Poppy meaning, symbolism, mythology and folklore

Poppy meanings include sleep, dreams, imagination, sacrifice, memory, regeneration, and luxury. There are 120 poppy species and they have a nearly global range, from the frigid tundra to the blazing desert. Hence, the poppy appears as a symbol in the cultural mythologies of people around the world. In this post, you will learn more about commonly shared poppy symbols, including color meanings. You will also learn about the poppy as a symbol in art and literature and its spiritual significance.

What does the poppy symbolize?

Here are some commonly shared meanings applied to poppies, with details on each below:

Sleep dreams Performance Victim Memory regeneration luxury

Detailed poppy symbols and meanings

Sleep

The poppy is known for its sleep-inducing effect. After all, it is the flower that is famously (or infamously) known as a natural source of opiates, including opium, morphine and heroin. But even before it was developed to make dangerously potent medicines, the poppy was known for centuries as a natural sleep aid. In fact, the drug morphine, derived from poppies, is named after the Greek god of dreams and sleep, Morpheus.

In his famous poem “SleepJohn Keats referred to poppies as a way of helping him escape what was plaguing his conscience:

O soft embalmer of silent midnight,
Close, with cautious fingers and benign,
Our gloomy eyes, bent by the light,
Shrouded in divine oblivion:
O most soothing sleep! if so please you nah
Amidst this thy hymn, my willing eyes,
Or wait for the “amen” before your poppy tosses
Around my bed his lulling charities…

The poppy is not only a symbol of restful sleep, but also a symbol of eternal sleep or death. Poppies are often engraved on tombstones with the words “rest in peace”.

dreams

Just as they are symbols of slumber, poppies also symbolize dreaming. Seeing poppies can be a reminder to pay attention to your dreams as they can carry important messages for you.

Performance

Since the poppy has the power to alter your state of consciousness, it is also a symbol of imagination. Too often as adults we let ourselves be caught up in the realities of life management and dealing with the day. The poppy is a reminder that imagination is the key to making life more beautiful.

Victim

Poppies are also associated with sacrifice. In Christianity, the red of the poppy symbolizes the blood of Christ and his sacrifice on the cross.

Additionally, poppies are associated with the fallen of WWI and WWII and the ultimate sacrifice they made to protect a way of life.

Memory

Memorial at McCrae House National Historic Site of Canada. Photo: Richard BH

Since they are symbols of sacrifice, poppy meaning also includes remembering those who have died.

The tradition of placing poppies on the graves of soldiers who died in World War I and II began with poet John McCrae’s poem “On Flanders fields.” During World War I, Flanders, Belgium was the scene of brutal trench warfare that left many soldiers dead.

Poppies are blowing in Flanders fields
Between the crosses, row upon row,
This marks our place; and in the sky
The larks, still singing bravely, fly
Barely audible amidst the guns below.

we are the dead A few days ago
We lived, felt the dawn, saw the sunset glow
Been loved and loved and now we lie
On Flemish fields.

But long before World War I, the Roman poet Virgil used poppies as a metaphor to describe fallen warriors in his epic fairy tale Aeneidwritten around 25 BC BC:

He was still speaking when the sword drove full force through Euryalus’ ribs, shattering his white chest. He rolled in death on the ground, blood running down his beautiful body, his neck sagging and his head falling on his shoulders, like a scarlet flower that languishes and dies when its stalk is cut by the plough, or like poppies , who bow heads when the rain weighs them down and their necks grow weary.

While poppies are associated with death, they are primarily associated with honoring and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for a greater good.

regeneration

Being symbols of sleep and even death, poppies are also symbols of regeneration. These hardy flowers can grow in difficult locations and depleted soil. For this reason, they are used in agriculture when crop rotation is required. In addition, according to legend, poppies are said to have grown on former battlefields in places where soldiers died.

The ancient Greeks associated poppies with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and harvest. In addition, they associated poppies with Demeter’s daughter Persephone, the goddess of the underworld and spring growth.

In Christianity, the poppy symbolizes not only the blood of Christ, but also his resurrection and ascension.

