Lost in Translation
Looking for meanings in words, images and sounds
B&W Sunday: The Big O Party
This Sunday I was thinking about making some opium poppy tea. π
Fancy a cup, anyone?
When I look at a delicate crimson poppy flower I tend to forget that its capsule contains seeds used to produce the most potent analgesic and the most addictive narcotic in the world.
Here are a few facts about the opium poppy:
- It was first grown in the western Mediterranean (southern France and Italy) some 4000 years BC,Β
-
It is cultivated in some parts of Europe, Latin America, Tasmania, in several countries of Southeast Asia and Latin America, but the only country authorised to produced gum opium is India.
- The opium poppy was the cause of the 19th century opium wars between England (later France too) and China which resulted in ceding Hong Kong to the British.
- The principal alkaloid and powerful active ingredient in opium is morphine which has proved to be the the most efficient pain killer ever known.
- The most potent drug, heroin (from German “heroisch,” which means “heroic, strong”) is produced from morphine.
- In the language of symbolism the poppy represents Morpheus, the Greek God of dreams.
If you have any black and white photos you wish me to check out and link to my Black & White Sunday, please leave me a link. You can also grab the widget:
Lost in Translation 
Do you have a favourite flower?
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Wild cyclamen:) What’s yours?
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Nice choice. Passion flowers are pretty striking.
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I think I saw them once. I know they are used as herbal medicine for sleep inducement :D. I love wild cyclamens cause they remind me of my childhood. My grandparents had a forest and there was en enclosed patch with a field full of them. The odor was unforgettable.
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Wow. Sounds like you were surrounded by inspiration.
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Oh, I was for a while π
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Or maybe inspiration follows you π
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I would love to think that Aex:)
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Have this instead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l5KahqukvU
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π I am touched Alex:) xx
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Ces capsules sont superbes en noir et blanc !!!
C’est difficile de dire quelle est ma fleur prΓ©fΓ©rΓ©e, car chaque fois que j’en vois une autre, je pense : “c’est celle-lΓ ma prΓ©fΓ©rΓ©e !” π
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Je peux comprendre la tentation π Merci Julie. Bonne nuit π
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Well, if you’re going to drink opium poppy tea, it might be a good idea not to do any more posting for a day or two. π
My last 3 posts are B&W. You are welcome to choose whichever you like for your Sunday link.
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Awwwwwwww, I will lay off poppies till Monday then :D. I am back tomorrow morning ( it is past 1 am here) to choose my favourite .. you know I love them all, right?
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Poppies are so beautiful but maybe that is to camouflage the danger in the seeds.
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Maybe π
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Opium poppy tea. Sounds intriguing. Is the tea as addictive as the powder?
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The dry seeds that can be purchased at a supermarket has no alkaoids so it should be safe. I will pour over some oat milk and some honey to sleep better. In our folk medicine dry seeds were mixed with honey and put into a cloth and given to babies to suck to keep them calm during the night π
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Certainly better than the concoctions made in the pharmaceutical factories. Very interesting Paula.
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Please don’t drink opium tea, I heard someone died recently here, from doing just that!
Loved your photo!!
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Opium poppy tea? I must try and get some of that. π
Stunning shot and it’s great seeing it in Black and White Paula. You made it look so striking! π
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Thank you, hun π
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Beautiful capture, and very nice processing…
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Interesting
I always love to notice strange flowers plants everywhere
Even dangerous plants like jimson weed
I talk to them
See their texture
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Reblogged this on liveurnatural and commented:
Pic of the day
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Wonderful post, Paula! The facts are very informative and interesting! The spread of using opium in China during the 19th C almost kill the country….
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I would never have thought they were poppy seeds !
Your interpretation is superb!
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Thank you, Anna π
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I like to party but not so keen to hallucinate π Lovely music again, Paula.
I just noticed your widget for this challenge. I like it!
Forgot to mention earlier that there’s a bouquet on my 6WS that was intended for you (among others π )
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Yes, please. I’ll have a cup π
I’ve always thought that the word heroin came from Greek: Heroina.
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Great photo of a potent plant by the way!
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Much obliged CG π
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Most definitely from hΔrΕs. But the German were the ones that named the drug “heroin” and therefore the sources say it was taken from German, but the etymology of the word is Greek of course π
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Good! I’m actually glad to hear that. This means that I haven’t been mistaken for all those years. Which words are from German anyway? π
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Tischlampe for example π – kidding.. In our Zagreb dialect there are a lot of German words – remnants from the long rule of Austria… but we also have a Wiener Schnitzel π
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In Norwegian a great deal of the words come from German, because we’re in the same language group.
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Yeah, I know you are the same language group – poor you….
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Hehe, thanks Paula.
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Love your image, Paula. Poppies used to grow wild in the cornfields where my sister and I used to play as children. We used to collect the dried seed capsules to play shop with. π
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π Nice to hear I brought some fond memories for you Sylvia π
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Probably like most, I’ve shot poopies in full vivid colour (for Remembrance Day). I’ve never deliberately shot them in B/W. This shot is unique for me, especially being a grouping of closed pods. Excellently done, Paula.
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Great in B&W. B&W can be so effective and always gives a different view. Here’s an entry from me: http://travelwithintent.com/2014/02/27/spoky/
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Oh, thank you. I will go now to see what you have. I hope you won’t forget about Thursday’s Special tomorrow either π
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Very nice submission. And thanks for the info share.
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See the dangers behind beauty π
Nice image and notes, Paula π
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