I went out and rolled in fox droppings today; everyone I know well thought the aroma was very nice and pungent (what do foxes eat?), but I was taken away, shampoo'd, hosed down and generally humiliated; I ask you what is wrong with these people? Now I smell disgusting. The boss tried to make it up to me by telling me that in the old days periwinkles were hung around the neck of those about to be executed and I should consider myself lucky that he hadn't thought to stop and pick some instead of just photographing them. Why periwinkle?
Periwinkle:
ReplyDeleteA plant which has connections with the spirits.
Hung over doorways, it is believed to keep ghosts, spirits and witches at bay. It is also effective in the exorcisms of demons.
In Wales, lore states that if one plucks periwinkle from a grave, that individual will be haunted by the dead in their dreams for a year.
yes but why were they called periwinkles
ReplyDelete1501, dim. of parvink (12c.), from O.E. perwince, from L.L. pervinca "periwinkle" (4c.), from L., from pervincire "to entwine, bind," from per- "thoroughly" + vincire "to bind, fetter."
ReplyDeletethank you, very erudite as well. I can see why pervincire was appropriate, and yet periwinkle the whelk comes from pinewinclan (from wincle). English is an absorbent language.
ReplyDeleteAsk a question and it shall be answered