Language of flowers
Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Interest in floriography soared in
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2023) |
According to Jayne Alcock, grounds and gardens supervisor at the
Robert Tyas was a popular British flower writer, publisher, and clergyman, who lived from 1811 to 1879; his book, The Sentiment of Flowers; or, Language of Flora, first published in 1836 and reprinted by various publishing houses at least through 1880, was billed as an English version of Charlotte de la Tour's book.[9]
In the United States the first appearance of the language of flowers in print was in the writings of
During its peak in the United States, the language of flowers attracted the attention of popular writers and editors.
Meanings
The significance assigned to specific flowers in Western culture varied – nearly every flower had multiple associations, listed in the hundreds of floral dictionaries – but a consensus of meaning for common blooms has emerged. Often, definitions derive from the appearance or behavior of the plant itself. For example, the
"A woman also had to be pretty precise about where she wore flowers. Say, for instance, a suitor had sent her a tussie-mussie (a.k.a. nosegay). If she pinned it to the 'cleavage of bosom', that would be bad news for him, since that signified friendship. Ah, but if she pinned it over her heart, 'That was an unambiguous declaration of love'."[12] Details such as positioning of flowers and their buds were very important and carried different messages.[13]
The action of giving flowers served as a silent answer to a question. If flowers were presented with the right hand it would indicate the answer to the question was "yes", if the flowers were given with the left hand it meant "no". Important details such as which side the bow was tied determined if the message applied to the person presenting the flowers or the person receiving them.[14]
Later authors inspired by this tradition created lists that associate a birthday flower with each day of the year.[15]
In literature
William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, and children's novelist Frances Hodgson Burnett, among others, used the language of flowers in their writings.
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;
– A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1
Shakespeare used the word "flower" more than 100 times in his plays and sonnets.
In
Flowers are often used as a symbol of femininity. John Steinbeck's short story "The Chrysanthemums" centers around the yellow florets, which are often associated with optimism and lost love. When the protagonist, Elisa, finds her beloved chrysanthemums tossed on the ground, her hobby and womanhood have been ruined; this suffices the themes of lost appreciation and femininity in Steinbeck's work.[20]
Hajime Isayama frequently used various types of flowers for symbolism and foreshadowing in his manga series Attack on Titan, which also includes Hanakotoba (花言葉), the Japanese form of floriography.[21][22]
In art
Several
The Victorian
Contemporary artist Whitney Lynn created a site-specific project for the San Diego International Airport[23] employing floriography, utilizing flowers' ability to communicate messages that otherwise would be restricted or difficult to speak aloud.[24] Lynn previously created a work, Memorial Bouquet,[25] utilizing floral symbolism for the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery. Based on Dutch Golden Age still-life painting, the flowers in the arrangement represent countries that have been sites of US military operations and conflicts.
-
Ophelia, 1852, John Everett Millais.
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Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (1885–86), Tate Britain, London
In the 21st century
Floriography in the 21st century has been reduced but has been displayed in different ways. For example, tattoos of flowers and plants may carry symbolism and significance which relate to their historical meaning.[26] The same can be said for jewelry designed and worn based on what the flowers represent. Floriography can still be found in traditional ways through bouquets, a common example of this would be the common practice of gifting red roses on Valentine's Day to represent love and romance and wearing poppies for remembrance.[27] The gifting of flowers is not always personal, businesses and organizations may send floral arrangements to communicate professionalism and success. While the traditional use of floriography may have changed, the symbolism of flowers continues to provide a connection between humans and nature.
See also
- Floral emblem
- Hanakotoba – Japanese flower language
- Plant symbolism
- Sub rosa
References
- ^ "Floriography: The History and Traditions of the Language of Flowers". www.byarcadia.org. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. London: George Routledge and Sons.
- ^ ISBN 9781563051067.
- ^ Sproule, Rob (2021-10-06). "The Lost Language of Flowers: Victorian Floriography - Salisbury Greenhouse - Blog". Salisbury Greenhouse. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ ISBN 1563051060.
- ^ "The Language of Flowers: History and Symbolic Meanings". Rootwell Products Inc. 2016-07-05. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ "The Language of Flowers". Bridgwater College. 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ "Decoding Love: The Language of Flowers". Tonya Mitchell. 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ Reprints published by Robert Tyas, London, 1841; Houlston and Stoneman, London, 1844; George Routledge and Sons, London, 1869; George Routledge and Sons, London, 1875; George Routledge And Sons, London, 1880.
- ^ "Roses Color Meaning and Symbolism". www.petalrepublic.com. 2 March 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
- ^ "The Meaning of Black Roses". Flower Glossary. 11 April 2019.
- ^ Meadow, James B., Rocky Mountain News, 26 January 1998
- ^ Phillips, Henry (1831). Floral emblems: or a guide to the language of flowers. London: Saunders and Otley.
- ^ "Flower Meanings: Symbolism of Flowers, Herbs, and More Plants | The Old Farmer's Almanac". www.almanac.com. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ Jobes, Gertrude (1962). Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore, and Symbols. New York: The Scarecrow Press.
- ^ "The Language of Flowers". Folger Shakespeare Library. Archived from the original on 2014-09-19. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
- ^ Eriksson, Katarina. "Ophelia's Flowers and Their Symbolic Meaning". Huntington Botanical. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
- ^ "Flowers in Shakespeare's plays / RHS Campaign for School Gardening". schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
- ^ "Lily, Petunia and the language of flowers". Pottermore. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
- ^ "Symbolism in "The Chrysanthemums"". www.lonestar.edu. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ^ "アニメ『進撃の巨人』サシャへの"恋心"が発覚! 白バラの意味に「涙が止まらない」 (2021年2月10日) - エキサイトニュース(2/2)". エキサイトニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-12.
- ^ "【進撃の巨人】ネタバレ122話考察!花が何を表すのかアニメも含め検証!|進撃の巨人 ネタバレ考察【アース】". 進撃の巨人 ネタバレ考察【アース】 (in Japanese). 2019-11-03. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
- ^ "Whitney Lynn". Arts - SAN. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ^ "Not Seeing Is A Flower - WHITNEY LYNN". whitneylynnstudio.com. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ^ "Memorial Bouquet - WHITNEY LYNN". whitneylynnstudio.com. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ^ "The Language of Flowers: A Historical Journey of Floral Symbolism - History of Yesterday". historyofyesterday.com. 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
- ^ "Floriography: When Flowers Talk (David Trinklein)". ipm.missouri.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
Further reading
- "History of the Language of Flowers", a chapter excerpted from the book Flowers, the Angels' Alphabet by Susan Loy, 2001.
- The Victorian Language of Flowers - Occasional Papers volume 10, Occasional Papers of the RHS Lindley Library, volume 10, April 2013. Gives a full overview of the topic and a comparison of the meanings of flowers from a selection of language of flowers books in the RHS Lindley Libraries.
- Scans of 19th-century books on the language of flowers:
- Charlotte de La Tour (in French), Le langage des fleurs, 7e éd., Paris : Garnier Frères, 1858. At Google Books.
- Kate Greenaway (illustration), Language of Flowers, n.d. Via the Internet Archive.
- Nehemiah Cleaveland, The Flowers Personified, New York: R Martin, 1849. Via the Internet Archive.
External links
- The dictionary definition of language of flowers at Wiktionary
- The dictionary definition of floriography at Wiktionary