Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1885 — The Symbolism of Flowers. [ARTICLE]

The Symbolism of Flowers.

In all ages and among almost every people, flowers have been used as symbols, of affection and loyalty. The reader need scarcely be reminded of the red and white roses which were the badges of the Lancastrian and York rivals to the English throne. But this symbolism of flowers dates back to periods far older than the time of the wars of the Boses. The ancient nations had ■ their emblematic flowers. The special flower of the Hindoos, for instance, has always been the marigold. The Chinese display as their national flower the georgeous chrysanthemum. The Assyrians for ages proudly wore the water lily. Egyptians delight most of all in the heliotrope; though the papyus leaf, used by the ancient Egyptians in place of paper, may also be regarded in a high sense as the symbolic of the Nile. The Greeks and Bomans were in the habit of distributing flowerfl in their luxurious gardens among iheir gods and demigods; just as at yet remoter times the sweet basil and the moon flower were sacred to Asiatic deities. In the Roman custom, to Juno was devoted the lily, to Venus the myrtle and the rose, to Minerva the olive and the violet; Diana had the dittany, Ceres the poppy, Mars the ash, Bacchus the grape leaf, Herecules the poplar, and Jupiter, naturally, the monarch of trees, the oak. So, wemay infer that among the Romans, the lily and the oak were the emblems of power; the myrtle and the rose, of love; the olive and violet, of learning; the ash, of war; and the grape (leaf of festivity. Even the days of the week, as we use ithem now, are named from the deities I who had each its special flower: The sUn (Sunday), the sunflower; the moon j(Monday), the daisy; Tuesday (the god Tui’s day) the violet; Wednesday (the god Wooden’s day), the blue monkshood ; Thursday fthe god Thor’s day), the burdock: Friday (the goddess Frea’s day), the orchis; and Saturday (Saturn’s’day), the horsetail We also find that in our time the sacred days in the calender of the Enilish church' have all their flower or plant emblems, Hie principal of which are the.holly for Christmas, the palm

for Palm Bunday, andtfie amaranth for All Saints’ day. Monarchs and nations have often'had their symbolic flowers. Thb thistle is the Scotland and the shamrock of Ireland. The fleur-de-lis is the badge of the royal house of France, and the aramanth of that of Sweden. The rose blooms forever on the royal-Coat-o X-arms -of England.— Exchange.