While poppies have been associated with death throughout history, they also symbolize regeneration and eternal life.

luxury

Aside from its heavier connotation, the poppy is also a symbol of luxury and even decadence. You can imagine an opium den with people lounging on pillows and falling into a stupor. It is fascinating that the poppy is simultaneously associated with the rigors of war and at the same time with avoidance and hedonism.

Importance of poppy color

Poppies come in a range of hues, from blood red to yellow, blue, and even black and white. Here are the symbolic meanings associated with poppy colors:

Red poppy meaning

Red poppies symbolize undying love, remembrance and sacrifice. They are placed in memory of the graves of fallen soldiers. And they are also associated with the blood of Christ. However, in Asian countries, red poppies symbolize success and happiness, as well as romantic love.

Pink poppies

Pink poppy meaning includes compassion, platonic love, and restful sleep.

Orange poppy meaning

Orange poppies symbolize health and regeneration.

Yellow poppies

With their cheerful colour, yellow poppies symbolize renewal, optimism and looking at the positive side of situations.

Yellow poppies can be planted or used in memorials to honor loved ones who have passed away and to acknowledge that you will focus on the positive memories of their time on earth.

White poppy meaning

White poppies are symbols of remembrance for departed loved ones and are also associated with faith and the soul’s eternal life.

White is the color of innocence and purity, so white poppies are also symbols of restful sleep, sweet dreams and renewal.

Blue poppies

Blue poppy is rare; However, you can find them growing naturally in the Himalayas. A blue poppy symbolizes belief in a higher spiritual power. In addition, they symbolize messages from angels, especially related to creative activities that require imagination.

Purple poppy meaning

Purple poppy meaning encompasses fantasy, tranquility and luxury. The purple poppy is a helpful symbol when you want to connect with your artistic muse and create something beautiful.

The color purple is a way of paying tribute to and honoring someone else, so purple poppies make beautiful gifts for people you care about and respect.

Black poppy meaning

The Papaver somniferum paeoniflorum Poppies come in a few shades so dark they are almost black. Black poppy meanings include elegance, deep sleep, and mysterious dreams.

Poppy Spiritual Significance

As a symbol of sleep and regeneration, on a spiritual level, poppies symbolize the eternal life of the soul, including reincarnation. They remind us that the death of the physical body on earth is just one step in the evolution of the soul. While our bodies are mere shells, our souls are eternal.

Associated power animals

The poppy shares characteristics and symbiosis with certain wild animals and insects. For example, bees feed on poppies when they pollinate them. And birds like sparrows and cockatoos eat poppy seeds and then help spread them so more poppies will grow.

On a spiritual level, the poppy shares symbolism with the snake, deer, and caribou spirit animals, as all are symbols of regeneration. In addition, the poppy is associated with the snow leopard spirit animal, as both live and thrive in the sublime Himalayas.

Poppies in cultural mythology and folklore

As mentioned in this post, the poppy has inspired the work of creative people for centuries. Here are some other examples of the poppy in cultural beliefs and mythologies.

Poppy meaning in Greek mythology

Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams and sleep. Jean Bernard Restout, 1766. Image: Cleveland Museum of Art.

The poppy appears several times in Greek and Roman mythology. As already mentioned, the Greeks associated Morpheus, the god of sleep and dreams, with the poppy. They also linked Morpheus’ father Hypnos to the potent flower, as Hypnos managed to put the powerful Zeus to sleep.

In addition, the goddess Demeter is said to have brewed poppy tea to sleep while her daughter Persephone traveled back and forth in the underworld.

Poppy symbolism in ancient Egypt

Egyptian artwork, Osiris, god of death and agriculture, Seti I Temple, Abydos, Egypt. Image: Amice M. Calverley and Alan Gardiner.

The ancient Egyptians associated poppies with Osiris, who was both the god of death and of agriculture. So it’s possible that even the ancient Egyptians understood the usefulness of poppies in crop rotation.

The Egyptians also included poppies in much of their artwork, including artifacts buried with mummies. They, too, connected the flower with eternal life.

Poppy symbolism in Christianity

In Christianity, the poppy is a symbol of the blood of Christ and the sacrifice of his death on earth. Christians also associate the poppy with Jesus’ resurrection and ascension and immortality.

memory after the First World War

A poppy wreath in an English cemetery in Malaga, Spain, Remembrance Day 2020. Photo: Daniel Capilla….