Saintly Purple and White. Cattleya purpurata, Hybrid Cattleya Orchid, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Beautiful Sky-Blue day today in Chicago, but before walking on the marvelous Lakefront I - as is my wont when here - went to the fabulous Lincoln Park Conservatory. Always finery to be seen there in whatever sesaon. Today my eye was caught by this Cattleya hybrid orchid. It's from tropical Latin and South America and was named for Sir William Cattley (1788-1835) in 1824 to honor his work on Orchids as a horticulturalist.
Today the Purple and White signify - at least for me - 'Ownkeonweke katsitsiio teonsitsianekaron', that is, translated from the Mohawk language: 'The fairest flower that ever bloomed among Red Humankind'. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was canonised - declared a saint - today in Rome, together with six others. St Kateri is the first Native American to be thus honored. She goes by various epithets: "Lily of the Mohawks', "Pocahontas of the Catholic Church", etc. A surviving but badly scarred victim of a smallpox epidemic (1661-1663), St Kateri to the great dismay of her compatriots converted to Catholicism in 1676. Soon followed charges of sorcery and sexual promiscuity. Nonetheless she persevered, and was especially notable for her mortification of the flesh - possibly following in part Native American practices of men warriors. Thus she thought of herself as a warrior for Christ. You don't actually want to dwell on those devices of mortification, among others sleeping on a mat covered with thorns, and practising mutual flagellation of some 1200 blows (!) a season.
The Purple of this Orchid symbolises Saintly Blood and the White the Purity of Saintly Hearts. Yes..., and the waterdrops might be construed as tears.
Saintly Purple and White. Cattleya purpurata, Hybrid Cattleya Orchid, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Beautiful Sky-Blue day today in Chicago, but before walking on the marvelous Lakefront I - as is my wont when here - went to the fabulous Lincoln Park Conservatory. Always finery to be seen there in whatever sesaon. Today my eye was caught by this Cattleya hybrid orchid. It's from tropical Latin and South America and was named for Sir William Cattley (1788-1835) in 1824 to honor his work on Orchids as a horticulturalist.
Today the Purple and White signify - at least for me - 'Ownkeonweke katsitsiio teonsitsianekaron', that is, translated from the Mohawk language: 'The fairest flower that ever bloomed among Red Humankind'. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was canonised - declared a saint - today in Rome, together with six others. St Kateri is the first Native American to be thus honored. She goes by various epithets: "Lily of the Mohawks', "Pocahontas of the Catholic Church", etc. A surviving but badly scarred victim of a smallpox epidemic (1661-1663), St Kateri to the great dismay of her compatriots converted to Catholicism in 1676. Soon followed charges of sorcery and sexual promiscuity. Nonetheless she persevered, and was especially notable for her mortification of the flesh - possibly following in part Native American practices of men warriors. Thus she thought of herself as a warrior for Christ. You don't actually want to dwell on those devices of mortification, among others sleeping on a mat covered with thorns, and practising mutual flagellation of some 1200 blows (!) a season.
The Purple of this Orchid symbolises Saintly Blood and the White the Purity of Saintly Hearts. Yes..., and the waterdrops might be construed as tears.