Roses: Scented symbols of love, beauty, secrecy and war
Each year, more than 250 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day. Giving loved ones or friends these multi-colored flowers to convey messages like “thank you” or “I love you,” is just one of the many ways roses have been used in human history. They’ve long been symbols of love and beauty but have also been symbols of war and politics.
Roses began to appear in written language a few thousand years ago, and rose petals in Ancient Egyptian tombs, as well as paintings of roses, show that these beautiful flowers were admired long ago.
They appeared in Greek mythology, having been created by the Goddess of Love Aphrodite. To the Romans, who adopted Aphrodite as their own Goddess of Love and named her Venus, roses were also a symbol of beauty and love. Both cultures often wore rose garlands for wedding ceremonies.
In Rome and other parts of the world, roses were also associated with secrecy. Part of ancient Roman mythology was that Cupid, son of Venus, gave a rose to the Roman god of silence to keep him from telling of Venus’ indiscretions, leading to the Roman practice of placing roses outside the door to a room in which the occupants were discussing matters of confidence.
The Latin phrase “sub rosa” translates to “under the rose,” and the German phrase “unter der Rose” means the same, both originating in ancient times. Roses continue to be sort of an unspoken message when given as a gift.
What about war and politics?
The rose was used in England’s civil wars in the 15th Century. It began with York attacking Lancaster, which prompted a stark divide between the two Houses that lasted from 1455 through 1485. York’s chosen symbol and coat of arms was a white rose, while Lancaster’s was red. After that, the conflict was known as the “War of the Roses.”
The Tudor Rose was created by Henry VII Tudor after Lancaster won the war and combined the two roses into one, serving as the unified symbol of the kingdom.
Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife, Josephine, had a large garden full of 250 different roses from around the world. Hers is the garden that famous artist Pierre-Joseph Redoute painted in his watercolor book, Les Roses.
In 18th century Victorian England, women’s roles were largely limited by cultural customs and societal norms, meaning that women
were only permitted to partake in activities and hobbies that were “domestically appropriate.” After the wife of a British Ambassador to Turkey discovered the Turkish tradition of “flower language,” she wrote home to England: “There is no colour, no flower, no weed, no fruit, herb, pebble, or feather that has not a verse belonging to it: and you may quarrel, reproach, or send letters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even of news, without ever inking your fingers.”
Though she didn’t quite grasp the truth of Turkish “flower language,” her fascination spread the practice throughout Europe, where women began learning the language of flowers (an “appropriate” and graceful hobby), eventually resulting in stories, coloring books and poetry that told of their beauty and lasting power.
Though the symbolic reverence of roses and other flowers were already in existence, it was King Charles II of Sweden (ruler 18091818) and Norway (ruler 1814-1818) who is credited for the practice of gifting Valentine’s Day flowers.
After a trip to Persia, where the king saw how flowers were used to express emotions, he shared his admiration of the practice when he returned to Europe. Influenced both by his and the ambassador’s wife, the “language” became popular. With the rose translated to deep love, they became a frequent gift to spouses and significant others.
Here are some of the messages you might send, depending on which color of roses you choose:
Red: enduring passion
White: humility, innocence, purity, charm
Yellow: friendship and joy
Pink: gratitude, appreciation, admiration, gentleness, grace
Orange: enthusiasm and desire, energy, excitement
Purple: love at first
sight, enchantment
The rose has remained popular, serving as the June birth month flower, National flower, and state flower of Georgia, Iowa, New York and the District of Columbia.
So stop and smell the roses, even if you’re not purchasing one of the 250 million produced especially for February 14th. Let the scent take you back to Cleopatra’s chambers, Josephine Bonaparte’s garden, and Ancient Roman or Greek wedding ceremonies. And know that if you do gift a lover or friend with one or more of these luscious red flowers, that it’s a gift whose tradition has lasted thousands of years.
How thoughtful!