Mythology holds the secret to the Cornflowers name, Centaurea cyanus.
The first part Centaurea was given to the Cornflower to honour Chiron, the most famous of all the centaurs, Greek mythological creatures who were part human and part horse. He was renowned for his healing abilities and taught the world how to heal using herbs and roots.
The second part of the Cornflower's name, Cyanus, can be found in Roman mythology. Cyanus, a youthful devotee of the goddess Flora, would spend all his time in the cornfields weaving garlands of flowers. Every day he would return to Flora's shrine, where he would lay down a wreath of cornflowers.
One day he was found dead in a patch of Cornflowers, which he loved so much. Flora decreed that the flower should forever bear his name in honour of Cyanus.
The Cornflower can be used to heal a number of ailments, which other medicinal plants would perhaps be the initial herb of choice for. However, for those who have grown particularly fond of the Cornflower, her healing effect will increase exponentially... and this is the subtle power of the Cornflower, her ability to heal through love.