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Language of flowers

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For the indie pop band, see Language of Flowers (band).
For the song written by the composer Edward Elgar, see The Language of Flowers.
Purple lilac symbolizes "first emotions of love" in the language of flowers.

The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. This language was most commonly communicated through Tussie-Mussies, an art which has a following today.

The nuances of the language are now mostly forgotten, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love and pink roses a lesser affection; white roses suggest virtue and chastity and yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion. Also commonly known meanings are sunflowers, which can indicate either haughtiness or respect – they were the favorite flower of St. Julie Billiart for this reason. Gerbera (daisy) means innocence or purity. The iris, being named for the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, still represents the sending of a message. A pansy signifies thought, a daffodil regard, and a strand of ivy; fidelity.

History

Though most popular in the Victorian period, the symbolic use of flowers dates back to antiquity. In medieval and Renaissance culture, flowers were often given moral meanings. This is most apparent in art in which saints are often depicted with flowers that are symbolic of their virtues. Liana DeGirolami Cheney notes that "some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn".[1]

The Turkish "Salem", or language of objects, developed to communicate any message without the need to write.

There is also an independent Japanese flower language, called hanakotoba.[2]

Symbolic meaning of some common flowers

Notes

  1. ^ DeGirolami Cheney, Liana. "Vasari's Chamber of Abraham: A Religious Painted Ceiling in the Casa Vasari of Arezzo". Sixteenth Century Journal, Volume 18, No. 3, Autumn, 1987, pp. 355-380.
  2. ^ Peterson, Coral (2006-10-10). "Kawaii Culture: The Language of Flowers". Tokyopop.com. Retrieved 2007-03-21. Many flowers have secret meanings and in Japan the language of flowers is called hanakotoba.
  3. ^ Most of the meanings are taken from the book: The Complete Guide to Calligraphy: the Essential Reference for all Calligraphers. Oceana, Quantum Publishing. ISBN 0681288647.

See also

Lists of flower meanings

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