The Victorians were known for their elaborate parlor games, but did you know that many of these social pastimes included hidden messages of eroticism? These coded signals went beyond romantic interests to explore topics such as desire, fidelity, and even sexual invitation. By assigning meanings to specific blooms, participants could communicate complicated ideas without saying a word. Gardenias symbolized unrequited love while lilies meant chastity—and lily-of-the-valley was a clear signal of sexual availability. This article will examine how the Victorian era used floral language to convey private thoughts and desires in public settings.
Gardenias are one example of a flower with an interesting meaning in Victorian times. While they now represent refinement and elegance, gardenias originally signified unrequited love. The name "gardenia" comes from Dr. Alexander Garden, who discovered this flower growing wild in South Carolina in the mid-18th century. He gave it to his friend John Ellis, who named it after him. In Victorian England, gardenias represented passionate longing or infatuation—a feeling that is often unreturned. For this reason, they were popular gifts among lovers who had not yet declared themselves openly.
Another flowering plant associated with love was lily-of-the-valley. This white, bell-shaped bloom symbolizes sweetness and purity, making it the perfect choice for weddings and other occasions.
Its real meaning was quite different during Victorian times. It actually symbolized fertility and virginity, suggesting a willingness to engage in sexual activities. Lily-of-the-valley was also believed to bring good luck in love matters and attract new partners. Those who received such flowers knew that their recipients were interested in physical intimacy.
The Victorians had many ways to communicate these messages through floral arrangements as well. One common technique was to use single blooms arranged in vases or bouquets. Roses, tulips, and daffodils each carried specific meanings based on color: red roses stood for romantic love; yellow meant friendship; white indicated pure, platonic relationships; pink conveyed admiration; blue meant gratitude; and lavender suggested enchantment or infatuation. By combining various colors and types of flowers together, participants could express complex emotions without saying anything explicitly.
In addition to these coded signals, parlor games involving flowers could be used to send secret messages between friends or potential suitors. These games involved matching symbols and meanings to create elaborate stories or puzzles—a type of codebreaking exercise that required keen observation skills.
One popular game involved arranging letters from a deck of cards into words related to flora or fauna. Another game involved placing objects in specific order based on clues given by players who could not see what they were doing until the end of the round. In both cases, successful players revealed hidden desires that might otherwise remain unspoken among polite society members.
Victorian flirtation games show how people communicated complicated ideas about sexuality and intimacy through nonverbal means. By assigning meaning to specific blooms and combining them with other symbolic gestures, individuals could share thoughts that would otherwise go unsaid. While these games may seem old-fashioned today, they demonstrate just how creative humans can be when it comes to expressing themselves without speaking directly!