If you still would rather just read the quote, I'll include it below in spoilers.

(click to show/hide)

-The Name of the Wind (Ch. 62), by Patrick Rothfuss
« Last Edit: June 17, 2011, 10:50:07 PM by Nicodemus Carpenter »
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Offline Fyrchick

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2011, 02:01:09 AM »

If you are making a fictional world then make up a flower or a flower name. Here are a couple visuals that might help...

 I have a wax plant that for whatever reason decided to bloom ( I have done NOTHING different with it).
The flowers LOOK nice but are hard and indeed waxy. Then they just drop off in the same shape and never shrivel up. They are very fragrant at night.
But the shape of the plant always seems twisty and the leaves are thick and heavy.

Here's one type:
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2005/05/06/AlohaHoya/c4628b.jpg

mine looks more like this:
http://www.chalifours.com/images/Products/Plant-Care-Images/Wax-Plant.jpg

But I imagine if it was a brown or even blackish color it would seem more appropriate.

The other flower I always associate with badness is datura.  It is poisonous and I loved the other name "moonflower". It's kind of eerie in moonlight and the spiky seed pods are cool.

http://companionplants.com/catalog/images/Datura%20stramonium%20-%20Jimson%20Weed.jpg

You might consider something like the 'Blooming Path" or "Thorned Path" or something like that too.
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Offline Haru

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2011, 02:28:43 AM »
You might consider something like the 'Blooming Path" or "Thorned Path" or something like that too.

I was thinking along that line as well. Roses would be very interesting in that perspective, because they are quite ambiguous in that way, but as nicodemus pointed out, they've been done to death.

Speaking of: White flowers are often seen as "grave flowers", so far, that is is considered bad taste to bring a white bouquet to someone in a hospital. Maybe that could be something. White as a dark color is somewhat strange, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

As a whole, I would consider most flowers to be "good", even those described above. Vines, thorns, weeds are things I would consider evil. Think of an evil castle, there aren't a lot of flowers, but they are traditionally covered in (thorny) vines and weeds. And of course flesh eating flowers, can't forget those.

I've worked on a world where druids would often bond with a type of plant that is somehow connected to their style and character. The plant in question would grow out of their body and they would be able to use it much like an extra arm (only they would be able to grow/shrink it if need be). Don't know if that is the kind of thing you're looking at, but it would work pretty good for vines and stuff. And it would be easier to convey "evil" that way, I think. One character would be connected to oak trees, and he would be able to grow roots or branches from his body (or even a shield of crossed over smaller branches). I had quite a few amazing fight scenes in mind  ;D
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Offline OZ

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2011, 04:14:45 AM »
Are you familiar with the rafflesia flower? I'm not sure if it's what you are looking for but it's definitely not nice. You would of course have to explain to your readers what it is but a giant (the largest flower in the world is a rafflesia ) parasitic flower that smells like rotting meat is probably not going to be associated with goodness.

It is also very rare. Some species are endangered.
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Offline Nickeris86

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2011, 06:31:53 AM »
There is a lot of symbolism in flowers throughout the world.

Rose's for love, passion and heat.

Lillis were known as the flowers of the dead.

Nightshade was considered evil because of how toxic it was.

I think you could have a lot of different meanings with different flowers

Path of the Carnal rose
Keepers of the Lillis rest
 The path of the midnight bloom

possibilities are endless.
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Offline Snowleopard

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2011, 07:47:52 AM »
Thanks guys.  Lots of different and very good ideas.
I like the idea of the Blooming path or Thorned path - Fyrchick.
And your different ideas, Nick86 are excellent.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2011, 12:49:00 AM by Snowleopard »

Offline Quantus

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2011, 03:10:29 PM »
You may also consider some of the more unusual blooming flowers, such as the Moon flowers (Botanical name: Ipomoea) that only bloom at night and close when sunlight hits them in the morning.  Or Rain Lilies, that open for an impending rainstorm.  And then there are the carnivorous plants out there that are always great for malicious imagery  :)
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Offline Snowleopard

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #10 on: June 20, 2011, 06:39:44 PM »
I didn't know about Rain lilies.  I may not use that in this story but I love the whole idea.
Thanks Quantus.

Offline Quantus

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2011, 07:54:03 PM »
Any time  :)  My girlfriend has some rain lilies, they work almost as well as my bum knee for predicting a rainstorm  :P
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Offline Snowleopard

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2011, 12:51:00 AM »
My mother's bunion used to be her tip off that rain was coming.
Hurt like a son of a gun.

Side note - There's a Science Fiction novel called Ipomoea - now that title makes more sense to me.

Offline Nickeris86

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Re: What flowers/things do you associate with Good or Evil.
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2011, 12:08:23 AM »
Japanese cherry blossoms (Sakura blossoms) had a duel nature in their culture. they were a symbol of good luck and also of war. Red Sakura blossoms were said to get their color from the spilled blood of battle fields.
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