The language of flowers originated from two women from Europe during the early 17th century. There is a belief that Victorians are the ones who created the style, but this isn’t the case. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and Aubry de la Mottraye both went on trips throughout the Ottoman Empire and brought back their expertise in a encrypted language, based upon flower symbols.
Origins
In the Victorian period, Floriography was very popular. It was the practice of using flowers to send coded messages. Even though it was fading during the latter half of the nineteenth century, flower symbolism is relevant today. In the case of contemporary artists, Whitney Lynn created a project for San Diego International Airport using floral designs with particular meanings for sentiment.
The lady who brought the trend was Mary Wortley Montague, Seigneur Aubry de la Mottraye, and Seigneur Aubry de la Mottraye that introduced the fashionable trend to Europe coming from Ottoman Turkey. After gaining popularity, numerous dictionary of floriography were made available. These included information on botanicals, novelty items like calendars, and listings of different flowers along with their symbolic meanings. A few of these interpretations were derived from legends as well as folklore and mythology (the hoa chia buon connection between daffodils and egoism as an example) however, others came out of the nature of flowers. Interestingly, the authors of these books often quoted an Eastern practice known as Selam in their dictionary of flowers.
Victorian Era
When it came to Victorian society, flowerography or floral language was utilized to convey subtle language. The coded system of floral symbols could be utilized for conveying love, hatred or desire. The Victorians, who were bound by strict rules of social behavior, to express their feelings by using a method that was acceptable.
In the 19th century books on the symbolic meaning of flowers and languages were published. The specifics in this flower-related language differ depending upon the kind of flower that was used, the way it was delivered, and the person that gave the flower. The nuanced expression of emotion offered a lot of room for interpretation and creativity. There are more than 1,400 different flowers, plants, trees, and plants are included in the floral vocabulary. Although the flower lexicon differed in different cultures it was often similar.
Symbolism Evolution
Flowers have been used for centuries as a means of expressing emotions, love and appreciation. As culture evolves and plants grow more widespread and used, meanings of old are altered or discarded while new meanings are created.
The flower-related language trend became more popular in 19th century England as well as North America, authors penned easy-to-read guides and dictionaries which associated a particular flower with the meaning of its symbol. They are usually beautifully illustrated and attached to sentimental dedications.
The majority of these symbols originated from folklore, mythology or religious. Narcissus the story of a man becoming infatuated with himself at a pool has prompted the association between daffodils and the concept of egotism. A few were inspired by nature of the plant or by their characteristics. For example, mimosa flowers were believed to bring feelings of purity, as they close at night and are touch-sensitive.
Cultural Influences
The Victorian Era saw the emergence of flower language to be a subtle method of communicating. It was a good fit in a world where expressive speech was considered rude and proper manners was a crucial part of social interaction.
Women’s magazines such as Godey’s Ladies’ Book featured it often. The game was played out in places where players were blindfolded and took a bouquet of flowers out of a vase for a chance to learn about their love, fortune or fate.
There were dictionaries of flowers that assigned every flower their specific significance. They had a wide range of meanings in that, for instance, the hyacinth flower was thought to represent beauty but also love and forgiveness. This interpretation was based on diverse sources like literary works from the classical period, Shakespearean associations, and earlier French floral histories.
Modern
The art of symbolism through flowers is still popular today. The practice is used by artists, editors, designers as well as florists, marketers, poets and writers. It is commonly used to define it.
In the Victorian time, floral design reached the heights of its popularity. Numerous flower, herb and plant publications appeared. Many included lists of the symbolic meanings of flowering plants, herbs and flowers. Other were based on legends and folklore. As an example, the connection with egotism and daffodils comes from Narcissus obsessed with his own.
The floral symbols can convey multiple messages as well as emotions. They can also be utilized to express different feelings. A fiery red rose represents feelings of love and passion, whereas the delicate white rose represents innocence and purity.