Through the ages, flowers have not only been used to celebrate key life events but have also featured heavily in myth and folklore; their symbolism has been noted throughout history with the giving of certain blooms used to convey hidden messages. The Victorians were particularly well know for sending messages though flowers. Roses, depending on colour could mean anything from purity and innocence to passionate, romantic love. Pink carnations meant ‘I’ll never forget you’ but yellow carnations would represent distain. Ivy symbolised fidelity, pansies forbidden love, rosemary for remembrance and the symbolism of iris included communication, hope, and wisdom. Giving a posy of flowers could be loaded with meaning.
Other cultures use flowers too. In Turkish and Persian folklore, Tulips represent passionate love. In the story of Farhad and Shirin, Prince Farhad fell in love with Shirin but when Shirin suffered an untimely death, Farhad, overcome with grief, rode his horse off of a cliff and red tulips apparently grew where his blood dripped to the ground.
Hellebores (also known as the Lenten Rose) are one of my favourite flowers and have a multitude of references through history. There is a French story about a wizard who scattered a cloud of the powdered, dried petals, rendering himself invisible. In the Middle Ages, the petals were used to create a a potent charm against evil and in Greek Mythology, Dionysus is said to have used his powers to turn the daughter of Argos mad, she roamed naked until Melampus made a brew of hellebore flowers to save her from her madness. In reality, hellebores contain a powerful poison called crystalline glucoside so I would not recommend ingesting any part of the plant, even if a spell is cast on you!
I have only really scraped the surface in this short blog post, there is so much more to research. Flower symbolism runs deep through many cultures and periods in history. Maybe the meanings of different blooms are worth considering when choosing flowers for your wedding or any other important life event.