Fresh off of Valentine’s Day weekend, I thought it would be a good time for a post on Irish folklore about love and marriage. So, here we go.
Irish Affection
We all have pet names for our beloved—honey, angel, My Own, Sweet Cheeks—and many others. Why not express your affection in Irish? Here are some examples.
Milseán (mill-shaun): Sweet / Sweetheart
A Stór (a shtore): Darling
Mo Gra (muh grah): My love
Mo Chroí (muh cree): My heart
Mo Chuisle (muh-hewsh-la): My pulse
Love Scents
Of course, before you start whispering sweet nothings, you need to have a beloved. And anyone who has tried to add a little romance to their life knows that’s easier said than done. We’ve all heard about pheromones and how, if we have enough of them or the right ones, we can attract people to us. According to www.webmd.com that’s up for debate. While many mammals have pheromones, some scientists insist humans don’t. Fortunately, Irish folklore offers an alternative for attracting love: flowers.
Lavender: If you want to dream about your true love, place lavender under your pillow at night. But if you’re interested in turning dreams into reality, you’ve got to get a little more active with this flower. Rub lavender oil on your wrists. Bathe in lavender.
Invite someone you’re interested in over for dinner then light a lavender-scented candle. You could even serve a dessert with a bit of lavender in it such as a Blackberry Lavender Cake. But use some restraint! Lavender, according to the lore, ignites passion. (Yes, I know it’s supposed to be calming but Irish folklore says it arouses passion. Work with me here.) And it was often used in fertility charms.
Rose: This flower is so associated with romance it’s almost a cliché. Nevertheless, Irish folklore claims that roses can help attract love to you. The lore suggests spreading rose petals across the threshold of your door to bring love to you. Alternatively, you can spray rosewater at the entrance or take the direct approach and spray it on yourself.
Again, for that special dinner, light rose-scented candles then finish the meal with a Rosewater and Cardamom Chia Pudding. Or simply relax with a Strawberry / Rosewater Gin and Tonic.
Chamomile: If you want to take the relationship to the next level with your someone special, this pretty little herb might be your matchmaker. According to the folklore, chamomile strengthens love spells and induces marriage proposals. So, mix a little chamomile tea with rose or lavender tea and see what happens!
Honeysuckle: If you’re really serious about marriage, Irish folklore recommends honeysuckle. The lore says that placing a bouquet of these flowers with their sweet, intoxicating scent will bring about a marriage proposal within the year. (Okay. I didn’t say it worked fast. I didn’t even say it worked. I just told you what the lore says and, hey, it’s worth a try, right?)
Getting Spicy
If you want to ignite (or rekindle) passion in your romance, Irish folklore recommends using red spices. Nowadays, they’re more often called warm spices. These are cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and clove. So, if you want to get things going in the bedroom, start in the kitchen!
But Will It Last?
Irish folklore offers a few ways to discover whether you and your beloved will live happily ever after or not. Here are three of those ways.
Hazelnuts: Take two hazelnuts, one representing you and the other representing your intended. Place them in a flame-resistant container, such as a pot or a heat-proof bowl, leaving a little distance between them. Light a match, place it between the two nuts and watch how the nuts react. If they move toward one another, your relationship with your true love will be happy. If the nuts move away from each other, you will have a difficult or short-lived relationship. If the nuts dance a bit back and forth, be careful about entering into the relationship at all. It will be an emotional roller coaster ride.
Hazelnuts 2: Place a pile of hazelnuts on a counter or table. Pick one up at random and bite into it. If it is good, go forth in joy! You and your beloved are in for smooth sailing. If, however, the nut is bitter…well, you can decide whether or not to end the relationship because of one bitter nut. The folklore says you should. Only you can decide how much stock you put in the folklore.
The Bluebell Test: Before you attempt this, first decide whether or not you believe in faeries. If you don’t, fine. Just be sure you’re willing to risk believing they don’t exist because this test involves messing with one of the Fair Folks’ favorite flowers and you’re risking their wrath. Proceed at your own discretion!
To ensure that you have won your true love’s heart, turn a bluebell inside out without tearing it. And basically, good luck with that.
A Lucky Wedding!
There is so much folklore and so many folk traditions involved in an Irish wedding that I’ve written an entire post about it. Just be sure the bride has her magic hanky and wears old shoes. Listen for the cuckoo on the way to the church. And the bridegroom should absolutely not sweep the bride off her feet at the reception (or the faeries will steal her away). Intrigued? Find out more by reading my post "Listen for the Cuckoo.”
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All artwork for this post (except for the Ukranian flag and the GIF) by Christine Dorman via Bing Image Creator.
Slán go fóill
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