Where did my name come from? Well, this is what I found in the encyclopedia:
Mirthe
Let's start with my firstname, Mirthe.
Mirth
mirth (mur ) n. [[ME myrthe < OE myrgth, pleasure, joy < base of myrig, pleasant: see MERRY]] joyfulness, gaiety, or merriment, esp. when characterized by laughter.
Myrrh
{mur} An aromatic, bitter-tasting gum resin obtained principally from a small thorny tree, Commiphora myrrha (family Burseraceae), native to Anatolia and northeast Africa, myrrh was highly prized in the ancient and medieval world as an ingredient of perfume, incense, cosmetics, and medicines. The Egyptians used it in embalming, filling body cavities with powdered myrrh; and, along with frankincense and gold, it was a gift of the Magi to the infant Jesus. The production and value of myrrh have sharply declined in the modern world, the resin finding limited medicinal use in tonics, dentifrices, stomach remedies, and as an emollient for sore gums and mouth. An essential oil obtained from myrrh is an ingredient of perfume.
The myrrh tree grows from 1.2 to 6 m (4 to 20 ft) tall and has a disproportionately thick trunk. Myrrh is exuded from the bark of the tree, either by tapping or by natural splitting, in the form of a yellow fluid that collects and hardens in small lumps known as tears. These lumps contain 25 to 45% resin, 3 to 8% essential oil, and 40 to 60% gum. In ancient times myrrh was exported from Arabia and Somaliland; today its production is limited almost entirely to Somaliland.
Myrtle
{murt'-ul} Myrtles comprise about 16 species of evergreen shrubs or small trees of the genus Myrtus in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. All but two species, one in southern Europe and one in Africa, are native to Florida and the West Indies. Leaves of myrtles are typically a shiny blue green and strongly scented when crushed; the flowers, bark, and berries are also fragrant, and myrtle has been used in perfumery.
The ancient Greeks considered myrtle sacred to the goddess Aphrodite and used it in festivals. The myrtle they used is M. communis, believed native to western Asia but grown for so long in the Mediterranean region and in southwestern Europe that its original range is uncertain. It grows to 4.5 m (15 ft) high, with dense, bushy foliage and solitary or few-blossomed clusters of white or pinkish flowers with many stamens. Each flower develops into a blue-black berry with the sepals (calyx) of the flower persisting at its top. The term myrtle is also applied to a number of other unrelated plants, including the crape myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica the periwinkle, or running myrtle, Vinca minor; the sand myrtle, Leiophyllum buxifolium, an evergreen shrub with leathery leaves and pinkish flowers; and the southern bayberry, or wax myrtle, Myrica cerifera.
The crape myrtle, L. indica, is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to temperate and subtropical regions. The leaves are oblong, the fruit is berrylike, and the flowers are usually white to purple.
Mirte
Mirte, de plantensoort Myrtus communis uit de Myrtaceae, inheems in het Middellandse-Zeegebied en West-Azië. De kleine, leerachtige bladen zijn aromatisch; zij leveren de etherische mirte-olie.
Deze altijdgroene heester wordt wel als kamerplant geteeld, hoewel de plant beter in een veel geluchte en 's winters vorstvrije kas geteeld kan worden. 's Zomers (vanaf eind mei) kan de mirte buiten staan. De welriekende bloemen zijn alleenstaand en hebben witgekleurde kroonbladen. De plant bloeit van juni-augustus. In de oudheid was de mirte het symbool van de liefde, het huwelijk en de vruchtbaarheid en was als zodanig aan Venus gewijd. Een krans van mirtebladeren werd ook de dode om het hoofd gelegd, terwijl zegevierende Romeinse veldheren soms de murtea corona droegen in plaats van de uit laurierbladeren gevlochten krans. In Duitstalige landen wordt de bloesem (Brautmyrt) als bruidsbloem voor haarkrans en boeket gebruikt als symbool van reinheid van de jonge vrouw.
Het geslacht Myrtus (v. Gr. murtos = mirre) telt 2 soorten, voorkomend in het Middellandse-Zeegebied en West-Azië.
Mirth
(Mirth) n. [OE. mirthe, murthe, merthe, AS. myrð, myrgð, merhð, mirhð. See Merry.]
