The Flower of Faith

The Flowers of Faith

Early representations of the cut flower include an early altarpiece and an illuminated manuscript to depict the first flowering of western art and the symbolism of flowers in Christian art.

Within Christian traditions, flowers have been used to convey the many themes associated with early customs, myths, and legends.

This is particularly pertinent to flowers associated with the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary is associated with the sweet scents of Ambrosia and addressed as the lily of the field, the “Rose of Sharon” and the “Bundle of Myrrh”. In paintings of the Annunciation the angel Gabriel with a lily staff and we are invited to sense the perfume of incorruptibility. If Gabriel does not bear the lily, a pot will decorate her room, or in images of her Assumption, her empty tomb will sprout lilies or roses. In Ecclesiasticus, the identification with Mary and aromatic smell is made explicit:  This is further emphasized by the giving of scents such as cinnamon, Aspalathus, with the best Myrrh, as galbanum and onyx and sweet storax, with the fume of frankincense in the tabernacle.

As early as the 10^th century, the intimate association of the victory of Mary over death with the aromas of herbs and flowers was celebrated in the ritual of the feast of the Assumption. Medicinal herbs were brought to church and, periwinkle, verbena, thyme and other herbs were laid on the alter, and subsequently tied into a sheaf and retained to ward off illness, disaster, and death. The service was abolished in England at the reformation, although the ritual survives in some Northern Italian towns.

The rich symbolism of flowers in our daily life was well established by the 15^th Century. The Carnation stood for Christ’s Kingship and crucifixions but also for the betrothal. The columbine represented Christ’s passion and salvation, the Holy Ghost, and the Dove of Peace. The orange blossom stood for marriage and fruitfulness. The forget-me-not was associated with loss and remembrance. The Iris, like the lily, was linked to the Virgin Mary as well as Royalty and Chivalry. Hence becoming the fleur-de-lys of the French monarchy. These meanings held great power in the 16^th century and into the 17^th and beyond and are still held in great esteem in especially northern Italy and beyond.