Pixie Nook

~Faerie Flora~Bluebell Tales!~

So Bluebells! The little blue flowers that look just like bells (hence the name). Bluebells have quite the number of nicknames such as dead man's bells (like the foxglove!), fairy flowers, witches' thimbles, cuckoo's boots, lady's nightcaps, cra'tae (crow's toes), wild hyacinth, british bluebell, and granfer griggles. A lot of nicknames I know! It's scientific name is Hyacinthoides Non-scripta.

The Bluebell is known to be a toxic yet dizzyingly lovely flower (it like the Foxglove and the Harebell) are called Dead Man's Bells. All parts of this flower are toxic because they contain toxic glycosides that are poisonous to humans. If any part of this plant is eaten it can cause serious stomach upset, and if eaten in large quantities it could be fatal. The symptoms of Bluebell poisoning are upset stomach, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, bradycardia, tachycardia, and arrhythmias. If this flower is touched it may cause skin irritation and dermatitis. So if you wish to touch this plant best to do so with gloves just in case!

The Bluebell has another reason pertaining as to why it is called Dead Man's Bells, it is said in legends that the Bluebell is filled with danger and that to hear the ring of a Bluebell is to hear one's death knell. The Bluebell is one of the most potent of all faerie flowers, and a bluebell wood is an extremely hazardous place to be- a place of faerie-woven spells and enchantments. In other legends is it mentioned to be wary of lingering to long in a field of bluebells because of the concentration of faerie spells and enchantments. British lore warns that children who enter fields of bluebells might never come out again, whilst adults who do may perhaps wander about lost and in a daze, pixie-led, unless, a brave soul is sent in to rescue them. Another myth mentions that if you were to turn a bluebell flower inside-out without tearing it, you will win the one you love, and if you wear a wreath of bluebells you will only be able to speak the truth. There are some beliefs that Bluebells were used in witches potions. Some tales mention that Bluebells ring to call faeries to their revels at midnight and for faerie festivals.

Bluebells originated in the UK and are native to the British Isles, and are widespread throughout Europe and North America. The Bluebells are woodland plants, the grow in moist woodlands, and river flood plains. The Hyacinthoides Non-scripta are currently under threat from the native Spanish Bluebell which was introduced in the 17th century to Britain. So the Bluebell is a protected species.

The Bluebell symbolizes gratitude, humility, everlasting love, and constancy.