Guernsey Lily – the Folklore Story
There is an intriguing story of how the ‘Guernsey Lily’ came to the Island.
Legend holds that a handsome fairy prince met and fell madly in love with Michelle de Garis, a beautiful Guernsey girl.
Michelle left her cottage early one morning to see to her cows. As she entered the meadow, she was surprised to find a young man asleep on the grass. He had a particularly small stature, was finely proportioned, and remarkably handsome.
Michelle stood and admired the small man dressed in green and with bow and arrow. When he awoke he told Michelle that he was a fairy prince from England and asked for her hand in marriage, as they had both instantly fallen in love.
She agreed but as they headed to Fairyland she asked that she leave a token to reassure her family. The prince gave her a bulb, which she planted.
Michelle’s mother later discovered a beautiful flower above Vazon bay, on the west coast of Guernsey. It was the colour of Michelle’s shawl and sprinkled with elfin gold – the Guernsey lily.
Sometime later on, many fairy men came from Fairyland, entranced by Michelle’s beauty and looking for a Guernsey girl of their own. They asked that Guernseymen gave up their wives and daughters, which ended in many battles between the fairies and Guernseymen. The Rouge Rue (Red Road) is said to have been named after a particularly fierce battle.
For more tales of fairies and folklore click here
For the real story of how the Guernsey Lily came to our shores click here.
NORTH SHOW AND BATTLE OF FLOWERS 22 Aug 2012 - 23 Aug 2012
Contact Simon Marquis +44 (0) 1481 242783
Saumarez Park, Route de Saumarez, Castel (Perry's ref 15 G2)
Lots of family ebntertainment, including all of the traditional agricul...
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RHS GROWING FOR SUCCESS LECTURE ‘SPOILT FOR CHOICE’ 22 Mar 2012 - 22 Mar 2012
Les Cotils Conference Centre 7.30pm
Guernsey Information Centre +44 (0) 1481 723552
A lecture about the joys and pitfalls of West Coast gardening by Noel Kingsbury. Ticket...
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