Re: Lychnis--Why Lamp Flowers?

The confusion about the lychnis may "stem" from how we in the west
percieve the idea of a wick as being part of a candle, where in the east
that is not always the case.  In Greece, devotional lamps are filled
with olive oil and the wicks are floated on the oil.  A wick made from a
plant (there are other kinds, too) has a skirt of leaves that keep it
afloat, and part of the stem below to feed oil to the upper part. When
lit, it creates a small "perpetual" flame.  Greeks use the word
"lychnari" to mean this type of lamp.  They are still used today, mainly
in small roadside "iconostasis"  memorial shrines-or in households when
the power goes out!  I have several oil lamps from Yemen, and these are
also used with oil.  The alabaster ones may be hung, and the
illumination from the circle of wicks can keep a room dimly lit.

Karen Vavourakis, Athens
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