The Rose
May 31st 2006 05:37
The Rose
We all know of the rose, but this humble species of plant has been used in a multitude of ways through the ages, and has quite a history beyond the fleeting seasonal beauty we all enjoy.
Symbolism
The rose has been used as a symbol of love and beauty. It has been used beside a number of Godesses, including the Isis and Aphrodite from the ancient Egyptian and Greek pantheons. It has also been used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary in Chritianity. Red roses, held in the hand, have been used as a symbol of socialism and social democracy. It is used by the British and Irish labour parties, as well as a host of other socialist parties all through Europe and South America. The history of this comes from it's use in May of 1968, in the street protests of Paris.
It is the national flower of England, as well as their rugby team, and it is the orgin of the rose window which appears especially in Gothic architecture.
Different colours have different meanings too (remeber these next time you want to get a rose for your partner!), and here are just a few:
Red: love
White: innocence, purity and friendship
Yellow with red tips: falling in love
Blue: mystery
Purple: paternal protection
Light pink: admiration or sympathy.
Superstition
Superstitions abound with the rose. For example, in some pagan mythologies, no undead creatures (eg. vampires) can cross the path of a wild rose, and putting a rose on the top of a coffin prevents the dead from rising again. So if you forget the rose at the funeral, just run behind some wild roses when Gramps wants to suck your blood!
Literature
And last but not least, it has been used by artists throughout the century, in our never-ending exploration of the human condition:
What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. – William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
In the driest whitest stretch of pain's infinite desert, I lost my sanity and found this rose. – Rumi
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. - James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
So the next time you come across a rose, take a moment to think of all that possible meaning.
-I must thank Wikipedia, as ever, for the fantastic info and pics.
We all know of the rose, but this humble species of plant has been used in a multitude of ways through the ages, and has quite a history beyond the fleeting seasonal beauty we all enjoy.
The Virgin Mary (wikipedia)
a rose window (wikipedia)
Red: love
White: innocence, purity and friendship
Yellow with red tips: falling in love
Blue: mystery
Purple: paternal protection
Light pink: admiration or sympathy.
a yellow rose means dying love (wikipedia)
Superstitions abound with the rose. For example, in some pagan mythologies, no undead creatures (eg. vampires) can cross the path of a wild rose, and putting a rose on the top of a coffin prevents the dead from rising again. So if you forget the rose at the funeral, just run behind some wild roses when Gramps wants to suck your blood!
Literature
And last but not least, it has been used by artists throughout the century, in our never-ending exploration of the human condition:
What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. – William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
In the driest whitest stretch of pain's infinite desert, I lost my sanity and found this rose. – Rumi
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. - James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
So the next time you come across a rose, take a moment to think of all that possible meaning.
-I must thank Wikipedia, as ever, for the fantastic info and pics.
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