Why is passion fruit called the fruit of passion? Another marketing move?

The word "passion fruit" is translated into English in a very peculiar way - passion fruit. It means "passion fruit." What made biologists - people of science - accept this vivid metaphor as the official name of a whole group of plants? Let's figure it out.

We try to reason logically

An intuitive explanation suggests itself - they say, the fruits of passion fruit are so delicious that, having tried it once, it is difficult to resist a second tasting. She would like again and again, forgetting everything, to feel the explosive taste and aroma of juicy pulp.

Or maybe passion fruit, like many other tropical fruits, is recognized as an aphrodisiac? That's where the word “passion” would be appropriate. But no - these are only popular beliefs, which, alas, are not confirmed by scientists (and they checked!).

The correct answer can be found by delving into etymological dictionaries, reference books on botany and long-forgotten historical reports. It turns out that the name “fruit of passion”, rooted in several languages, had the hand of Christians!

Labyrinths of etymology

Now, first things first.

Here's what biologists will tell you:

Passion fruit (passion fruit) - the so-called fruits of several species of vines of the genus Passiflora. This genus has another name - Passionflower. All creepers of the genus Passiflora (Passionflower) are members of the Passionflower family.

Here's what historians will tell you:

In the XVI century, plants of the genus Passiflora, then growing exclusively in the lands of the distant New World, first came to Europe. Then they were valued by no means because of the fruits that simply could not stand such a long transportation. No, the thing is different: Passiflora has amazingly beautiful flowers. Bright, exotic, they struck the imagination of Europeans, accustomed to discreet plants of their latitudes. At first, valiant travelers brought them dried between the pages of books, and later, when seeds were also brought to the Old World, local gardeners tried to grow tropical vines in greenhouses. Things rarely progressed further than flowering - in cultivating such plants, special skill is needed.

It is worth noting that at that time there was still no name for "passionflower". These creepers were then called granadillas (translated from Spanish - “small pomegranate”).

In the XVII century, the image of the wonderful flower of granadilla fell into the hands of one famous Italian Catholic - Giacomo Bosio. The clergyman who exchanged the seventh dozen looked at him from a different angle, seeing symbolism rather than beauty. Inspired by the search for God's providence in an overseas flower, he devoted a whole report to it entitled “Della Trionfante e Gloriosa Croce”.

The main thesis of Giacomo Bosio's work is this: the flower of granadilla is the embodiment of the passions of Christ. The outer crown of the petals symbolizes the crown of thorns, and 72 coronal threads of the inner crown - the number of thorns on it. The stigmas of the pestle are the nails with which the hands and feet of the Savior were nailed to the cross, the stamens are the five wounds remaining on His body. And even the glands that can be found on the back of the leaf, Giacomo considered the embodiment of 30 pieces of silver received by Judas for his betrayal.

Well, this old man had a fantasy! Perhaps this story is another reason to think about the fact that every person in the things around him sees what he wants to see. Be that as it may, Brother Giacomo was a respected man, and the botanists heeded his opinion, calling the genus of lianas the word "passionflower" (lat. passio - suffering and flos - flower).

Here is what linguists have to say:

In many languages, the words “passion” and “suffering” are closely intertwined.So in Russian, the “passion of Christ” is the suffering of the Savior.

In Russian special literature, instead of the term "passionflower", the name "passion flower" is used. This word is tracing paper from the Latin passiflora, that is, a literal translation. As you can see, the word “passion” has passed many language boundaries and time lines. No joke - five centuries!

Back in our time

“Children of the 21st century, your new century has begun” ... The hotels from the Old World, the religious fantasies of Catholics and the veneration of venerable biologists for beautiful metaphors now seem to be nothing more than old legends. But adroit merchants still love to lure buyers with catchy names. Passion fruit is often presented as the "fruit of passion." Surely you will also be promised a "playful mood", "enjoy the dessert" and hint at a pleasant end to a romantic dinner. Well, why not succumb to this line of thought? Indeed, in any case, passion fruit is a delicious fruit with a breathtaking tropical aroma, which everyone should try!