folkthings:

lunacylover:

Old Slavic symbol of Fern Flower

The fern flower Chervona Ruta is a magic flower in Slavic and Baltic mythology.

According to the myth, this flower blooms for a very short time on the eve of the Summer solstice. The flower brings fortune to the person who finds it. In various versions of the tale, the fern flower brings luck, wealth, or the ability to understand animal speech. However, the flower is closely guarded by evil spirits and anyone who finds the flower will have access to earthly riches, which have never benefited anyone, so the decision to pick the flower or leave it alone is left up to the individual.

In Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, the holiday is practiced on the eve of Ivan Kupala Day. Young girls wear wreaths in their hair and couples go into the woods searching for the fern flower. When they come out of the woods, if the male is wearing the girl’s wreath, it means the couple is engaged to be married. According to folklore, the flower is Chervona Ruta. The flower is yellow, but according to legend, it turns red on the eve of Ivan Kupala Day.