"The Poppy Legend"

This is written on the bookmark "The Poppy Legend"
The poppy legend originated in China.  A white flower from which a potent
drug was distilled was called the Flower.  Genghis Khan brought some of the
seed westward but after a battle the flower became red.  In the centre was a
cross.

It was found that on many battlefields, when everything else had been laid
to waste, the landscape was soon ablaze with the blood-red blooms.  On the
Somme battlefield in 1917, (and again after the war was over), the land
burst forth in a blaze of scarlet with patches of yellow charlock and white
camomile.  Many graves of those buried near the front line were soon marked
by the charlock due to the seeds being released when the grave was dug.

Lord Macauley drew attention to the strange link of the poppy with battle
and put forward the suggestion it should be regarded as the flower of
sacrifice and memorial.





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