Crown Anemone

This Anemone Coronaria is currently growing in a box attached to our chapel’s front. Its name means 'crown anemone', for reasons which the eye might deem obvious. According to Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon, its Arabic name shaqa'iq An-Nu'man, refers to the 'wounds or pieces of Nu'man', which is likely a reference to Nea'man, the Sumerian god of food and vegetation. His Biblical name is Tammuz, and he is referred to in Ezekiel 8:14, which describes idolatrous women weeping on account of the wounded god’s premature death.

False gods, pagan kings and godless presidents wear their crowns with pride and pleasure, but they shall one day be removed, like the splendour of this pretty flower in our forecourt. All crowns shall be cast before Him who is coming, for all worldly glory is but temporal. Rather hail Him who comes to reign forever, and whose many crowns are permanent.

Sweet majesty and awful love
Sit smiling on his brow,
And all the glorious ranks above
At humble distance bow.

Princes to his imperial name
Bend their bright sceptres down;
Dominions, thrones, and powers rejoice
To see him wear the crown.

Blest angels sound his lofty praise
Through every heavenly street,
And lay their highest honours down,
Submissive at his feet.

Those soft, those blessed feet of his,
That once rude iron tore,
High on a throne of light they stand,
And all the saints adore.

His head, the dear majestic head,
That cruel thorns did wound,
See what immortal glories shine,
And circle it around.

-Isaac Watts