Jan
22The Language Of Flowers
Tagged Under : florists, flower art, flower bouquets, flower language, flower meanings, flower symbolism, flowers
Flowers accompany us in every major event in life–birth, marriage, holidays, graduations, illness, and finally death. Since antiquity, flowers have been associated with symbolic meaning. Many flowers were originally linked to ancient deities including Venus, Diana, Jupiter and Apollo.
During the Renaissance, nature was viewed as a reflection of the divine. Botanical symbolism was included in much of the religious art of the day and medieval gardens were often created with both symbolic and spiritual meanings.
In the late Middle Ages, depictions of the Virgin Mary in an idealized garden were common in Flemish and German paintings. The flowers in these gardens symbolized Mary’s virtues and significant events in her life. Some churches began creating actual gardens devoted to Mother Mary for worshippers to visit for meditation and prayer.
Flowers that could be grown in such “Mary Gardens” included the following: Christmas rose-purported to have flowered on Christmas Day; daisy-symbolic of purity and simplicity; iris-the blade shaped foliage denoting the sorrows that ‘pierced her heart’; lady’s mantle-likened to a cloak for the Blessed Virgin; lily-associated with the annunciation of the birth of Jesus by the angel Gabriel; marigold-‘Mary’s Gold‘, golden gifts offered to the Virgin by the poor.
Although the legendary associations and religious meanings of flowers have existed for centuries, the specific symbolic meaning of particular flowers to represent emotions was developed to a high degree during Victorian times. Due to the strict protocol of the times, emotions, wishes and thoughts were not openly expressed between men and women. Instead, an elaborate language based on flower meanings was developed. Both gifts of single flowers and bouquets conveyed clear messages to the recipient.
With the increasing complexity of the language of flowers, handbooks were written to guide the understanding of flower meanings. The first book
Flowers are still used today to convey feelings in a more general way. Modern flower meanings include the following: bluebells-symbolic of humility and gratitude; foxglove-symbolic of both healing and insincerity; lupines-symbolic of the imagination; marigolds-symbolic of passion and creativity; poppies-symbolic of beauty, magic, and eternal life; sweet peas-symbolic of bliss and delicate pleasure; zinnias-thoughts of absent friends, lasting affection and constancy.
Many florists provide information on the meanings of flowers to encourage this practice. Charts of flowers and their associated symbolism help modern gardeners and gift
Kathleen Karlsen, MA is an artist, writer and consultant. Her original fine art and hand painted gifts, based on nature motifs, include garden flowers, wildflowers, trees, forests and landscapes. Kathleen’s unique miniature art can be seen at http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/smallframed5×7.htm her hand painted mirrors are featured online at http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/mirrors.htm and posters of her art can be purchased at http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/posters.htm
Tags: florists, flower art, flower bouquets, flower language, flower meanings, flower symbolism, flowers
