The Facts on File Dictionary of Allusions - Green Valley High School

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Aaron See aaron’s beard; aaron’s rod;
aaron’s serpent.
Aaron’s beard (airbnz) Pop u lar name of one of a
variety of wild plants, including meadowsweet,
Saint-John’s-wort (Hypericum calycinum)—which is
also known as rose of Sharon—and ivy- leaved
toadfl ax. <strong>The</strong> name comes from Psalm 133:2: “It is
like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran
down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that
went down to the skirts of his garments.” According
to Exodus 4:14, Aaron was the brother of
Moses and became the fi rst high priest of the Israelites.
His name may come from haaron (meaning
“ark”). Among the plants she identifi ed as having magical
powers was Aaron’s beard.
Aaron’s rod (airbnz) Pop u lar name of a widespread
plant (Verbascum thapsus) with woolly leaves
and tall spikes of yellow fl owers. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to
the rod used by Aaron to perform various miracles
in Egypt prior to the Exodus. According to Numbers
17:1–13, when Aaron’s rod was placed among
12 rods representing the tribes of Israel in the tabernacle,
it blossomed overnight and produced
almonds. It was by this sign that Aaron was recognized
as having the strongest claim to the priesthood.
Henceforth his rod was, according to the
apostle Paul, kept in the ark of the covenant
itself. Aaron’s rod is today a symbol of authority
and, in the East, also of travel. Aaron’s rod makes an
attractive addition to any garden border. See also
aaron’s serpent.
Aaron’s serpent (airbnz) Something that is so
powerful it easily consumes lesser beings or entities.
<strong>The</strong> allusion is to Exodus 7:8–12 and to
aaron’s rod, which turned into a serpent and
devoured the rods of his Egyptian enemies after
they too had turned into serpents. Like Aaron’s serpent,
the new conglomerate has swallowed up virtually
all the smaller companies that were once its rivals.
Abaddon (bbadon) Alternative name for the
dev il, the ruler of hell. He is described at Revelation
9:11 as “the angel of the bottomless pit” who
rules over an army of locusts with stings like scorpions.
His name means “destruction” in Hebrew,
although he is sometimes referred to by his Greek
name Apollyon. “And my father preached a whole
set of sermons on the occasion; one set in the
morning, all about David and Goliath, to spirit up
the people to fi ghting with spades or bricks, if
need were; and the other set in the afternoons,
proving that Napoleon (that was another name for
Bony, as we used to call him) was all the same as an
Apollyon and Abaddon” (Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford,
1851–53).
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