In the Middle Ages, a palmer (Latin: palmarius or palmerius) was a Christian pilgrim, normally from Western Europe, who had visited the holy places in Palestine and who, as a token of his visits to the Holy Land, brought back a palm leaf or a palm leaf folded into a cross. Palmers were often highly regarded as well-natured holy men because of their devotion to Christ along the pilgrimage. The word is frequently used as synonymous with "pilgrim".[1]
One of the most prominent literary characters to have been a palmer was Wilfred of Ivanhoe, the title character of the book by Sir Walter Scott.[2] A palmer also plays a significant role representing Reason in Book II of Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene.[3]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 645.
- ^ Cummings 2010.
- ^ Woodhouse 1949.
References[edit]
- Cummings, Michael J. (2010) [2004], Ivanhoe, Cummings Study Guide
- Woodhouse, A. S. P. (1949), "Nature and Grace in the Faerie Queene", ELH, 16 (3), The Johns Hopkins University Press: 194–228, doi:10.2307/2871731, JSTOR 2871731
- Attribution
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Palmer". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 645.
Well, that’s interesting to know that Psilotum nudum are known as whisk ferns. Psilotum nudum is the commoner species of the two. While the P. flaccidum is a rare species and is found in the tropical islands. Both the species are usually epiphytic in habit and grow upon tree ferns. These species may also be terrestrial and grow in humus or in the crevices of the rocks.
View the detailed Guide of Psilotum nudum: Detailed Study Of Psilotum Nudum (Whisk Fern), Classification, Anatomy, Reproduction