Heather

Heather is an English vocabulary word defining the flowering plant indigenous to the moorlands of Europe (particularly Scotland); the word is ultimately derived from the Middle English “hather” but later altered to “heather” in Modern English to associate the plant with “heath” (meaning “moor”) because that’s where the heather plant grew most abundantly. Because the Scottish rocky moors are virtually blanketed with beautiful heather, the plant has become a national symbol to the Scots. The flowering shrub is generally purple or pinkish in hue; less common is the wild white heather. The purple and pink heather have come to symbolize notions of admiration and solitude, while the rarer white heather brings protection, good-luck and the fulfillment of wishes. Since the heather plant has always been abundantly available in Scotland (a perennial flower that blooms twice a year), the Scots have discovered many uses for it over thousands of years, from rope making, to basket weaving, to fragrant brooms and mattresses (with the plant’s sturdy stems). The flowers were used to dye fabric, provide aromatherapy, cure illnesses and make ale. In fact, the Scottish heather ale is nothing short of legendary. Believed to have been invented by the ancient Picts (a now-extinct Celtic tribe who predated the Gaelic people in Scotland), the heather ale is considered the oldest in the world. Because the ale was so prized among the Picts, its recipe was guarded carefully – only the King knew it and would pass it on to his eldest-born son. According to legend, one Pictish King sacrificed the life of his own son in order to protect the secret ingredients from the Vikings. Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote a poem commemorating the event which in part reads: “From the bonny bells of heather, / They brewed a drink Langsyne / Was sweeter far than honey / Was stronger far than wine.” Another Celtic legend explains the existence of the white heather. A beautiful Celtic woman named Malvina was betrothed to the legendary Celtic warrior Oscar, but before they could swap “I dos” Oscar was tragically killed in battle. A messenger was sent to Malvina to bear the bad news, but also to give her a bouquet of purple heather (sent from Oscar before he died as a symbol of his eternal love). As Malvina’s tears dropped onto the flowers, the pedals changed from purple to white. In her deepest pain Malvina cried out: “Although it is the symbol of my sorrow, may the white heather bring good fortune to all who find it." This is how the white heather has come to symbolize good luck and protection. What the four-leaf clover is to the Irish, the white heather is to the Scots. So even though Heather is technically an English word, we really see it as a Scottish symbol. As a female given name, Heather came into popularity in the late 19th century when naming baby girls after flowers, trees and plants became fashionable.