Greek Mythology: Lilac

Alas, a delightful Greek tale does not quite match up with botanical reality. The story is much too good to be ignored, however . . .

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Syrinx (Σúρıγç) or Syringa was a Naiad Nymph of the River Ladon in Arkadia (today’s southern Greece). One early morn as she talked to the dawn, she was spied by amorous Pan, god of forests and fields. Enamoured by her beauty and grace, he attempted a seduction. Syringa, frightened by the horn-headed lothario, fled his embraces. Pursued by Pan, the chase was observed by the goddess Artemis who, taking pity on the terrified nymph, turned her into hollow water reeds. Pan cut several of these reeds to make the first pan pipe. In Greek, syrinx is a hollow tube or pipe. When it came for botanists to classify lilac, they chose the derivation of this, Syringa, for the genera thanks to their pith-filled stems. A more modern upgrading of the myth claims poor pursued Syrinx was turned into the sweetly scented lilac. There are even claims that shepherds made flutes of lilac wood. At least this would put to use prunings of the numerous shoots to which S. vulgaris is prone.

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