BANANA

BANANA

LATIN NAME: MUSA PARADISIACA

HOMELAND: INDIA

Lord Ganesh's Wife

Banana, which was brought tot he Middle East by Arab traders from his homeland India int he 4th century B.C. and completed its westward journey in South America during the explorations, is perhaps the first fruit to go from the old continent to the new continent. Infact, it is not a tree, but a thick-bodied fruit-bearing plant. Because the fruits of the banana were associated with the finger by the Arabs, it was named "Banan", which means finger in Arabic, and from there it evolved into the world wide known name Banana.

The botanical record of the banana was made by Carl Linnaeus, and the pronoun MUSA, which is placed in front of all its species, comes from th eword MUSE, which is the muse in Latin. Infact, the first species he described, Musa Paradisiaca, means the muse of heaven. Carl Linnaeus is thought to have been influenced by the important role of the banana in the folklore of India, the homeland of the banana, as well as in the complex world of gods of Hinduism.

In Hindu mythology, the story of the banana begins when Rishi Durvasa, one of the powerful sages devoted to the greatest goddess Shiva, got angry with his wife and turned her into a plant. Realizing that she cannot be forgiven, his wife begs Rishi Durvasa to transform her into a beautiful and sacred plant, and Rishi Durvasa punishes her by turning her into a banana tree.

One of the most beloved gods of Hinduism, the elephant-headed god Lord Ganesh, married a banana tree so that his mother never suffered from poverty and always had something to eat with its fruits, making the banana tree the most important symbol of a happy and fruitful marriage in Hinduism. Banana, which is the most important ornamental and catering fruit of wedding trains, also becomes the most important votive fruit of the worship rituels held to Lakshimi, the goddess of luck, who especially loves sugary delicacies.

Considered perhaps the most sacred fruit in regions where Hinduism is prevalent, the banana has taken its place in almost all religious rites, especially the watering ritual performed on Thursdays, which is the most common of them.

Although the banana went to South America after the discoveries, it was not long before a story appeared in Brazilian folklore that goes back to the times when the Earth was newly created. In this story, there is an old woman who left a large banana garden to the monkeys, and the monkeys believed that all the bananas belonged to them. Today, in Brazil, there is a tradition for someone whoe ats a lot of bananas to say, "I am a monkey," so as not to anger the monkeys.