Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-08
EMRLEMS.
Some Conspicuous Examples of the Symbol
| ism of Flowers.

EMBLEMS.
Some Conspicuous Examples of the Symbol.
ism of Flowers.
England's great statesman the Earl
OF ~Beaconstield, died. on the 10th of
April. 1881. Among his other char
aeteristics he was known to be passion
ately fond of flowers; and of all flowers
his favorite was the pretty little prim-
rose, which grows so plentifully on
every English field and lane.
So it became the habit of those Eng
tsh people who cherish his memory,
to adopt the primrose as a memento
of him. On every 10Th of April thou
sands of English are to be seen, in city
streets and in the country districts,
wearing the primrose in honor of the
departed statesman.
In speaking of this custom recently,
Sir Stafford Northcote, Beaconsfield's
colleague and friend, said of the prim-
rose that sit grows everywhere in the
country, Towering in the most disad-
vantageous and most discouraging
situations; and comes in the very be-
ginning of spring, spreading itself over
our fields as q type of fresh hope, fresh
determination and fresh interest to
men," s
In all ages, and among almost every
people, flowers have been adopted as
symbols. types and emblems of human
combination, affection and loyalty.
The young reader need scarcely be
/ PQrnSn1al 0f tho >sol n~l rrlsko roeoo
which the badges of the Lancas-
trian 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 Roses.
The ancient nations had each its m
blematic flower. The special flower Of
the Hindoos, for instance, has always
been the marigold. The Chinese dis
play as their national flower the gor-
| geous chrysanthemum.
The Assyrians have for ages proudly
worn the water-lily. Egyptians delight
most of all in the heliotrope; though
the papyrus leaf, used by the ancient
Egyptians in place of paper, may also
be regarded in a high sense as the SYM
bolic plant of the Nile.
The Greeks and Romans were in the
habit of distributing the flowers in their
luxurious gardens among the gods and
demi-gods; just as in yet remoter times
the sweet basil and the moon-fower
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
g%rapeleaf, Hercules the poplar, and
Jupiter, naturally, the monarch OF
trees, the oak.
So, we may 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 the violet,
of learning; the ash, of war; and the
grape-leaf, of festivity. 70
Even the days of the week, as we
use them now, are named from deities
who had each his special flower; the
Sun Sunday, the sunflower; the Moon
(Monday), the daisy; Tuesday (the
god Tui's day., the violet; Wednesday
lthe god Woden's day., the blu,
monkshood; Thursday (the god Thor.
u0)J, CuO DuLNOCh, E1lOdy \UuC SOO
dess Frea's day., the orchis; and Sat
urday (saturn's day., the horse-tail.
We find also that in u own time
the sacred days in the calendar of the
English Church have all their flower
or plant emblems; the principal o,
which are, the holly for Christmas, the
palm of Palm Sunday, and the amar
anth for All Saints Day.
Monarchs and nations have Otter
had their symbolic flowers. The thistle
is the emblem of Scotland, and tn.
shamrock of Ireland. The feur-de-li.
is the badge of the royal house O.
France, and the amaranth of that O
Sweden. The rose blooms forever OF
the royal coat-of-arms of England.
Surely nature bears no product more
gracefully adapted to such symbolism
than the flowers, in the infinity of thei1
forms, colors and poetic significance
Youths Companion.