The Ancient Origins of Flower Crowns
From symbol 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 device associated with Coachella revelers and boho bride-to-bes, however it's not new: wearing leaves and flowers as a headpiece has a rich history going back to the ancient classical world.
Given that antiquity, the circular or horseshoe shape of the wreath has actually been a symbol of glory, eternity, and power. In ancient Greece and Rome many crowns were made from 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 better half, you will at least be my tree; I shall constantly use you on my hair, on my quiver, O Laurel." (557-- 559). He keeps his word, and as a result is often illustrated using a laurel wreath as a symbol of his love for Daphne. Apollo is the god of poets and authors, and the term poet laureate that we use today comes from this misconception.
White poplar leaves were connected with Hercules, who, according to custom, imported the tree to Olympia from northwest Greece.
The ancient Greeks initially introduced the crown as an honorary benefit for victors in athletic, military, poetic, and musical contests. The Pythian Games were held at Delphi every four years in honor of Apollo, and winners generally received a wreath of bay laurel. The bay laurel tree is native to the Mediterranean area, and it stood as an essential symbol of achievement, victory, and status.
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, weight, or wrestler lifter, who is crowning himself or getting rid of the wreath to devote it to the gods as a sign of piety.
The meaning of the laurel wreath makes it through to this day. It included prominently on the medal design for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The ancient Romans continued the custom of the crown as a reward for accomplishment. They dressed their leaders and military personnel in crowns made from oak, myrtle, or laurel. The turf crown or corona obsidionalis was the greatest military honor, awarded by a besieged army to the general who freed them. It was made of yard, weeds, and wildflowers gathered on the area where the army had been assaulted.
Flower crowns were also used for events and festivities, just like they are today; they were traditional at occasions such as sacrifices to Gods and feasts. In representations of Greek men at seminar (aristocratic drinking celebrations) we often see figures wearing wreaths. They thought that tying a fillet tight around their heads might relieve their drunkenness-- though today's celebrations goers might disagree. These were initially made of wool but later on decorated with flowers and petals from roses, violets, myrtle, and parsley.
In Rome, the Floralia celebration was kept in honor of Flora, goddess of flowers, plants, and spring-- so it's no surprise that a headpiece made of flower petals and interwoven vines was the essential accessory. In this representation of a statue of Plants, she is illustrated holding her flower crown.
In Alma-Tadema's painting Spring, the artist represents this celebration and the custom of sending children out to choose flowers on the first day of May. A procession of kids and women use vibrant 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 resurgence in Renaissance art, as artists and scholars looked again to the classical past for motivation.
In modern-day times we often see flower crowns used as a tip of the ancient Mediterranean world. As simply one example, German photographer Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden used the flower crowns in pictures he developed of in Sicily, as a symbol of his subjects' ancient heritage.
Even the bridal crown, it turns out, has ancient roots. The Roman bride-to-be would use a crown made of verbena that she herself had chosen. In modern-day times, Queen Victoria made the practice fashionable by using a crown of orange blossoms in her hair on her big day to prince Albert on February 10, 1840. It was also throughout the Victorian period that interest in "floriography" increased, with women often portrayed using flowers to interact an individual attribute. The orange blossom, for example, is a sign of chastity.
Today the trend of wearable fronds and flowers continues in a variety of ways-- as a sign of triumph, event, love, love, or femininity, whether you're using a wreath to a festival or donning a digital version on Snapchat.
Flower crowns were also worn for celebrations and events, much like they are today; they were popular at events such as sacrifices to Gods and feasts. These were originally made of wool but later more info decorated with flowers and petals from roses, violets, myrtle, and parsley.
In Alma-Tadema's painting Spring, the artist represents this celebration and the tradition of sending children out to choose flowers on the very first day of May. A procession of kids and females use vibrant flower 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 attribute.