Every flower has a history and every flower symbolizes something. Often the history and symbols are confusing and contradictory but they are still fascinating. If your birthday is in the month of January, your flower is the carnation. Here is the story and language of your flower.
Roots of Botanical Name
The earliest reference to the carnation’s botanical name dianthus comes from the Greek botanist Theophrastus. Dianthus means divine (dios) flower (anthos). The relationship to the divine might hearken to a myth about Artemis. Artemis was out hunting when her quarry was frightened by a shepherd playing an instrument. In a fit of anger, Artemis tore out the shepherd’s eyes. However, her anger was short-lived and she immediately felt sorry for her anger and beautiful carnations bloomed in the place of the man’s useless eyes.
Roots of the Common Name
There are several theories regarding the linguistic roots of the common name of carnation. Some believe that the common name also goes back to Greece. They believe that since the flower was used in ceremonial garlands and crowns that the name carnation is a reference to coronation or corone (flower garlands). Others believe that the common name is a reference to Christ’s incarnacyon or incarnation, God made flesh.
The reference to the divine haunts the flower in other ways, as well. Another name for carnations during the fifteenth century was gillyflower or clove. Many people felt that the scent of the carnation was similar to that of cloves. Cloves are shaped like nails – similar to the shape of the nails that people believed were used to hammer Jesus to the cross.
The Catholics also connected the carnation to the Virgin Mary (the carnation and at least fifty percent of all other flowers). As a result, the carnation appears in many paintings of the Virgin from the thirteenth century foreword.
However, the virginal aspect of the carnation is dubious and seems to have given way to a more carnal meaning. The carnation was later considered a symbol of marital love, fertility, and fidelity and was found in many marriage paintings during the Middle Ages. In fact, there is a story of Maximilian of Austria who was told by the bishop of Treves to seek under his bride's dress for a carnation hidden there. Apparently, Maximilian was unsure of how to proceed at the beginning of the search but soon became quite fervent about his endeavor. Oddly, no one seems to know whether he found what he was seeking.
Contrary Symbols for both Monarchy and Socialists
The carnation first came to Europe thanks to French crusaders who discovered it in Africa and so has been considered a French flower ever since. When led to the guillotine, many French aristocrats wore a carnation in their buttonholes.
In England the upper-classes snubbed the carnation as a worker’s flower. The commoners viewed it as a symbol of love and bravery. As a result it has become a symbol for socialists and democrats like.
Symbolism and Meaning
The carnation was one of the first flowers considered rare and valuable and so was sometimes associated with pride.
It was also considered a floral symbol of constancy because its color never fades and so symbolizes bravery, love, and friendship.
In a reprint of a language-of-flowers dictionary by Kate Greenaway a deep red carnation meant ‘Alas! for my poor heart.’ A yellow carnation meant disdain, and a striped carnation symbolized refusal.
Mother’s Day
In 1907, Ann Jarvis selected the carnation as the symbol for Mother’s Day. It seems a fitting symbol, the contradictory views of the carnation as both a vulgar flower and as aristocratic, even divine flower, seems uniquely suited to the mixed views mother’s role even today.
Take a look at a complete list of Flowers of the Month.
Sources
Greenaway, Kate (illus), Marsh, Jean (text). The Illuminated Language of Flowers. Balance House, Ltd, 1978.
Heilmeyer, Marina. The Language of Flowers: Symbols and Myths. Prestel Verlag, 2001.
Wells, Diana. 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1997
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