The Beginnings of a Flower Crown
From sign of success to Snapchat filter, wreaths of leaves and flowers have had symbolic meaning in Western culture for over 2,000 years
The flower crown is today a fashionable accessory synonymous with Coachella revelers and boho bride-to-bes, however it's not brand-new: using leaves and flowers as a headpiece has an abundant history going back to the ancient classical world.
Because antiquity, the circular or horseshoe shape of the wreath has been a symbol of power, magnificence, and eternity. In ancient Greece and Rome many crowns were made of wool and foliage such as myrtle and ivy leaves, and were embellished with various flowers, which held different associations through time.
Ancient gods and goddesses were frequently represented in art and literature wearing specific plants committed to them. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, the stunning nymph Daphne manages to escape her pursuer, the god Apollo, by turning herself into a laurel tree. Apollo cuts off a branch from the tree and exclaims, "Although you can not be my wife, you will a minimum of be my tree; I will always wear you on my hair, on my quiver, O Laurel." (557-- 559). He keeps his word, and as an outcome is frequently portrayed wearing a laurel wreath as a sign of his love for Daphne. Apollo is the god of writers and poets, and the term poet laureate that we use today comes from this misconception.
White poplar leaves were related to Hercules, who, according to tradition, imported the tree to Olympia from northwest Greece.
The ancient Greeks initially presented the crown as an honorary reward for victors in athletic, military, poetic, and musical contests. For instance, the Pythian Games were held at Delphi every four years in honor of Apollo, and winners traditionally got a wreath of bay laurel. The bay laurel tree is native to the Mediterranean area, and it stood as an essential symbol of status, accomplishment, and victory.
Olive wreaths were likewise awarded to winners of athletic competitors, like the naked young man revealed below. Wild olive trees grew at Olympia where the Olympic video games were held, and olive wreaths were provided as rewards to victors at these games. He might have been a runner, wrestler, or weight lifter, who is crowning himself or getting rid of the wreath to devote it to the gods as an indication of piety.
The meaning of the laurel wreath survives to this day. It included prominently on the medal style for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The ancient Romans continued the custom of the crown as a reward for victory. They dressed their leaders and military personnel in crowns made from oak, laurel, or myrtle. The yard crown or corona obsidionalis was the greatest military honor, granted by a besieged army to the general who liberated them. It was made of lawn, weeds, and wildflowers gathered on the area where the army had been assaulted.
Flower crowns were likewise worn for events and festivities, similar to they are today; they were customary at more info events such as sacrifices to Gods and feasts. In representations of Greek men at symposia (stylish drinking parties) we typically see figures wearing wreaths. They thought that tying a fillet tight around their heads might ease their drunkenness-- though today's celebrations goers may disagree. These were originally made from wool but later on embellished with flowers and petals from roses, violets, myrtle, and parsley.
In Rome, the Floralia festival was kept in honor of Flora, goddess of flowers, plants, and spring-- so it's not a surprise that a headpiece made of flower petals and interwoven vines was the essential accessory. In this representation of a statue of Flora, she is illustrated holding her flower crown.
In Alma-Tadema's painting Spring, the artist represents this celebration and the tradition of sending out children out to pick flowers on the very first day of May. A procession of kids and females wear colorful floral crowns and carry baskets of flowers.
The flower crown was popular in the ancient world, as Christianity spread it fell out of favor due to its association with pagan festivals. It made a return in Renaissance art, as scholars and artists looked once again to the classical past for inspiration.
In contemporary times we typically see flower crowns utilized as a pointer of the ancient Mediterranean world. As simply one example, German professional photographer Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden used the flower crowns in portraits he developed of in Sicily, as a sign of his subjects' ancient heritage.
Even the bridal crown, it ends up, has ancient roots. The Roman bride-to-be would wear a crown made of verbena that she herself had actually selected. In modern times, Queen Victoria made the practice fashionable by wearing a crown of orange blossoms in her hair on her big day to prince Albert on February 10, 1840. It was likewise during the Victorian age that interest in "floriography" increased, with females often portrayed using flowers to interact an individual attribute. The orange blossom, for instance, is a sign of chastity.
Today the trend of wearable fronds and flowers continues in a range of methods-- as a sign of victory, celebration, love, romance, or womanhood, whether you're wearing a wreath to a festival or putting on a digital variation on Snapchat.
Flower crowns were likewise used for festivities and celebrations, much like they are today; they were traditional at occasions such as sacrifices to Gods and banquets. These were initially made of wool but later decorated with flowers and petals from roses, violets, myrtle, and parsley.
In Alma-Tadema's painting Spring, here the artist represents this celebration and the tradition of sending out kids out to select flowers on the very first day of May. A procession of females and children wear colorful floral crowns and bring baskets of flowers. It was likewise throughout the Victorian period that interest in "floriography" increased, with females often depicted wearing flowers to communicate a personal characteristic.