Folklore/Common Names: Marigold of Peru, Corona Solis, Sola Indianus, Chrysanthemum Peruvianum, Marigold of Peru
Historical Reference
The name of the species Helianthus is derived from the Greek helios, for the sun; and anthos, for flower. As one of the relatively few herbs with a direct translation to English in the term 'Sunflower,' it is commonly supposed that the name came from the tendency of the plant to consistently turn its flower face toward the direct rays of the sun.
However, the term 'Sunflower' is not at all specific to this genus. M. Grieve tells us in A Modern Herbal, that the use of the common name "sunflower" was actually in practice before the arrival of Helianthus annuus into English gardens and botanicals. She tells us that the Marigold, for example, was considered by "Dr. Prior to have been the plant described by Ovid as turning to the sun…"
The Sunflower was recognized for it' beauty, mystery and sun-resembling properties long before science discovered it. In one of it's native areas of Mexico and Peru, the flower was held in great reverence by the Aztecs, in association with the worship of the Sun. In the Sun Temples, the priestesses were said to have been crowned with Sunflowers, and carried them in their hands during rituals. The Conquistadors found many symbolic Sunflowers fashioned from pure gold.
The practice of perceiving the Sunflower as something mysterious and sacred was not limited to the Aztecs. The Thompson Indians, according to Frazer in The Golden Bough, regarded the Sunflower as a mysterious entity, and maintained almost ritualistic practices associated with it. Women who were digging or cooking the root practiced continence, and no man was allowed to approach an oven where the root was baking. When the various parts of the Sunflower were first harvested, the Indians addressed a specific prayer to the Root, saying (in translation): "I inform thee that I intend to eat thee. Mayest thou always help me to ascend, so that I may always be able to reach the tops of the mountains, and I may never be clumsy! I ask this from thee, Sunflower-Root. Thou are the greatest of all in mystery". According to their beliefs, to consume the Sunflower without saying this prayer would make the eater lazy and prone to oversleeping.
American Indians also used a variety of Sunflower, and some archeologists believe they were cultivating the plant as early as 2300 BC, along with beans, squash and corn varieties. The Indians used the seed to grind for meal to use in baking, as well as consuming the seed whole. There is some evidence of having pounded the seed for oil. The Sunflower also produced a purple dye used for cloth as well as body paint. Medicinally, the American Indians used Sunflower as a remedy for snakebite, and as a topical ointment for other skin abrasions.
