花 言 葉

花
言
葉
Hanakotoba
the language of flowers
by: Nicole Perkins
T
he language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, is a means
of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of
flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of
years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional
cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Plants and flowers are used
as symbols in the Hebrew Bible—particularly of love and lovers in the Song of
Songs, as an emblem for the Israelite people and for the coming Messiah—and of Jesus
Christ in the New Testament. In Western Culture, William Shakespeare ascribed
emblematic meanings to flowers, especially in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
Interest in floriography soared in Victorian England and in the United States during
the 19th century. Gifts of blooms, plants, and specific floral arrangements were
used to send a coded message to the recipient, allowing the sender to express
feelings which could not be spoken aloud in Victorian society. Armed with floral
dictionaries, Victorians often exchanged small “talking bouquets”, called nosegays
or tussie-mussies, which could be worn or carried as a fashion accessory.
Hanakotoba is the Japanese form of the language of flowers. In this practice plants
were given codes and passwords. Physiological effects and action under the color
of the flowers, put into words the impressions of nature and the presence of thorns
with the height of tall plants, flowers and garlands of flowers through the various
types. Meant to convey emotion and communicate directly to each other without
needing the use of words.
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Spider Lily
Convallaria majalis commonly known as
the Lily of the Valley, is a sweetly scented (and
highly poisonous) woodland flowering
plant that is native throughout the cool
temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia,
Europe and in the southern Appalachian
Mountains in the United States.
The stems grow to 15–30 cm tall, with one or
two leaves 10–25 cm long, flowering stems have
two leaves and araceme of 5–15 flowers on the
stem apex. The flowers are white tepals (rarely
pink), bell-shaped, 5–10 mm diameter, and
sweetly scented; flowering is in late spring, in
mild winters in the Northern Hemisphere it
is in early March. The fruit is a small orangered berry 5–7 mm diameter that contains large
whitish to brownish colored seeds that dry to
a clear translucent round bead 1–3 mm wide.
It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Symbolism
In the “language of flowers”, the lily of the valley signifies the return of happiness.
Legend tells of the affection of a lily of the valley for a nightingale that did not
come back to the woods until the flower bloomed in May.
Toxicity
All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, including the red berries which may
be attractive to children. If ingested—even in small amounts—the plant can cause
abdominal pain, vomiting, and a reduced heart rate.
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Hydrangea
Hydrangea (common names hydrangea or hortensia) is a genus of 70-75 species
of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and the Americas. By far the
greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea. Most
areshrubs 1 to 3 meters tall, but some are small trees, and others lianas reaching up
to 30 m (98 ft) by climbing up trees.
There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas. Mophead flowers are large
round flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name implies, the head of a
mop. In contrast, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core
of subdued, fertile flowers surrounded by outer rings of showy, sterile flowers. In
most species the flowers are white, but in some species, can be blue, red, pink, light
purple, or dark purple. In these species the color is affected by soil pH.
Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant
containing cyanogenic glycosides. Hydrangea paniculata is reportedly sometimes
smoked as an intoxicant, despite the danger of illness and/or death due to the
cyanide.
In Japan, ama-cha, meaning sweet tea, is another tisane made from Hydrangea
serrata, whose leaves contain a substance that develops a sweet taste. For the fullest
taste, fresh leaves are crumpled, steamed, and dried, yielding dark brown tea leaves.
Ama-cha is mainly used for kan-butsu-e (the Buddha bathing ceremony) on April
8 every year—the day thought to be Buddha’s birthday in Japan. Ama-cha is poured
over a statue of Buddha in the ceremony and served to people in attendance. A
legend has it that on the day Buddha was born, nine dragons poured Amrita over
him; ama-cha is substituted for Amrita in Japan.
The pink hydrangea has risen in popularity all over the world, but especially in
Asia. Pink hydrangeas have many different meanings, but generally means, “You
are the beat of my heart,” as described by the celebrated Asian florist Tan Jun
Yong, where he was quoted saying, “The light delicate blush of the petals reminds
me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!”
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Pansy
The pansy is a group of large-flowered hybrid
plants cultivated as garden flowers. The pansy
flower is two to three inches in diameter
and has two slightly overlapping upper
petals, two side petals, and a single
bottom petal with a slight beard
emanating from the flower’s center.
The plant may grow to nine inches
in height, and prefers sun to varying
degrees and well-draining soils.
The common names “pansy” and
“violet”are often used interchangeably.
When a distinction is made, plants
considered to be pansies have four petals
pointing upwards, and only one pointing
down. Violets have three petals pointing up
and two pointing down.
The name pansy is derived from
the French word pensée “thought”, and was
imported into Late Middle English as a name
ofviola in the mid 15th century, as the flower
was regarded as a symbol of remembrance.
The name “love in idleness” was meant to
imply the image of a lover who has little or no
other employment than to think of his beloved
one. The name “heart’s-ease” came from the
woman St. Euphrasia, whose name in Greek signifies
cheerfulness of mind. The woman, who refused marriage and took the veil, was
considered a pattern of humility, hence the name “humble violet”.
Modern horticulturalists tend to use the term “pansy” for those multi-coloured
large-flowered hybrids grown for bedding purposes every year, while “viola” is
usually reserved for smaller, more delicate annuals and perennials.
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Symbolism
On account of its popularity in both
society and its recurring appearances
in Romantic poetry, a variety of
new nicknames for the flower began
to circulate. Dorothea Lynde Dix
proclaims that “Perhaps no flower
(not excepting even the queenly rose)
claims to be so universal a favorite, as
the viola tricolor; none currently has
been honored with so rich a variety
of names, at once expressive of grace,
delicacy and tenderness.” Many of
these names play on the whimsical
nature of love, including “Three Faces
under a Hood,” “Flame Flower,” “Jump
Up and Kiss Me,” “Flower of Jove,” and
“Pink of my John.”
Because its name means “thought”,
the pansy was chosen as a symbol
of Freethought and has been used
in the literature of the American
Secular Union. Humanists use
it too, as the pansy›s current
appearance was developed from
the heartsease by two centuries of
intentional crossbreeding of wild
plant hybrids. The specific colors of the
flower – purple, yellow, and white – are
meant to symbolize memories, loving
thoughts and souvenirs, respectively.
In the language of flowers, a
honeyflower and a pansy left by a lover
for his beloved means “I am thinking of
our forbidden love”. In 1858, the writer
James Hibberd wrote that the French
custom of giving a bride a bouquet
of pansies (thoughts) and marigolds
(cares) symbolized the woes of
domestic life rather than marital bliss.
A German fable tells of how the pansy
lost its perfume. Originally pansies
would have been very fragrant, growing
wild in fields and forests. It was said
that people would trample the grass
completely in eagerness to pick pansies.
Unfortunately, the people’s cows were
starving due to the ruined fields, so the
pansy prayed to give up her perfume.
Her prayer was answered, and without
her perfumed scent, the fields grew
tall, and the cows grew fat on the fresh
green grass.
Links
•wikipedia.com
•flikr.com
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花
言
葉