What if a bouquet of flowers could say something that words simply could not? And I'm not talking about a vague gesture of love or appreciation; I'm referring to floriography: the language of flowers in which certain flowers, and in some cases different colors, have specific meanings. During the Victorian era, a rose was never simply a rose, and a violet could carry a message of loyalty, modesty or perhaps even enduring love. In a society and time where emotions were often carefully hidden, flowers became a language of their own.
Let us slide into your dms 🥰
Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)Origins
The language of flowers is thought to have originated in the Ottoman Empire, where flowers were incorporated into a form of symbolic communication known as "Sélam". Rather than simply giving someone a flower, different objects such as flowers, pearls, and even locks of hair would be combined to create a hidden message. Each object represented a particular word or meaning, which created a poetic form of communication that could be decoded by the recipient. I know, even though the concept seems complicated nowadays, I find the idea of using ordinary objects being transformed into an entirely different form of language quite fascinating. Who knows, maybe some of our current forms of communication, like certain social media apps, will be seen as strange or cryptic in the future!
Image Credit: Europeana from Unsplash
Take the Quiz: Which Literary Fiction Should You Read Next?
Jump into the world of literary fiction with the one of these novels based on your existing favourites.
The Victorian Era
Floriography became particularly popular during the Victorian era, when social etiquette and society's standards often discouraged people from openly expressing their emotions. As a result, flowers became a discreet way of communicating feelings that could not easily be spoken aloud. The type of flower, its color and even the way it was arranged could express an array of different meanings. Therefore, a bouquet was typically more than just a decorative gift. It could contain a personal message understood only by the person receiving it. Unfortunately, negative connotations to flowers existed as well. This did mean that one could reject a sign of affection using a simple yellow carnation, whilst basil meant straight hatred! This symbolic "language" made connecting emotions to flowers made flowers a meaningful part of Victorian social culture.
Flower symbolism
One of the most interesting aspects of floriography is the individual symbolism attached to different flowers. Roses are perhaps one of the most recognizable examples, traditionally representing love, affection and passion universally. Violets have often been associated with loyalty and modesty, so sending someone a violet could be a way to show your unwavering faithfulness. Daisies can represent innocence and purity but also new beginnings, whereas lilies are often connected with renewal. Another particularly recognizable example are sunflowers, which are commonly assciated with happiness and positivity. Although these meanings can vary between different cultures and historical sources, the general "language" behind each flower demonstrates how they can carry symbolic associations beyond their physical appearance.
Image Credit: Europeana from Unsplash
Color symbolism
The meaning of a flower can also change depending on its color, making color an important part of floriography. Red flowers (particularly roses!) typically represent love and passion, whilst white can be symbolic of purity. These two are possibly the most recognized symbolic colors, even outside of floriography. Pink, unlike red, represents a lighter form of admiration and grace. Yellow is an interesting one, as it can represent both friendship and happiness, but can have negative connotations such as jealousy or warning signs. Purple has associations with royalty (have you noticed how no flags have purple? Because historically, purple was an expensive dye!). Color symbolism is particularly interesting to me because it intertwines history, art and literature, and regarding floriography, it means a flower can communicate more than one idea at once. The combination of a flower's species and its color can create a much more specific message.
Floriography today
Today, the language of flowers is far more subtle than it was during the Victorian era. Universally recognized flowers are still used for certain meanings nowadays, but flowers are more commonly used to celebrate, to express sympathy or simply to brighten someone's day. Although most may not consciously think about the historical symbolism behind each florer, a lot of meanings have remained embedded within modern culture. A red rose is still strongly tied to romantic love, and flowers such as sunflowers typically still mean happiness and joy.
If you want to read more on the language of flowers, I strongly suggest reading this piece. It's a comprehensive but also easy to understand guide on the general language of flowers. There's also tons of books out there with the whole guide of each type of flower, color and every little detail linked to the symbolism of flowers if you're thinking of looking into it deeper. Kind of like a "dictionary" for flowers. Although floriography is no longer used as a formal secret language, its influence can sitll be seen in the way we choose and interpret flowers today. And that, I believe, is a beautiful art that I hope never truly dies out.
