Leave it to Leon

April 9, 2023 the wind delivered this leaf to my doorstep,
thus inspiring me to make this page.
Leave it to Leon to see a sign where there might have been
mere coincidence. Or was it? I don't see any trees in this area
that have those kind of leaves.

Item	Description
Introduction	Just scroll down
Leaf definition & etymology	Just scroll down
Leaf Symbolism	All over the world various leaves had various meanings to the local peoples.
Leaf Superstitions	Catch a falling leaf and have good health... And other superstitions...
Leaf Figurative Language	It should be no surprise that with the abundance of leaves in the world that there should be figurative language and idiomatic expressions using leaves.
Leaves in prophecy	Yes. Leaves are a part of prophecy.
Leaves in mythology	Why are some leaves evergreen? Why do some leaves fall in the Fall? Why do some leaves change color in the Fall?
Leaf Fun Facts	Biggest leaf in the world. Smallest leaf in the world. Most poisonous leaf in the world.
Leaves in art	hopefully coming soon.

One might think it strange to dedicate a whole page just to leaves. But, leaves are a fascinating subject, including how leaves have affected our language (the English Language, to be specific). Let's start with the etymology and definition of the word "leaf".

Definition of "leaf": (1) the part of a plant at the extremities of the branches, which is usually green (or greenish), and where the majority of photosynthesis takes place. (2) a piece of paper. (3) a thin sheet of metal.

Etymology: the word "leaf" probably originated from Old Norse lyf, which connotated medicinal herbs (usually in the form of a leaf). Over time the world "leaf" developed the polysemy of both the part of the plant, as well as a piece of paper. Later, the word "leaf" came to be used for a very thin sheet of metal.

Proto-Germanic: lauba
Saxon: lof
Old Norse: lauf
Dutch: loof
High German: loub
German: laub
Gothic: laufs
Old Irish: luib
Albanian: labe
Russian: lub
Old Norse: lyf
Old English: lybb
Proto-Indo-European (PIE): leub

NOTE: Difference between "page" and "leaf": a page is one side of the sheet of paper, while a leaf is the whole sheet of paper (both sides). Source.

Idiomatic Expression	Type of Figure of Speech	Meaning
Make like a tree and leave. (not nice to say)	simile; pun	Simile - "like a tree" (because trees have leaves). Pun - because the verb to leave is similar to the plural of leaf.
Turn over a new leaf.	metaphor	"To turn over a new leaf" is to start a new habit, or a whole new life style.
Loose leaf notebook	metaphor	Leaf was the original word for paper and this is probably true because before paper was invented, people wrote on leaves.
Gold leaf	metaphor	Metallic leaf is called thusly because it is very thin and pliable, like a leaf.
To rest on one's laurels.	metonymy	Laurel leaves symbolized success and victory. Thus, to "rest" on one's laurels is to be satisfied with one's success and do nothing to achieve further success. Source: Merriam-Webster's.

Prophet	Prophecy
The Sybil (from ancient Greece)	I know of no prophecy concerning leaves, but the prophetess was said to write her prophecies on oak leaves.
Tea leaf reader (Tasseomancer)	It is said that some can read the tea leaves left at the bottom of the tea cup when done drinking tea.
John "The Revelator" (who wrote the Apocalypse / Revelation)	He saw in vision that there will be a "new Earth". And on this new Earth there will be no night. And, there will be a crystal-clear river, with the Tree of Life on each side, and it will bear 12 different fruits, and the leaves thereof will be for healing. Revelation 22:1-2
Ancient Indian Sages (using palm leaves)	Legend has it that some ancient Indian sages wrote down everyone's life path / prophecy on palm leaves. And these are stored in libraries around India. Source: MyPalmLeaf

Myth Origin / Title	Myth in brief
Greek Mythology Apollo and Daphne and the Laurel Leaves	Apollo insulted Eros, calling him a boy, and telling him that a boy shouldn't have a weapon (such as Eros' bow). I didn't know this, but apparently Eros has two kinds of arrows; one type that make people fall in love, and another type that makes people fall out of love or have a distaste for love. So, to get even with Apollo for his cruel words, he shot Apollo with the love arrow and shot Daphne with his distaste arrow. Apollo immediately fell in love with Daphne, but Daphne didn't want anything to do with him. She prayed for escape from Apollo's advances and she was turned into a laurel tree. That's why laurel leaves were used at the Olympic games, because of her success to avoid Apollo's advances. Source.
Celtic Mythology The Holly and the Oak	The Holly tree ruled 6 months of the year (from winter solstice to summer solstice). The Oak tree ruled 6 months of the year from summer solstice to winter solstice. That's why the Holly leaves are used as decoration at winter time.
Mongolian Mythology The origin of the Evergreen leaves	When there was a drought, the raven flew to get some of gods' water at the top of the highest mountain (which bestows eternal life) and bring it to the humans. However, on the return journey, the raven got scared by an owl that tried to catch him and he opened his beak, spilling all the water on the trees below. That's how some trees became evergreens, their leaves staying green all year long. Source.
Algonquin Mythology Why leaves turn red in the Fall.	Once there was a Great Bear (now known as Ursa Major) that lived on Earth terrorizing all the people. Finally, the people had had enough. Several tribes got together a huge hunting party to hunt down and kill the bear. The bear ran, but eventually the one of the arrows actually injured the bear. The bear then jumped into the sky. And still "runs" across the sky. In the Fall, the blood that spills out of the Bear's side turns the leaves red. Source: Farmer's Almanac.
Lakota Mythology Why leaves fall in the Fall.	When the Earth was still young, all the plants and animals were enjoying the summer. Then, the autumn came. It started to get colder and colder. The grass and shrubs began to get scared, because they couldn't handle the cold. So, the Creator, made it so that the trees would drop their leaves to provide a warm blanket for the roots of the grass and shrubs. In exchange for this magnanimous gift from the trees, the Creator allowed the trees a very beautiful array to display just before the dropping of the leaves. Source: First People.

#	Title	Fact
1	The plant with the BIGGEST leaves	Victoria Boliviana Giant Lily Pad is the largest undivided leaf in the world, measuring 3.2 meters across, and covering an area of 7.55 m². Source: Guiness World Records.
2	The plant with the smallest leaves	"The smallest leaf in the world is believed to belong to the species of moss called "Fissidens minutulus". These leaves are only 0.3 millimeters in length, which is about one-tenth the size of a grain of salt. They are so small that they are often difficult to see with the naked eye." Source: AI Bot on Quora.
3	The most poisonous leaf in the world	I don't know. But, the most poisonous plant in North America is Water Hemlock, with Poison Hemlock in a close second. Now these photos that I've taken appear to be wild carrot, but the hemlock looks very similar so unless you know exactly how to identify the wild carrot and the hemlock, I would stay away!