Floriography (language of flowers) is a means ofcryptological 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.
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According to Jayne Alcock, grounds and gardens supervisor at theWalled Gardens of Cannington, the renewedVictorian era interest in the language of flowers finds its roots inOttoman Turkey, specifically the court inConstantinople[1] and an obsession it held withtulips during the first half of the 18th century. In the 14th century, the Turkish tradition sélam had an influence on the language of flowers. Sélam was a game of gifting flowers and objects to send a message, the interpretation of the message revealed through rhymes.[2]
During theVictorian age, the use of flowers as a means of covert communication coincided with a growing interest inbotany. The floriography craze was introduced to Europe by the EnglishwomanMary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762), who brought it to England in 1717, and Aubry de La Mottraye (1674–1743), who introduced it to the Swedish court in 1727. Joseph Hammer-Purgstall'sDictionnaire du language des fleurs (1809) appears to be the first published list associating flowers with symbolic definitions, while the first dictionary of floriography appears in 1819 when Louise Cortambert, writing under pen name Madame Charlotte de la Tour, wroteLe langage des Fleurs.
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.[3]
Interest in floriography soared inVictorian England, North America and France[4] during the 19th century. Gifts of blooms, plants, and specific floral arrangements were used to send a coded message to the recipient, allowing the sender to express feelings of romance and courtship which could not be spoken aloud in Victorian society.[5][6] Armed with floral dictionaries, Victorians often exchanged small "talking bouquets" or "word poesy,” called nosegays ortussie-mussies, which could be worn or carried as a fashion accessory.[6]: 25, 40–44 The word "nosegay" was used because the flowers would smell nice and the word "gay" meant ornament. These accessories were originally worn to mask the scent of the streets and body odor, and were often composed of fragrant herbs and flowers such as lavender, lemon balm, and roses.[7]
During the 16th century, the purpose of the tussie-mussies changed. They were commonly gifted to a love interest. The meaning of flowers was determined by their cultural meanings along with legends and myths. In England and America, courses such as botany, painting flowers, and floral arranging became popular in education, especially for young women.[8] Tussie-mussies are still used in modern-day as corsages and boutonnieres.[9]
In the United States, the first appearance of the language of flowers in print was in the writings ofConstantine Samuel Rafinesque, a French-American naturalist, who wrote on-going features under the title "The School of Flora", from 1827 through 1828, in the weeklySaturday Evening Post and monthlyCasket; or Flowers of Literature, Wit, and Sentiment. These pieces contained the botanic, English, and French names of the plant, a description of the plant, an explanation of its Latin names, and the flower's emblematic meaning; therefore readers could select flowers appropriately to send a message.[8] However, the first books on floriography wereElizabeth Wirt'sFlora's Dictionary andDorothea Dix'sThe Garland of Flora, both of which were published in 1829, though Wirt's book had been issued in an unauthorized edition in 1828.
During its peak in the United States, the language of flowers attracted the attention of popular writers and editors.Sarah Josepha Hale, longtime editor of theLadies' Magazine and co-editor ofGodey's Lady's Book, edited Flora's Interpreter in 1832; it continued in print through the 1860s.Catharine H. Waterman Esling wrote a long poem titled "The Language of Flowers", which first appeared in 1839 in her own language of flowers book,Flora's Lexicon; it continued in print through the 1860s. Lucy Hooper, an editor, novelist, poet, and playwright, included several of her flower poems inThe Lady's Book of Flowers and Poetry, first published in 1841.Frances Sargent Osgood, a poet and friend ofEdgar Allan Poe, first publishedThe Poetry of Flowers and Flowers of Poetry in 1841, and it continued in print through the 1860s.
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, themimosa, or sensitive plant, represents chastity. This is because the leaves of the mimosa close at night, or when touched. Likewise, the deep redrose and its thorns have been used to symbolize both theblood of Christ and the intensity ofromantic love, while the rose's five petals are thought to illustrate thefive crucifixion wounds of Christ. Pink roses imply a lesser affection, white roses suggest virtue and chastity, and yellow roses stand for friendship or devotion. Theblack rose (in nature, a very dark shade of red, purple, or maroon, or may be dyed)[10] may be associated withdeath and darkness due to the traditional (Western) connotations of the shade.[11]
"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]
William Shakespeare,Jane Austen,Charlotte andEmily Brontë, and children's novelistFrances Hodgson Burnett, among others, used the language of flowers in their writings.
I know a bank where thewild thyme blows,
Whereoxlips and the noddingviolet grows,
Quite over-canopied with lusciouswoodbine,
With sweetmusk-roses and witheglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;
Shakespeare used the word "flower" more than 100 times in his plays and sonnets.[16] InHamlet,Ophelia mentions the symbolic meanings of flowers and herbs as she hands them to other characters in Act 4, Scene 5:pansies,rosemary,fennel,lilies,columbine,rue anddaisy. She regrets she has noviolets, she says, "... but they wither'd all when my father died".[17] InThe Winter's Tale, the princess Perdita wishes that she had violets,daffodils, andprimroses to make garlands for her friends. InA Midsummer Night's Dream,Oberon talks to his messenger Puck amidst a scene of wild flowers.[18]
InJ. K. Rowling's 1997 novelHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, ProfessorSeverus Snape uses the language of flowers to express regret and mourning for the death of Lily Potter, his childhood friend andHarry Potter's mother, according toPottermore.[19]
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 seriesAttack on Titan, which also includesHanakotoba (花言葉), the Japanese form of floriography.[21][22]
SeveralAnglican churches in England have paintings, sculpture, or stained glass windows of thelily crucifix, depicting Christ crucified on or holding alily. One example is a window atThe Clopton Chantry Chapel Church in Long Melford, Suffolk, England, UK.
The VictorianPre-Raphaelites, a group of 19th-century painters and poets who aimed to revive the purer art of the late medieval period, captured classic notions of beauty romantically. These artists are known for their idealistic portrayal of women, emphasis on nature and morality, and use of literature and mythology. Flowers laden with symbolism figure prominently in much of their work.John Everett Millais, a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, used oils to create pieces filled with naturalistic elements and rich in floriography. His paintingOphelia (1852) depicts Shakespeare's drowned stargazer floating amid the flowers she describes in Act IV, Scene V ofHamlet.The Edwardian artistJohn Singer Sargent spent much time painting outdoors in the English countryside, frequently utilizing floral symbolism. Sargent's first major success came in 1887, withCarnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, a large piece painted on site in theplein air manner, of two young girls lighting lanterns in an English garden.
Contemporary artistWhitney Lynn created a site-specific project forSan 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 theSan Francisco Arts Commission Gallery. Based on Dutch Golden Agestill-life painting, the flowers in the arrangement represent countries that have been sites ofUS military operations and conflicts.
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.
The dictionary definition oflanguage of flowers at Wiktionary The dictionary definition offloriography at Wiktionary