Fire and Brimestone? : Nature Prompt
Reciprocal nature prompt 4th week of February
Butterflies and other stories
I thought I would have nothing for this week’s ‘Reciprocal’ fire prompt, and then I read this story, which inspired me to write about the butterfly I found in my garden in February, a couple of weeks ago, which came to rest on some creeping Passiflora (or passion vine) I planted a few years ago. I thought the butterfly was unusual so I looked it up and found out it is called Brimestone, and my next thought was Fire & Brimestone.
And this leads me to write about the butterfly as part of this prompt. One word leading to another.
We used to hear that phrase, fire and brimestone, or read it, more often when I was a child. But what does brimestone mean? I have no idea. I thought it was an onomatopoeic word. But thinking about that now makes me wonder why I think that word sounds remotely onomatopoeic. Fire and brimestone is a phrase that suggests hell and angry weather or conditions.
Discovering a butterfly called brimestone gives a whole new meaning to the word. I can’t make the butterfly fit into the word.
I decided to look it up. I have a book on etymology on the shelf. But first my Oxford dictionary; brimstone means sulphur.
I seem to remember from reading Sherlock Holmes that sulphur is green, but the butterfly looked yellow to me. Although I admit with its wings closed it does look green.
The dictionary of etymology gives me more:
Brimestone (n) Sulphur [Lit… burning stone…bryne, a burning – byrnan, to burn, and stone; cf. Ger. berstein.] (This all suggets Germanic roots, and since much English does derive from old Germanic words that makes sense.)
[1] Chambers Etymological Dictionary, ed by Andrew Findlater, MA., L.L. D. ( London: Chambers, Limited)
The brimestone is thought to be the originator of the name butterfly because of its butter-like colour.
Looking up the phrase now brings up
‘The supposed torments of hell.’
From Oxford Languages.
I found looking at the brimstone butterfly in February portentous of spring, and it made me look forward to seeing the tiny blue butterfly which often visits to dance in the mature ivy that wraps around the trees in my garden.
Two stories I enjoyed on ‘Reciprocal’ publication this week were:
Three Doctors a wonderful story about kindness by Suma Narayan
And, by Linda Sharp — another surprising story by There was Nothing Wrong with Annelise, one which describes the reader’s experience with creativity from the perspective of a teacher and opens up the discussion on how we respond to different behavior and patterns of learning in our schools.
I am going to search for some more brimstone in the garden.
Bye, for now, and thank you for reading.
