Rose of Sharon
Encyclopedia
Rose of Sharon is a common name
that applies to several different species of flowering plants that are highly valued throughout the world. The name's colloquial application has been used as an example of the lack of precision of common names, which potentially causes confusion. Rose of Sharon has also become a frequently used catch phrase in lyrics and verse.
חבצלת השרון) is an onion-like flower bulb. (Hebrew
חבצלת ) is a flower of uncertain identity translated as the Rose of Sharon in English language
translations of the Bible
. Etymologists have inconclusively linked the Biblical חבצלת to the words בצל , meaning 'bulb', and חמץ , which is understood as meaning either 'pungent' or 'splendid' (The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon). The name Rose of Sharon first appears in English in 1611 in the King James Version of the Bible
. According to an annotation of Song of Solomon 2:1 by the translation committee of the New Revised Standard Version
, "Rose of Sharon" is a mistranslation of a more general Hebrew word for "crocus".
The most accepted interpretation for the Biblical reference is the Pancratium maritimum
, which blooms in the late summer just above the high-tide mark. The Hebrew name for this flower is חבצלת or חבצלת החוף (coastal ). It is commonly assumed by most people in Israel that, the Sharon plain being on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
, the Biblical passage refers to this flower.
Varying scholars have suggested that the biblical "Rose of Sharon" may be one of the following plants:
Rose of Sharon is also commonly applied to two different plants, neither of which is likely to have been the plant from the Bible:
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
that applies to several different species of flowering plants that are highly valued throughout the world. The name's colloquial application has been used as an example of the lack of precision of common names, which potentially causes confusion. Rose of Sharon has also become a frequently used catch phrase in lyrics and verse.
Biblical origins
Chavatzelet HaSharon (HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
חבצלת השרון) is an onion-like flower bulb. (Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
חבצלת ) is a flower of uncertain identity translated as the Rose of Sharon in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translations of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Etymologists have inconclusively linked the Biblical חבצלת to the words בצל , meaning 'bulb', and חמץ , which is understood as meaning either 'pungent' or 'splendid' (The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon). The name Rose of Sharon first appears in English in 1611 in the King James Version of the Bible
King James Version of the Bible
The Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Version, King James Bible or KJV, is an English translation of the Christian Bible by the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611...
. According to an annotation of Song of Solomon 2:1 by the translation committee of the New Revised Standard Version
New Revised Standard Version
The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Bible released in 1989 in the USA. It is a thorough revision of the Revised Standard Version .There are three editions of the NRSV:...
, "Rose of Sharon" is a mistranslation of a more general Hebrew word for "crocus".
The most accepted interpretation for the Biblical reference is the Pancratium maritimum
Pancratium maritimum
Pancratium maritimum, or sea daffodil, is a species of bulbous plant native to the Mediterranean region and south-western Europe. That plant can also be seen on the south Bulgarian and north Turkish coasts of Black Sea, where it is threatened with extinction. It grows on coastal sands or just above...
, which blooms in the late summer just above the high-tide mark. The Hebrew name for this flower is חבצלת or חבצלת החוף (coastal ). It is commonly assumed by most people in Israel that, the Sharon plain being on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, the Biblical passage refers to this flower.
Varying scholars have suggested that the biblical "Rose of Sharon" may be one of the following plants:
- A "kind of crocusCrocusCrocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
" ("Sharon", Harper's Bible Dictionary) or a "crocus that grows in the coastal plain of Sharon" (New Oxford Annotated Bible); - Tulipa montana, "a bright red tulip-like flower ... today prolific in the hills of Sharon" ("rose", Harper's Bible Dictionary);
- Tulipa agenensis, the Sharon tulip, a species of tulipTulipThe tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
suggested by a few botanists; or - Lilium candidum, more commonly known as the Madonna lilyMadonna lilyLilium candidum is a plant in the genus Lilium, one of the true lilies. It is native to the Balkans and West Asia. It forms bulbs at ground level, and unlike other lilies, has a basal rosette of leaves through the winter, which die back in summer...
, a species of lily suggested by some botanists, though likely in reference to the "lily of the valleysConvallariaConvallaria majalis , commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe....
" mentioned in the second part of Song of Solomon 2.1.
Modern usage
- Hypericum calycinumHypericum calycinumHypericum calycinum is a prostrate or low-growing shrub species of the genus Hypericum . Widely cultivated for its large yellow flowers, its names as a garden plant include Rose of Sharon in Britain and Australia, and Aaron's beard, Great St-John's wort, and Jerusalem star.Grown in Mediterranean...
