Against the odds!

lovely Angie!

They just 'had' to flower for you Scottish! lovely....great rescue job you did there!

Wow ! I love the color! Its a light blue :-))))

The shape of this iris is exactly as a shape of what we call "lily", carved on some tombs of crusaders.

Do you mean like a Fleur de Lys Katarina?

I do not know what fleur de lys is.

Sorry Katarina!:)

Thanks all - I was pleased to see it!

Katarina - this is Fleur de lys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur-de-lis

Fleur de lis - french translated to english means Flower of the Lily.

Scottish@Thank you very much for the link. I expected some explanation from Karen. I know this stylized lily flower, although in my language it doesn´t have that French name. It is interesting to learn there in the link, that it is widely thought to be a stylized version of the species Iris pseudacorus...:))
Well, the lily about which I spoke, the one carved on the tomb of unknown knight over here looks a little bit different. It has 5 petals which are surrounded by what looks like a circle and cross. Some historians say it refers to the medieval name of this place "Drei Lilien Stadt". Conclusion - no, it isn´t fleur de lis which is carved on a tomb.

Katarina, just a thought, the American Iris Society use a stylised iris in its badge. It shows five petals. I would think if you look at bearded iris they have quite a different shape from the I.reticulata which tends to be open in the centre. They all have three outer and three inner petals but in the bearded iris the inner petals are upright and are drawn as being only two. http://www.irises.org/About_Irises/Classifications.html

Scotsgran@Thank you for the link, very descriptional and good to learn. Yes, you are right, bearded iris could be making impression of lily flower. But I can´t say what it really is in that carved on the tomb. Lily is possible, as this place was once known for growing lilies and roses and supplying king´s court with it. On the other hand, it was much later, then this tomb stone was created. I was thinking of medieval symbolism of Saint Trinity - as circle is symbol of God (eternity?), lily flower of Virgin Mary and cross is symbol of Jesus.
Anyway, I love old tradition in which flowers, but not only, were symbols, like letters in words, thus giving full messages for those who look and see. It was best preserved in churches.

I know what you mean about the Three in One symbolism because the transom above our front door has just such a symbol in the stained glass panel. Our house was once a manse where the minister lived with his family. In our case the symbol is of a stylised flower with three petals for The Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I suppose before literature was widely available and few could read and write, the symbols were a way of communicating the power and the beauty of the message. It connects us to the past, the present and the future in an endless stream.

Oh, yes.
Regarding symbols and paintings as words, I saw something beautiful in cathedral in Monreale, Sicily, which is the place close to Palermo. Interior of this church was made by both Christians and moslims from Africa.While the former were responsible for decorations of walls and pillars, the latter were responsible for the mosaics on the floor. Both works are beautiful. Inside this cathedral you can "read" Old and New Testament, mosaics are there side by side, following one by one as pages in Bible.
Regarding definition of the Holy Trinity...You must apologize me, as I am Protestant, so not so familiar with some of Catholic dogmas. I know your definition of Holy Trinity is like that, but I always wonder, why Michelangelo painted a woman beside Jesus in the Last Judgment. I know the story who she was, but I was alawys curious if the very former symbol of Trinity wasn´t God, Virgin Mary and Jesus.......I will be condemned..:)

We too are Protestant and here in Scotland it is mainly Catholics who pray to and revere the Virgin Mary. I have never heards of her being part of the Trinity. I was brought up to believe that there is only one God, the Divine Being. God who loves us as a Father does. When he felt men were going completely along the wrong track he sent Jesus to show us the way we should live and when we decide that we can believe in this Divine Being, God, he gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us and be our guide. I have never felt the need to worry about it all too deeply because I believe he always has my best interests at heart. I also think that in other religions where there is a belief in One God, it has to be the same one I believe in because it is not possible to have two Divine Beings. It is written in our Bible that "in my fathers house there are many mansions" is it impossible to believe that God has given a message to other faiths to suit them. It is a very personal experience and I would not wish to dictate that my way of thinking is better than the way other people think.

You explained it very nice, Scotsgran and absolutely the same I was taught. I am sometimes too much trying to understand why is something different and Michelangelo´s Last Judgment is like that. And I am sure, he believed in God as well. Regarding Virgin Mary, I do not know if you know that in the Koran is Virgin Mary mentioned as well, she is I think the only woman mentioned in the text.
What sort of Protestants live in Scotland? Here we are mostly Lutherans and Calvins.