#kobahitsu

Floriography has been present in different cultures for centuries. In Victorian times, it used to be a way to ask questions which weren’t appropriate spoken out loud or flirt without anyone knowing except the two participants. The number of flowers, arrangement in a bouquet and choice of species all changed the words or feelings expressed through the gift. Hence, the Victorian ladies and gents had a lot of possibilities as to how to communicate with one another secretly throughout the 1800s and early 1900s.

However, nowadays, the symbolism of the flowers has mostly changed, their old meanings in conversation forgotten. Each culture has its own purpose for different buds, mostly connected to old traditions and the new religion. The only way we know about the specific meanings of certain bouquets is through literary works from the era.

In Daisy, you can notice a mixture of Victorian-era meanings and the centuries-old Hanakotoba (Flower Words). I mostly try and focus on the latter, as it fits our setting better. The Hanakotoba can get tricky to understand, though. It is meant to convey only emotions, unlike the Victorian floriography. Hence, we can assume that Hinagiku, being a proper lady, has been taught in both meanings of the flowers, and is able to decode the messages being sent to her with only a little difficulty. In most cases, the secret notes are fairly straightforward. Though, some of them do have multiple meanings which make her pause and think. In Victorian times, it wasn’t rare to have a flower which could have different, contradictory, meanings attached to it. This changed depending on the situation, number of buds and arrangement with other flowers. So, the mystery and difficulty of decoding the message make floriography all the more interesting to our protagonist.