- Merriment; gayety accompanied with laughter; jollity.
"Then will I cause to cease . . . from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth."
Jer. vii. 34. - That which causes merriment. [Obs.] Shak.
Syn. - Merriment; joyousness; gladness; fun; frolic; glee; hilarity; festivity; jollity. See Gladness.
Mirthful
(Mirth"ful) a.
- Full of mirth or merriment; merry; as, mirthful children.
- Indicating or inspiring mirth; as, a mirthful face.
- Mirth"ful*ly, adv. - Mirth"ful*ness, n.
Mirthless
(Mirth"less), a. Without mirth. - Mirth"less*ness, n.
Mirthe
Taken from http://www.kabalarians.com:
The influence of Mirthe makes you positive, self-assertive, and independent. You can be creative, inventive, and ingenious in practical matters, such as handicrafts. When you have the opportunity to pursue your own goals and interests free from interference, you can feel very agreeable and express a buoyant optimism.
On the other hand, you can be impulsive and forceful when opposed, and act without due forethought and discretion. Hence you have many bitter experiences and generally rather unsettled conditions in your life, with little progress and financial accumulation. You cannot tolerate any domination by others, or circumstances that restrict your freedom and independence. You are inclined to make changes abruptly in your life as an escape from such conditions.
When annoyed or offended, you can be very candid and sarcastic in your speech. Many disruptions in friendship and association have thus resulted. Verbal expression is difficult for you, and you can be forthright in situations requiring delicacy, even though it is not your intention to be. The intensity of your nature would cause you to suffer in the senses of the head, as well as with digestive problems. You also would have a sensitivity in your solar plexus. In extreme cases, mental turmoil, major stomach operations, and accidents of a serious nature could occur.
Valentijn
My last name, Valentijn, is the Dutch variant of the English Valentine. Therefore I came up with
val en tine
val en tine (val n tin ) n. [[ME < OFr]] 1a) a sweetheart chosen or greeted on Saint Valentine's Day; b) one's sweetheart; 2a) a greeting card or note sent to a real or pretended sweetheart on this day, and containing a message of sentimental love; 2b) a burlesque of this, often sent anonymously; 3.) a gift presented on Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine, Saint
The name Saint Valentine is given to two legendary Christian martyrs whose feasts were formerly observed on February 14. One, believed to be a Roman priest martyred c.269 during the persecution of Claudius the Goth, was buried on the Flaminian Way; the second was probably a bishop of Terni martyred in Rome. It is possible that these two legends were based on real people or, as some believe, one person. The association of Saint Valentine's Day with love and courtship may have arisen from the coincidence of the date with the Roman festival of Lupercalia. In 1969 the feast day was dropped from the Roman church calendar.
Lupercalia
{loo-pur-kay'-lee-uh} The Lupercalia was a Roman festival believed to have been in honor of faunus, the god of flocks and fertility. Celebrated on February 15, it was intended to ensure the fertility of people, fields, and flocks for the new year. After sacrificing goats and a dog on the Palatine Hill, young men called Luperci raced around the borders of the hill striking those they met with whips made of the goatskins. Women who were struck were ensured of fertility and of easy delivery of children. The festival survived until the 5th century AD.
Faunus
{fawn'-uhs} In Roman mythology, Faunus was a fertility and woodland god. An agricultural deity, Faunus protected crops, fields, flocks, and shepherds and invented a rustic musical instrument, the shawm. The Roman festival known as the Lupercalia was closely identified with Faunus, who, as Lupercus, was worshiped in a temple on the Palatine Hill. Faunus also functioned as a prophetic god. Some scholars have suggested that Faunus may have been an early king of Latium who was subsequently deified.
Valentijnsdag
Valentijnsdag, feestdag van de H. Valentinus (14 febr.), oorspronkelijk alleen in Angelsaksische landen een dag waarop verliefden (anonieme) liefdesverklaringen sturen aan hun uitverkorene. Thans is het ook elders meer en meer gebruikelijk om op deze dag blijk te geven van gevoelens van dankbaarheid en respect ten opzichte van bepaalde personen door bloemen of andere geschenken te zenden.