, an evergreenEvergreenIn botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
flowering shrubShrubA shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
native to southeast EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and southwest AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and the plant generally referred to in BritishBritish EnglishBritish English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
and Australian EnglishAustralian EnglishAustralian English is the name given to the group of dialects spoken in Australia that form a major variety of the English language....
as "Rose of Sharon"; and - Hibiscus syriacusHibiscus syriacusHibiscus syriacus is a widely cultivated ornamental shrub in the genus Hibiscus. Common names include Rose of Sharon , Shrub Althea and Rose Althea.-Growth:...
, a deciduousDeciduousDeciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
flowering shrub native to east AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, the plant generally referred to in American EnglishAmerican EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
as "Rose of Sharon" and the national flower of South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The specific epithet indicates that the plant was originally (and erroneously) thought to originate from Syria. The flower's name in KoreanKorean languageKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
is Mugunghwa (KoreanKorean languageKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
HangulHangulHangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 무궁화, HanjaHanjaHanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 無窮花) meaning 'immortal flower'. Mugunghwa (rose of sharon) has been loved by Korea since highly ancient time like Gojoseon. And Silla (one of the ancient Korea's kingdoms that conquered other kingdoms and completed the shape of Korean peninsula of nowadays)'s 'Hwarang', which means 'flower youth knight' whom excelled in intelligence, courage , and 'beauty' their 'Hwa' indicates mugunghwa. Cheonji-Hwarang, which is the forerunner of Hwarang wore cap sticked with Mugunghwa.(At that time Mugunghwa was called Cheon-Ji-Hwa which means 'flower that indicated the sky' and Cheon-Ji-Hwa was highly sacred by ancient Korean).
Cultural presentation
- The first record of the Rose of Sharon (mugunghwa) grown in Korea is mentioned in an article produced 1,400 years ago. A geographical article, Sanhaegyeong (HangulHangulHangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
:산해경, HanjaHanjaHanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
:山海經), written in Dongjin Dynasty (HanjaHanjaHanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
:東晉) of China mentions, "The Land of Wisemen is spread for 1,000 liLi (unit)The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
and mugungwha grows plentifully." The name "mugungwha" was first used by the poet Lee Gyu-bo (이규보,1168 – 1241) of Goryeo DynastyGoryeoThe Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
.
- In the USA, the Rose of SharonHibiscus syriacusHibiscus syriacus is a widely cultivated ornamental shrub in the genus Hibiscus. Common names include Rose of Sharon , Shrub Althea and Rose Althea.-Growth:...
is the official flower of Phi Beta ChiPhi Beta ChiPhi Beta Chi is a national sorority formed to support collegiate women socially, spiritually and academically. Phi Beta Chi was founded on Christian/Lutheran values and celebrates its heritage...
, a national Lutheran-based Greek social letter sorority.
- In Canada, Rose of Sharon is a charity that focuses on helping pregnant and parenting young women under the age of 25
- In The Grapes of WrathThe Grapes of WrathThe Grapes of Wrath is a novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962....
by John SteinbeckJohn SteinbeckJohn Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
, Rose of Sharon (often called "Rosasharn") is a major character, the eldest daughter of the Joad family and the sister of the protagonist Tom Joad. Throughout much of the novel, she is depicted as fragile because of her pregnancy.
- Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's Kaddish SymphonySymphony No. 3 (Bernstein)Kaddish is Leonard Bernstein's third symphony. The 1963 symphony is a dramatic work written for a large orchestra, a full choir, a boys' choir, a soprano soloist and a narrator. The name of the piece, Kaddish, refers to the Jewish prayer that is chanted at every synagogue service for the dead but...
takes the form of a monologue by a narrator self-identified as Chavatzelet HaSharon, "the lily that man has picked and thrown away."
- The song "King's Ransom" from the 1986 PetraPetra (band)Petra is a music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock"...
album Back to the StreetBack to the StreetBack to the Street is the ninth release of the Christian rock band, Petra. It was released in 1986 and is the first album to be produced by John and Dino Elefante....
contains a lyric in which the Rose of Sharon symbolizes Jesus ChristJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
- The song "Rose of Sharon" is on the 1991 CamelCamel (band)Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in 1971. An important group in the Canterbury scene, they have been releasing studio and live recordings steadily, with considerable success, since their formation.-1970s:...
album Dust and Dreams
- The Rose of Sharon is also referenced in the Kate BushKate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
recording "The Song of SolomonThe Song of Solomon"The Song of Solomon" is a song written by British singer Kate Bush, included as the fifth track on her 1993 album The Red Shoes. Thematically, the song deals with a lovelorn female, appealing to her lover for solace; the title of the song reflects this, coming from the book of the Old Testament...
" from her 1993 album The Red ShoesThe Red Shoes (album)-Personnel:*Jeff Beck: Guitar*Haydn Bendall: Engineer*Gary Brooker: Hammond Organ*Kate Bush: Bass, Guitar, Piano, Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, vocals, Producer, Fender Rhodes...
.
