Did you know that the Thistle is the National Flower of Scotland? Indeed; It has been the national emblem of this country for more than 700 years. Legend has it that centuries ago the Danes decided to invade Scotland at night and in the dark, but by not wearing shoes, one of them stepped on a thistle and a high-pitched cry of pain alerted the Scots and avoided a terrible slaughter.
Then, this plant that saved them from the invasion was known as "The Guardian Thistle". And it wasn't until the reign of James III that the thistle was recognized as the insignia of the Stuarts. And when James IV ascended the throne in 1488, the thistle had become a popular emblem and is also found in the ancient Scottish chivalric order known as "The Order of the Thistle."
It should be noted that the thistle was used to decorate the traditional vessel ("Quaich") which means cup in Gaelic. These were originally made of wood and later made of silver and it was popular towards the end of the XNUMXth century using it to place spirits and wines.
A fact: the "British Museum" in London has one of its most important treasures within the ring collection, which is the ring of Mary, Queen of Scots. And guess what? The ring is engraved in gold and has the Scottish emblem surrounded by a necklace of thistles.
There is no doubt that the thistle is close to the heart of the Scots and, as the Scottish poet Robert Burns put it in his poem "The Guid Wife of Wauchope House" - "It is a very beloved symbol."
