III: Fumitory
The fairy art of Cicely Mary Barker.
Good morning. Today is tridi, the 13th of Ventôse, Year CCXXXI. We celebrate la fumeterre, a member of the poppy family that's usually considered a weed.
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These flowers have been associated with smoke since ancient times. Common as weeds throughout Europe and India, the name has triple meaning – the "smoky" look of the often ombre color pattern on their petals, the way they cling to morning mist and dew to create a thicker haze about them at dawn, and the irritation they cause your eyes if you rub them after handling the plant, thanks to an abundance of acid and potassium salts in the thick sap.
This year marks the hundredth anniversary of Cicely Mary Barker's first published book of fairy drawings. Now, depending on your proclivities and hobbies, this will either be cause for tremendous celebration or ... you're waiting for me to explain who Cicely Mary Barker was, and what in the world she has to do with fumitory.
