Adderbolts

Adderbolts

OED first citation for dragonfly: 1626

Where were the darts of Galilee ?
And the damsels of the Rubicon ?
Was Runnymede so needle-free,
Or the Athens Woods of Oberon ?
So where are all the dragonflies ?
There’s not a word in tale or scroll –
The Greeks and Romans closed their eyes,
The monks and knights ignored them whole.

It took the new Enlightenment
To even notice them at last –
And then Romantics sought intent
In Nature bold and wild and vast –
Till Art Nouveau, which gave them wings
That keeps them soaring till this day –
As wardens of eternal springs,
Where dreamy Summers while away.

So where were the dragonflies of Hermes ?
Why no mention in the myths ?
Why did Freya not claim these flurries,
Crafted by the finest smiths ?
Perhaps the Bible’s just too dry
For water-sprites as story-tools,
But rainy Europe shouldn’t shy
To catch the eye with flying jewels.

Transforming in among the reeds,
A lit’ral metamorphosis –
The fey-folk surely rode these steeds ?,
Yet Brigid never knew such bliss.
Shouldn’t the Devil have taken hold ?,
Or gargoyles, say, or heraldry ?
Yet where were the dragonflies of old ?,
Who chirped and danced for nobody.

‘Adderbolt’ is the only earlier name for them that I couold find, and this only dates from 1483, according to the OED, and ‘Devil’s darning needle’ is only from 1809.

And finally, the image below is from a poster which looks reminiscent of others advertising the various Art Nouveau exhibitions at places like the V&A.cHowever, I cannot find out anything else about this particular image, and if it is even an original by William Morris.  I hope it isn’t AI…