- The Rose of Sharon is referenced in the Killswitch EngageKillswitch EngageKillswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
song "Rose of Sharyn" from their 2004 album The End of HeartacheThe End of HeartacheThe End of Heartache is the third studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 11, 2004 through Roadrunner Records. It is the first album to feature lead vocalist Howard Jones from the mathcore band Blood Has Been Shed after Jesse Leach's departure from the band...
.
- There is a song entitled "Rose of Sharon" on Xiu XiuXiu XiuXiu Xiu is an American avant-garde group originally from San Jose, California. The band is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart, who has been its only constant member since its inception in 2002. His current bandmate is Angela Seo...
's 2005 album La ForêtLa ForêtLa Forêt is the fourth studio album by Xiu Xiu, released on July 12, 2005 on 5 Rue Christine. The album features John Dieterich of Deerhoof and Devin Hoff as contributors.-Overview:...
. The lyrics seem to allude to both the Song of Solomon and to Steinbeck's novel.
- The Ragnarok OnlineRagnarok OnlineRagnarok Online , often referred to as RO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG created by GRAVITY Co., Ltd. based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. It was first released in South Korea on 31 August 2002 for Microsoft Windows and has since been released in many other...
background music set includes a track called "Rose of Sharon".
- The village of Rosharon, TexasRosharon, TexasRosharon, also known as "Buttermilk Station," is an unincorporated area in Brazoria County, Texas at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 521 and Farm to Market Road 1462.- History :...
is named after the "Rose Of Sharon" from the Cherokee Roses that grew nearby.
- The Rose of Sharon is referenced in the Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song "Caribbean Wind." The song appeared on the compilation album BiographBiograph (album)Biograph is a 53-track compilation spanning the career of Bob Dylan, from his 1962 debut album to the 1981 LP Shot of Love. Released in 1985 by Columbia Records, on both a 5-LP and a 3-CD Box set, it was one of the earliest and most successful examples of the CD Box set...
but was originally recorded during the sessions for Shot of LoveShot of LoveShot of Love is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 21st studio album, released by Columbia Records in August 1981.It is generally considered to be Dylan's last of a trilogy of overtly religious, Christian albums. Also, it was his first since becoming born-again to focus on secular themes, from...
.
- Leonard Cohen in his original poem "The Traitor" (on which the song "The Traitor" is based) also refers to the Rose of Sharon.
- Rose of Sharon is a homeless character in Sherman AlexieSherman AlexieSherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. is a writer, poet, filmmaker, and occasional comedian. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a Native American. Two of Alexie's best known works are The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven , a book of short stories and Smoke Signals, a film...
's short story "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," published April 21, 2003 in The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
.
- Sephardic Hebrew poetry from the 10th-15th century demonstrates prolific use of the חבצלת (ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ) translated into English consistently as "Rose of Sharon"; there are a few renderings as "lily" (see Gate 47 of the Tahkemoni) . The term and trope are found throughout the Sefer Tahkemoni by Yehuda AlhariziYehuda AlhariziYehuda Alharizi, also Judah ben Solomon Harizi or al-Harizi was a rabbi, translator, poet and traveller active in Spain in the Middle Ages . He was supported by wealthy patrons, to whom he wrote poems and dedicated compositions.He was a rationalist, conveying the works of Maimonides and his...
(1165–1225) and much of the poetic corpus of the Golden Age of Iberian Jewish belles lettres, which includes the works of such poets as Shmu'el HaNagid (993-1056), Moses Ibn EzraMoses ibn EzraRabbi Moses ben Jacob ibn Ezra, known as ha-Sallah was a Jewish, Spanish philosopher, linguist, and poet. He was born at Granada about 1055 – 1060, and died after 1138. Ezra is Jewish by religion but is also considered a great influence in the Arabic world in regards to his works...
(c.1055-after 1138), Yehuda HaleviYehuda HaleviJudah Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, either in Toledo or Tudela, in 1075 or 1086, and died shortly after arriving in Palestine in 1141...
(c.1075-1141), and Abraham Ibn EzraAbraham ibn EzraRabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
(c.1093-c.1167) among others.
- Judah Robertson has an album entitled "Rose of Sharon".
- "Rose of Sharon" is a song by Robert HunterRobert Hunter (lyricist)Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
(Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
) released on his solo album Tiger Rose.
- "Rose of Sharon" is a song sung by Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
on the album Day After Tomorrow.
- "Rose of Sharon Cassidy" is a NPC in the video game Fallout: New VegasFallout: New VegasFallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
. She implies she is named after the Steinbeck character.
External links
- Rose of Sharon Introduction to growing rose of sharon in the landscape.
- 1greenthumb A gallery of Rose Of Sharon Photographs of all types.
- Helene Rose of Sharon Helene Rose of Sharon, thrives in heat, humidity, drought and poor soils.