Juniper (given Name) - Symbolism of The Name Juniper

Symbolism of The Name Juniper

• Succor: In the Bible's Old Testament, a juniper tree with an angelic presence sheltered the prophet Elijah from Queen Jezebel's pursuit. Similarly, a later apocryphal biblical tale tells of how the infant Jesus and his parents were hidden from King Herod's soldiers by a juniper during their flight into Egypt.
• During the Renaissance, Juniper was frequently used in art to represent chastity. For example, in Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci, not only was the subject named Juniper (in Italian Ginevra is Juniper), but directly behind the portrait is a Juniper tree. The reverse of the portrait is decorated with a juniper sprig encircled by a wreath of laurel and palm and is memorialized by the phrase VIRTUTEM FORMA DECORAT ("Beauty adorns Virtue").
• Saint Juniper, "the jester of the Lord" is sometimes called the Saint of comedy. He was also known for his patience—it is said that St. Francis once described the perfect friar by citing "the patience of Brother Juniper, who attained the state of perfect patience because he kept the truth of his low estate constantly in mind, whose supreme desire was to follow Christ on the way of the cross." St. Frances held Juniper in such high regard he once said, "Would to God, my brothers, I had a whole forest of such Junipers."
• In many parts of Europe, juniper branches were smoldered and carried around fields to protect livestock and a female spirit of the Juniper tree, called Frau Wachholder was invoked to make thieves return the goods they had stolen.
• In ancient Wales, the Juniper tree was sacred and it was believed that cutting down a Juniper tree would result in the woodcutter's death the following year.
• The Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is used to make wooden pencils and is the "cedar" used in moth-repelling cedar chests and drawers.
• The Juniper Berry is used as a distinct flavoring for a wide variety of dishes and beverages.
• One of the most famous Grimm Fairy Tales is "The Juniper Tree." In the story a mother is buried under a Juniper tree, magically becomes part of the tree and a bird that was hatched in the tree, and avenges the death of her son when the bird drops a millstone and kills her son's stepmother.