It is interesting to note that after the 1st World War Poppies became a symbol of remembrance rather than forgetfulness.
To this day it is customary in England to wear a paper Poppy each year on the 11th of November as a symbol of remembrance for the soldiers who died in Flounders.
It is said that in the year after the war, when people first returned to the site of the awful battles all they saw were fields and fields of scarlet red Poppies, which reminded them of the blood that had been shed there.
These Poppies were Corn Poppies (Papaver rhoeas) rather than Opium-Poppies, though it maybe significant that since the rise of the Peace movement in England the habit of wearing a white paper Poppy as a symbol of peace and forgiveness has also become quite popular.
Remembering Demeter's pain at the loss of her daughter, we can be sure that partaking of the Poppy plant did not make her forget her pain, but simply eased it - perhaps that is the deeper meaning of the Poppies association with the killing fields of Flounders - we remember the dead, not to stir up the pain, but to ease it through forgiveness.
Another myth relates how Poppies had sprung from the tears of Aphrodite when she mourned for her beloved Adonis.
Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite, was one of the major regions of Poppy cultivation and it is thought that it was from here that Opium was first exported to Egypt.
Numerous vases (known as Cypriote Base Ring I jugs) that resemble an upside down Poppy capsule have been found in Tell el-Amarna.
Upon examination these vases, stemming from the period of the 18th Dynasty in Egypt, were shown to contain remains of Opium.
It is hard to tell whether the contents of these juglets had been used for ritual or recreational purposes, - or both.
It is known however, that in Egypt too Opium had been used for its powerful aphrodisiac properties.
Even Queen Cleopatra was apparently familiar with its uses.
Her enchanting potion is thought to have been a combination of palmwine, Opium and some type of nightshade (mandrake?).
In Europe the use of Opium was widely spread since ancient times, but it was Andromachos' and his invention of Theriak which made its healing powers available on every market place.
Theriak was a potion consisting of about sixty different substances which swiftly became one of the most commonly used panaceas throughout the old world.
Paracelsus eventually simplified the recipe though it maintained the same popular appeal.
The English Doctor Thomas Sydenham, developed yet another version of the elixir which became known as Laudanum.
Apart from Opium it also contained Saffron, Cinnamon and Cloves, all macerated in Spanish wine.
The first serious cases of Opium addiction in the West developed on account of excessive use of Laudanum.
This was due to the fact that Laudanum was often overprescribed for children, which resulted in increased resistance to the drug in adulthood.
Throughout the Middle Ages Poppy not only gained popularity due to its medicinal powers but it also acquired quite a reputation in connection with folkloristic magic.
It's associations with the goddess Aphrodite made Poppy a herb of choice for many love charms and potions and it was considered most effective as a divinatory herb with regard to matters of the heart.
For example, one could determine from which direction one's true love would appear by tossing a piece of Poppy cake out of the door and sending a dog out to fetch it.
From whence the dog would reappear provided the answer to the question.
One could also use Poppies to obtain prophetic dreams about one's future husband - on St.
Andrews night maidens would scatter Poppy seeds behind them to dream about their hoped for husbands.
Alternatively one could empty the seed capsule and write a question of the heart onto a piece of paper, put this into the seed pod and place it underneath the pillow.
The answer to one's question would be revealed in a dream.
As mentioned above, the plentiful seeds concealed in the round-bellied Poppy seed capsule had long been regarded as a symbol of fertility and prosperity.
A traditional New Year's Eve custom was to prepare sweet-breads made with Poppy seeds as a magical food.
Partaking of such bread was thought to convey the magical powers of the plant and thus bless the recipients with abundance for the New Year.
Alternatively one could make use of these properties by making a necklace with gilded Poppy heads, which could be worn as a charm.
On the other hand, Poppy seeds hidden in the shoes of a bride was believed to make her infertile.
