Victorian Flower Language

I'm sure we've all heard the weird habits and superstitions people in the Victorian Era used to follow, but amongst the torture methods and mourning superstitions that many of us are familiar with, hides one of the most beautiful traditions. That is the Flower Language or Floriography. 

The Flower Language was a coded language, in which flowers took place of emotions and personality traits. For example you could gift your enemy a glorious bouquet of China pinks and Lavenders, which directly translates into; Hate and Distrust.

 

Origins;

The Victorian Flower Language originated in the Georgian period, in Ottoman Turkey , specifically in Constantinople, when, in the first half of the 18th century, the whole city was obsessed with Tulips. Most historians attribute its creation to a woman named Lady Mary Wortley Montague. Even though it's not proven, she was known to use codes and secret messages in her poems. She was an English aristocrat, poet and writer, with Muslim heritage (hence the start of the obsession from the Ottomans), she created it with the thought of  the existance of a code with which the opressed (women, minorities, etc.) could express themselves. At the time, women's expression of emotion, such as love and sorrow was deemed inappropriate, therefore unlawful.

Louise Cortambert

She was the author of the first book written on Victorian Flower Language ''La Langage des Fleurs'', her works were the ones that inspired the development of Floriofgraphy.

Popular quotes from her books;

page 115.

You haste away so soon : As yet the early-rising Sun Has not attained his noon. Stay, stay, Until the hasting day Has run But to the even-song ; And, having prayed together, we Will go with you along. We have short time to stay, as you, We have as short a Spring ; As quick a growth to meet decay As you, or any thing. We die, As your hours do, and dry Away, Like to the Summer's rain, Or as the pearls of morning's dew, Ne'er to be found again.

page 63

Tis sweet to hold the infant stems, Yet dropping with Aurora's gems, And fresh inhale the spicy sighs That from the weeping buds arise. When revel reigns, when mirth is high, And Bacchus beams in every eye, Our rosy fillets scent exhale, And fill with balm the fainting gale ! Oh ! there is nought in nature bright, Where roses do not shed their light!

Louise Cortambert

Following the publishment of her first book, she went on to write many others, furthermore adding depth to the language she created

Influence;

But why exactly was floriography so important? The simple answer is that the Victorian flower language acted as a loophole for the stuffy, strict rules of the time

Related;

• What flower used in Victorian flower language are you? (https://uquiz.com/quiz/08kbvl/what-flower-used-in-victorian-flower-language-are-you)

Sources;

• Pinterest; Dee Flores, Shauna Vayne
• Lillicoco,com; Decoding The Victorian Flower Language
• R/ AskHistorians