Keeping Ghosts Away

text and photos : Norma A. Hubbard  (June 2021)

When I was young, going across the river was an adventure. It was a magical place for me. There were old foundations made of rocks covered in moss, I would enter these abandoned places imagining who might have once lived there. However, the most intriguing part of this place was the trees. There was a defined courtyard, a squared area created by honeysuckle and lilac. In spring it was heavenly to sit there on the grass and smell the lilacs, watch the butterflies, and listen to the hum of bees. Now most people might not think this was so special, as who doesn’t have lilacs in their yards? Well, we didn’t. It was only later in life that my mom planted lilacs near our house, so as a child, I thought these flowers were amazing and each spring, even if the river was still freezing cold, I would wade across and pick some lilacs to bring the scent into our home for my mom.

Although, common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is not native to our area, it is one of the most commonly planted flowering trees in Canada. Native to eastern Europe and Eurasia, lilacs were brought over sometime in the 1700’s with the early settlers, which is why lilacs are often found near old foundations. Lilacs are part of the olive family and are hardy deciduous trees, in fact, lilacs prefer our colder weather to hot areas. Flowers are pink, purple, or white, with hundreds of varieties to be found on the market today. Each cluster of flowers is made of tiny 4-petal tube flowers that butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds love. Lilacs typically have two clusters at the end of each branch. The flowers are bisexual, both the stamens and stigma in each flower are fertile. Those brown dried things we see after the flowering is finished are the fruit, the seeds of the lilac. Trees produce secondary shoots from the roots or base of the tree.

Considered a small tree, lilacs may grow 6 to 7 meters (20–23 ft) high but will produce more flowers if kept pruned. Lilacs should be cut back each spring right after the flowering is finished and gardening sources suggest keeping the grass away from the base will improve flowering. Lilacs need about 6 hours of sunshine per day to produce flowers, however, the darker purple flowers will last longer in shadier areas. In Europe, lilacs were funeral flowers, especially the white blossoms, so many people believed it to be bad luck to bring these beautiful flowers into the house. On the other hand, it was thought that planting lilacs around your property would keep out harmful individuals or stop ghosts from hanging around. This could explain the lilacs growing around the old foundation on my family’s property. I rather like the idea of keeping evil away, I guess I wasn’t seen as a danger because it was certainly very peaceful for me to sit in the middle of the lilacs.

The meaning behind its name, Syringa vulgaris is quite interesting. Vulgaris is Latin for “common” or “ordinary” in the sense that they are plentiful. Syringa is derived from the Greek word “syrinx” which means pipe. In Greek mythology, Pan is the god of shepherds and hunters, but also known as quite the party god and was always running after nymphs. One day Pan was chasing a wood nymph, Syrinx, who in order to evade Pan, asked her sister water nymphs for help. They turned Syrinx into reeds. Unfortunately for Syrinx, Pan took the reeds and made them into a pipe which never left his side; this pipe is now known as a Pan pipe. Since lilac stems were used to make pipes, it seems that is the reasoning behind the name, Syringa.

While some believe that lilac flowers represent a fleeting romance due to the short flowering season, others believe it to be the reminder of an old love as the scent never leaves our memory. During Victorian times, widows would wear lilacs for remembrance. Russians will wave lilacs over a new baby to give the gift of wisdom. One of my favourite beliefs comes from the Celtics who thought lilacs were magical because of their intoxicating fragrance, which could also explain why modern aromatherapy suggests that the smell of lilacs may help lessen depression and increases relaxation. Regardless of what you may believe, it can’t hurt to stop and smell the lilacs.

Sources : The Old Farmer’s Almanac; Learn Religion: Lilac Magic and Folklore; Ovid, Metamorphoses