Paint With Words

Facebook quizzes actually ARE good for something! HAHAHA! Who would’ve guessed?

I never knew that ‘amaranth’ was a shade of red. I knew it was some sort of plant, but I know more about the plant my name is related to than the amaranth plant. Well, long and short, taking this quiz, I discovered the color, and naturally went to the Wikipedia article about the plant. The Nightwish song (which if you actually TALK to me, or have actually read the story, you know that song is one of my biggest influences) now makes a TON more sense.

Caress the one, the never-fading
rain in your heart - the tears of snow-white sorrow
Caress the one, the hiding amaranth
In a land of the daybreak

Excerpt of “Amaranth” by Nightwish

“The word comes from the Greek amarantos the “one that does not wither,” or the never-fading (flower).”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth

Considering the words “never-fading” are used in the song, that just made it even better. ^_^

A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden,
and the Amaranth said to her neighbour,
“How I envy you your beauty and your sweet scent! No wonder you are such a universal favourite.”
But the Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice,
“Ah, my dear friend, I bloom but for a time:
my petals soon wither and fall, and then I die.
But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut;
for they are everlasting.”

An Aesop Fable found on the Wiki article

Now I could go into the symbolism and metaphors that come to mind, but I won’t ruin the story for you. But honestly this new insight into the song does also bring more metaphors and reasons the song is appropriate. Oddly enough.

And the video to the song. I think a friend and I were discussing one night just how the heck the video made sense to the song. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but a fallen angel? I never understood it. Not to mention the aura of the video to me came off as more Celtic/early 19th Century Irish-Catholic. Nothing wrong with that, but as Nightwish is Finnish, I never would’ve figured them producing and developing something with that feel. But then I read about the painting it was based off of.

The Wounded Angel (Haavoittunut enkeli…because I’m cool enough to copy the Finnish from Wiki) done in 1903 by Hugo Simberg. I guess this painting is the official painting of Finland. So knowing that, now the video makes a TON more sense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wounded_Angel

And there’s the Nightwish Video.

So yep, that’s what I’m doing with my screwed up sleep schedule. Maybe I oughta down a few cups of coffee, write a chapter, and then send it out to be critiqued. ^_^ <3