Symbolism of the White Calla Lily
I’ve always loved white calla lilies, such elegant, graceful flowers. Their long, strong, yet slender stems bend slightly under the weight of a trumpet-shaped ivory spathe, its flame-like yellow spadix glowing within. No wonder artists like Diego Rivera were drawn to them. For me, they became an important image in my novel as Alma carries two special gifts on her journey, each graced with the image of a white calla lily. One is a gift from her father, a wooden box that holds mementos, the other, a gift from her beloved Manuel, a journal in which she writes math problems. Both are a deep blue with one white calla lily. When it came to a design for my novel’s cover, it was my first thought, and I’m so pleased with the result, especially with the title Luz (meaning light in Spanish) and the candle-like flame within the flower.
But it is not just their singular beauty that appeals to me, for the underlying symbolism of a white calla lily carries layers of meaning. After all, they are found both in bridal bouquets and funeral arrangements. White, of course, expresses purity and innocence, which can easily be associated with a blushing bride, but how does this relate to death? Combine this with the fact that calla lilies are perennials that blossom every spring, around Easter, and, therefore, also symbolize rebirth, resurrection, and new beginnings. For the departed soul, they represent the restored innocence and purity that occurs with death, as well as hope for a new beginning or rebirth in the afterlife. This concept of rebirth in the spring adds fertility to the bride’s bouquet, while Christian associations to Easter, as well as the Virgin Mary, infuse the bride’s purity with holiness, humility, and faithfulness.
Now the Greeks, of course, have their own juicy calla lily story. Apparently, Zeus impregnated a mortal woman, who gave birth to Hercules. To ensure that Hercules would have divine powers, Zeus drugged his Goddess Queen wife Hera and put Hercules to her breast to nurse (thereby giving him these special powers), but as the drug wore off, Hera awoke and pushed the baby aside. Drops of her milk fell to the earth and sprouted a beautiful white flower with God-like beauty; in fact, calla or kalla is a Greek word for beauty. Meanwhile Venus, Goddess of Love and Beauty, was fiercely jealous of the pure white flower’s beauty, so she cursed them, which resulted in a yellow growth in the center. Actually, this yellow spadix in the center is the true flower, while the white petal around it is part of the leaf. Both Romans and Egyptians focused on the phallic nature of the spadix and attributed symbolic meanings of sexuality and fertility to the Greek’s flower of beauty.
With so many layers of meaning, the calla lily seemed the ideal symbol for my novel, Luz. Purity, innocence, sexuality, fertility, rebirth, and new beginnings. In addition to their stunning beauty, I also saw pride and triumph in those noble white trumpets, but fragility and mutability as well. Like all perennials, their blossoms are short-lived, but we are left with a sense of hope for tomorrow.
