HERB - period wedding flowers

[Walter J. Wakefield]

I started to say that I think the language of flowers thing was mostly
Victorian, but then I think I remember that some of it started with the
courtly love and troubadors.  Since that started around the time of
Eleanor of Aquitaine (before 1200), I guess that is not true.  But I
don't know much about specific flowers.  Except roses were considered a
symbol of love - as far as I have been able to determine, always and
everywhere...

When my husband and I got married, we attempted a ceremony that might
have been partly Saxon and partly Norman, from what we could find.  Not a
high lord ceremony, but more of a middle class thing.  One thing we did
was we had a garland of flowers that was used to bind us together.  I
still have it coiled into a wreath in my stillroom.  We took a rope and
tied the flowers onto it.  I used roses, wormwood leaves (which dry
nicely and don't get too crumbly - Artemisia of one species or another),
and yarrow flowers, which also dry nicely and are pretty and white.  And
I tied on small herb bunches in places - lemon balm, mint, whatever was
in the garden at the time.  I know these plants are all period, but other
than the roses do not know what symbolism they might carry.  Also tied on
short lengths of ribbon.  It was very pretty, and is still interesting, 5
1/2 years later.

Good luck in your endeavors!
Suzanna, the herbalist, Barony of the Steppes, Kingdom of Ansteorra
(Dallas, TX)  

>
>I have a book called _The Language of Flowers_, compiled and edited by 
>Mrs.
>L. Burke.  She has meanings that date back at least as far as the 
>Victorian
>time period, but I don't know how many of them are period.   I'll be 
>happy
>to tell you what she says about any particular flower - just let me 
>know
>which ones to look up.
>
>Melandra of the Woods
>
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