Floriography

Secondary Abilities

Description: The Turks in the 17th century seemed to develop flower meanings, as a way for the concubine women who could not read or write to communicate with each other. In 1718 the wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley, wrote a letter expounding on the “Secret Language of Flowers” that she had discovered during her visits to Turkey. Europeans quickly picked up on the concept.

In 1819 Louise Cortambert, under the pen name, Madame Charlotte de la Tour, wrote and published what seems to have been the first dictionary of the flower language entitled, Le Language des Fleurs. It was a small book, but it became a popular reference on the subject.

During the Victorian era, the meaning and language of flowers became increasingly popular. Victorian women especially picked up the silent language that allowed them to communicate feelings and meanings that the strict propriety of the times would not allow.

In 1884 a whole book on the subject and entitled, The Language of Flowers, by Jean Marsh and illustrated by Kate Greenaway, was published in London. It became popular and respected and has been the standard source for Victorian flower meanings. But you had to be careful, as so many new floral dictionaries were published, that your loved one had the same dictionary, or huge miscommunications could ensue! William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and many others, all used the language of flowers in their writings.

• Novice: Romantic Teenager

• • Practiced: Steam-punk

• • • Competent: Modern Goth

• • • • Expert: Florist

• • • • • Master: Victorian Socialite

• • • • • • Grand-Master: Count Jocalo

Possessed by: Former Turkish Concubines, Victorian women (sometimes men), Florists, Well Educated Serial Killers, Gothic Writers, and Teenage Girls in Love.

Specialties: Coded Messages, Cyphers, Threats...

References

• -- Charlotte de La Tour (in French), Le langage des fleurs, 7e éd., Paris : Garnier Frères, 1858. At Google books.
• -- Kate Greenaway (illustration), Language of Flowers, n.d. Via the Internet Archive.
• -- Nehemiah Cleaveland, The Flowers Personified, New York: R Martin, 1849. Via the Internet Archive.