Nectar
In
Greek mythology,
nectar and
ambrosia are the food of the gods.
It is believed that the two terms were not originally distinguished—though in
Homer's poems and later works, nectar is the drink and ambrosia the food.
On the other hand, in
Alcman nectar is the food, and in
Sappho and Anaxandrides ambrosia the drink.
Each is used in Homer as an unguent (
Iliad, xiv. 170; xix. 38). Both are fragrant, and maybe used as
perfume.
According to W. H. Röscher (
Nektar und Ambrosia, 1883; see also his article in Röscher's
Lexikon der Mythologie) nectar and ambrosia were originally only different forms of the same substance -
honey, regarded as a dew, like
manna, fallen from heaven, which was used both as food and drink. See also
Ichor.
In
botany,
nectar is a
sugar-rich liquid produced by the
flowers of plants in order to attract pollenating animals. Nectar is the principal raw ingredient for
honey.