The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-04-28

Some Conspicuous Examples of the symbol
ism of Flowers.


Some Conspicuous Examples of the Symbol
ism of Flowers.
England's great statesman, the Earl
of Bcaconstield, died on the 18th of
April. 1881. Among his other char
acteristies 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 il became the habit of those Eng.
lish people who cherish his memory,
to adopt the primrose as memento
of him. On every 18th 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 Northcotes Beaconsfield's
colleague and friend, said of the prim-
rose that lit 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 owe:
our fields as type of fresh hope, fresh
determination ard fresh interest to
men,"
In all ages, and among almost every
people. flowers nave been adopted a.
symbols. types and emblems of human
combination, affection and loyalty.
The young reader need scarcely be
reminded of the red and white roses
which were the badges of the Lancas-
TRAN and York rivals to the English
throne.
But this symbolism of flowers
dates back to peEods far older than
the time of the wars of the Roses.
The ancient nations had each its en-
blematic flower. The special flower OF
the III ndoOS. for instance, has always
been the marigold. The Chinese dis
play a. their national flower the gor.
gcous 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 high sense rs the SYM
| boiic plant of the Nile.
TIE Greeks and Romans were in the
habit OF distributing the flowers in their
luxurious gardens among the gods and
demi-gods; Just as in vet remOter times
the sweet basil and the mOOn-iloweI
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
grapeleaf, Hercules the poplar, and
jupiter, naturally. the monarch OF
trees, the oak.
So, we NAV 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-lcaf. of festivity.
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
| (Alonday), the daisy: Tuesday (the
god Tui's day., the violet; Wednesday
| (the god Woden's day), the blue
monkshood: Thursday (the god Thor's
udN J. llC NtAiV r~Ol-
dess Frca's day.. the orchis; and Sat
urday (Saturn's day.. the horse-tail.
We find also that in our own time,
the sacred days in the calendar of the
English Church have all their flower
or plant emblems; the principal OF
which are, the holly for Christmas, the
I palm of Palm Sunday, and the amar
/ anth for All Saints Day.
Monarchs and nations have often
had their symbolic flowers. The thistle
/ is the emblem of Scotland. and the
! shamrock of Ireland. The fleur-de-lis
il the badge of the royal house of
France. and the amaranth of that of
Sweden. The rose blooms forever oD
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 their
forms. colors and poetic significance.
-Iouth's Companion.