From Turkey to England: The Spread of Floriography and Its Enduring Impact

The language of flowers was created by two European women in the early part of the 1700s. Some believe that Victorians were the ones who started the trend, but that is not the truth. Two of them, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and Aubry de La Mottraye, travelled through The Ottoman Empire. They brought home their secret coded flower symbols.

Origins

“Floriography” (or the flower language) was a popular Victorian period craze which involved transmitting messages via flowers. While it declined in the late nineteenth century, the floral meaning is relevant today. As an example, the contemporary artist Whitney Lynn created a project specifically for San Diego International Airport using flowers with special meanings.

It was Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Seigneur Aubry de La Mottraye as well as Seigneur Aubry de Mottraye, who introduced the floating trend to Europe out of Ottoman Turkey. As the trend gained traction, many dictionary of floriography were made available. They contained information about plants as well as novelty items such as calendars and lists of floral symbolisms. Certain of the meanings were inspired by legends or folklore, mythology and folklore (the daffodil’s association with egotism as an example) Some of them came from the flowers themselves. Incredibly, the writers of these works often cited an Eastern custom known as Selam in their flower dictionary.

Victorian Era

Floriography, the art of flowers, functioned as an obscure method of communication in Victorian society. The coded system of botanicals could express love, affection or contempt, and allowed those in an era governed by strict etiquette to express their emotions with a manner that was acceptable to society.

Books devoted to the flower language began to be popular during the 19th century’s early years, and dictionaries of flowers and the symbolic meaning of them came into existence. The nuances in this flower language can vary depending on the flower being utilized, how it was delivered, and the person giving the flower. These subtle expressions allowed room for interpretation and imagination. The flower vocabulary grew to include over 1,400 diverse flowers, herbs and trees. Even though the lexicon varied from culture to culture however, many sentiments were the same.

The Development of Symbolism

Since the beginning, flowers have been used to convey deep messages of love, respect, and hoa khai truong emotions. As culture evolves and plants expand in cultivation new meanings emerge or lost, while new meanings emerge.

The flower-related language trend was gaining popularity in the the 19th century in England and North America, authors penned easy-to-read guides and dictionaries which identified a specific flower with the meaning of its symbol. These were often extravagantly illustrated and adorned with emotional dedications.

The majority of these images were derived from religion, mythology and folklore. Narcissus’s tale of falling in love with himself in a pool contributed to the association between daffodils and pride. Others were derived from the plant’s appearance or attributes. Mimosa, for instance, brought feelings of purity since they shut at night, and also have touch sensors.

Cultural Influences

The Victorian Era saw the emergence of flower languages as a method of discrete communications. It was a good fit in a world where direct verbal expression of feelings was not encouraged and etiquette was the most important aspect of social interaction.

Ladies’ magazines like Godey’s Ladies’ Book featured it frequently. The game was played in parlors where people blindfolded selected flowers from a pot for a chance to learn about their love, fortune or fate.

During this time, there many flower dictionaries that were published which gave each bloom an individual signification. These lexicons were quite diverse; for instance, the hyacinth flower was thought to signify beauty but also dedication and forgiveness. These theories were based on various sources, such as literary works from the classical period, Shakespearean associations, and earlier French Florographies.

Modern

Flower symbolism remains popular throughout the years. Designers, artists, editors marketing, florists, and poets all use the concept. It’s sometimes called”florography” or “the language of flowers.

In the Victorian period, the art of floriography hit its height. A myriad of flower, plant and plant books appeared. They included descriptions of the flowers, herbs as well as plants, along with their meanings symbolic. Some were based on myths or folklore. The connection between daffodils and egotism, for instance, stemmed from the myth of Narcissus and his fascination with reflections of his own.

The floral symbols can convey multiple messages as well as emotions. They can also be utilized to express different feelings. Red roses symbolize the love and passion of a person, whereas the delicate white rose symbolises pure innocence.