As the poet William Wordsworth "wandered lonely as a cloud" he chanced upon "a host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze" and became instantly and forevermore happy as a clam (or words to that effect) his heart locked in eternal "dances with the daffodils."
Though not everyone expresses it with such ardor, hard indeed is the heart that's not cheered by the sight of a daffodil in spring. The daffodil is also, more formally, known as narcissus, a name with a dark past.
In seeming contradiction to the flower's jaunty and cheerful countenance, the origin of the name, Narcissus, has a somewhat sinister bent. It comes from "narke, " the Ancient Greek work for deep sleep, stupor or numbness. Narke is also the root of the word "narcotic." The name is probably a reference to a toxic paralysing alkaloid contained within narcissi bulbs. The good news is the bulbs taste just awful, making it highly unlikely that anyone could even keep down one bite.
Still, despite its lethal potential, the doctors of an earlier age, used infusions made from narcissus bulbs and flowers in the treatment of epilepsy and hysteria. More recently, concoctions containing daffodil petals have been used by herbalists to treat respiratory problems. None of these uses, of course, is recommended.
Narcissus, Tale of Love and Beauty
Perhaps more fitting to the beauty of the narcissus, is the famous Greek myth the flower inspired:
The story tells of the youth Narcissus, who had been given the gift of remaining young and beautiful his whole life -- provided he never saw his own reflection. When the youth spurned the affections of the nymph Echo, she took her revenge through Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and vengeance. When Narcissus was refreshing himself beside a clear pool, the goddess coaxed him into looking at his image reflected in the water. He became transfixed, caught in the spell of his own beauty.
On this spot there grew a beautiful flower -- the Narcissus. Today, gardeners everywhere can be captivated with the beauty of narcissi in spring if they remember to plant the bulbs this fall.