Poppies are such a gorgeous flower but that is not the only reason why they are popular. Ancient mythology and imagery has been traced to find a hidden meaning and the significance of the poppy.

Part of the poppy word ‘Papaver Somniferus’ was named after the Roman god called, Somnus. Somnus Ferre was the bringer of sleep. Unfortunately the poppy was also associated Thanatos, or Hades the Lord of Dead and of Eternal Sleep, for it can also bring death.

Ancient Greece also had a God of Sleep named Hypnos and he too considered poppies to be sacred. Hypnos’ claim to fame was his ability to bring prophetic dreams and he soothed the pain of those suffering from emotional agony. Old pictures often show Hypnos with poppy heads in his hands and adorning his head. The doorway to his realm was also surrounded with poppies.

The poppy was considered a plant of the Underworld. There are archeological finds at ancient burial sites that confirm the poppy's status as a sacred plant that was intimately connected with the rites of passage to the Underworld. Poppy's association with the Gods of the Underworld created a charm for invisibility. Hades had worn a cap that rendered him invisible when he abducted Persephone. Some believed that his cap was an allusion due to this magical herb. An old invisibility potion could be prepared by steeping poppies in wine for 15 days. According to instructions a glassful of the brew should be taken for five consecutive days whilst fasting was said to make the person invisible at will.

The Earth-Goddess, Demeter, in ancient Greece thought the poppy to be sacred as well. During a long search for her abducted daughter Persephone, Demeter was said to have found some relief from her pain by taking the poppy. The Goddess’ niche was she taught mankind the art of wheat and barley cultivation and the poppy being a companion plant of those two increased the poppies effectiveness on her.

During this time poppy capsules were regarded as a symbol of fertility and prosperity. Traditional New Year's Eve custom was to prepare sweet-breads made with Poppy seeds as a magical food. Partaking of the bread was believed to convey the magical powers of the plant and thus bless the recipients with abundance for the New Year.

Myths also tell us how poppies had sprung from the tears of Aphrodite when she mourned for Adonis. Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite, was one of the major regions of poppy cultivation and some believe that it was from here that opium was first exported to Egypt.

Its associations with the goddess Aphrodite made poppy a herb of choice for many love charms and potions in the Middle Ages and it was considered effective as a divinatory herb with regard to matters of the heart. To determine from which direction true love would appear one would toss a piece of Poppy cake out of the door and send a dog out to fetch it. The answer to the question was found from the area where the dog would reappear.

Poppies were also used 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. Another method to obtain dreams was to 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 the question would be revealed in a dream.

After the First World War poppies became a symbol of remembrance rather than forgetfulness. In England and Canada wearing a velvet poppy each year on November 11th is done to remember the sacrifice of the soldiers who died in war. Stories said that in the year after the First World War ended; those who returned to the battle sites saw fields and fields of scarlet red poppies, which reminded them of the blood that had been shed there. Flanders Field is the most well known of these sites: In Flanders Field the poppies grow, between the crosses row on row. These poppies were Corn Poppies (Papaver rhoeas) rather than Opium Poppies, and 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.