Wearing of the leek on St David's Day

Some say it recalls a victory over the Saxons. The Welshmen, on St David's orders, put leeks in their hats to tell themselves apart from their enemy.

Another argument is that leeks were a druidic symbol in honour of the British deity Ceudven (according to the folklorist William Hone; he no doubt refers to Ceridwen), a cognate of Ceres. Hone maintained that the Druids had sacral connections with the Phoenician priesthood; both worshipped oaks and leeks were exhibited in funeral rites of Adonis at Byblos.

Leeks were worshipped at Ascalon (from which comes the alternative term of scallions) as they were in Egypt. Leeks and onions were deposited in the sacred chests of the mysteries both of Isis and Ceres.

Sometimes leeks are found in Egyptian hieroglyphics; a leek may be found on the head of Osiris or in his hand. An Italian proverb says: Porro che nasce nella mano: a leek that grows in the hand, meaning a virtue. The scholar Bryant derived the word sporrus, a leek, from Egyptian god Pi-orus, who is the same as Beal Peor of the Phoenicians, and the Bel or Bellinus of the Druids.

Tagged: wales, folklore, saints