RSS
Home
Symbols: the luscious lotus
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
I
The lotus is a flower connected to Middle Eastern dance through its relationship to Egypt and its incorporation into the arm and hand movements of the dance.
An aquatic perennial, the lotus if found in water gardens where it is often mistaken for a water lily. Its long stems are potted in the rich soil of the river bottom, its leaves floating on the top of the water’s surface. Flowers are either pink or white. A tropical plant, it is found in warmer climates. The plant is interesting in that it can regulate the temperature of its flowers within a certain range, much like warm-blooded mammals. The plant is also completely edible. It is used in traditional Asian herbal medicine.
The pink lotus is the national flower of India. For Hindus and Buddhists, the flower is sacred. It is the symbol of beauty, purity, grace, fertility, wealth, knowledge and serenity. In ancient Egypt the lotus was the emblem of Upper Egypt. The soaring pillars in temples like Luxor and Karnak have capitals of carved lotus blossoms. The lotus is the symbol of rebirth. Mythology states that the newborn sun god was born out of a floating lotus. On festival days in the temples, this event was celebrated through song. At Edfu Temple, a lotus offering was given. The blue lotus was the emblem of the god Neferem, “The Lord of Perfume,” where it was connected with sensuality and joy.
In our dance, “lotus hands” mimic the lotus as it blooms by day, opening and welcoming the sun and closes by night. The sensuous flower is one with the sensuous dance.
NLS
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
