Flowers of Futamono (updated version)
Update note: I misidentified a couple of flowers and am posting an updated version. I will leave my original up as well.
My mind recently has been on one specific Hannibal tableau.
This one:
I haven't been able to stop thinking about it in regards to flower meanings. I'm not all that versed in flower language, but I am aware that flower meanings differ from place to place. Japan in particular has a unique flower language. Yellow roses are known for being symbolism for friendship, however in Japanese flower language they mean jealousy. I bring it up because the entirety of season 2 uses Japanese dishes to name the episodes.
I have thus latched onto this and have drawn the comparison between Japanese flower language and this particular tableau.
I have of course run into a problem but I have a solution and thought process onto why this is the case.
Jack names three of the plants we see; belladonna, white oleander, and ragwort.
Now, do you see the problem? That's right they aren't the flowers used in the tableau. Only one of them was actually correct.
They look similar enough that most likely the showrunners just didn't think anyone would go through the effort to look up the flowers. I would like you to stay with me though because it's easy to headcanon and explain this glaring issue away.
Jack isn't the kind of guy to know flowers and neither are the people around. Hannibal though is absolutely the kind of guy to send a message with flowers that no one would understand.
Maybe it's on purpose though because there is the surface layer meaning with the flowers that Jack names, and then there's the actual flowers used and the true underlying meaning. And I'm going to assert that Hannibal is also experiencing such a dilemma. His Person Suit doesn't agree with the Ripper beneath the surface.
Originally I called this one purple hyacinth but it's actually bittersweet nightshade.
The one place I could find a Japanese meaning had its meaning as "dark thoughts". Which makes sense given nightshade is one of the most poisonous plants out there. Nightshade is often called the devil's plant and is associated with death and betrayal. Google told me that the specific nightshade in the tableau were used in wreath making to mean fidelity ('til death do us part, I suppose) which I can't help but find hilarious considering Hannibal emotionally cheating on Alana the whole time he's with her (even if he's apparently unaware of his feelings until season 3).
This and the subsequent meanings are more than likely for Will as he is the real reason for the tableau in the first place. Previously Will tried to kill Hannibal via Matthew and in response he says he must get his appetite back, thus this tableau.
For the next one we have the chain of white oleander which is actually two different flowers with some moss. The two flowers we actually have here are narcissus and pink hyacinth. Narcissus' meaning is; "self-love, egotism and unrequited love". Pink hyacinth is simple in comparison because it's sole meaning is: "play". Interestingly oleander's meaning is; "caution, beware". A sign that things are not entirely as they seem.
More than likely this flower is a chrysanthemum indicum hybrid rather than the apparent ragwort that Jack calls it. While I couldn't find a meaning for the specific kind of chrysanthemum that is pictured, the meaning I did find for yellow chrysanthemums is: "slighted love". I couldn't find any significant symbolism for ragwort. I did however find lots of warnings about it being poisonous.
The other one I got wrong is the one I called a blue globe thistle but its actually sea holly. I'm not surprised about being wrong about this one with how similar the two plants look. Looking up the symbolism gave me a bunch of different things. From prosperity, to luck, and independence, refinement, also attraction. One site even has its meaning overlapping with one of thistle's: austerity.
The red flowers are unfortunately not easily identifiable. The could quite literally be almost any red petaled flower.
While that covers the meaning of the flowers within the chest we still have the flowers of the tree.
Another possible incorrect flower is the tree itself. While watching the episode again it's obvious they used various different shots of blossom trees. Some look like apple blossoms, others like cherry blossoms, and of course some look like plum blossoms. While they all have unique meanings specific to them, the overarching symbolism of blossoming trees is; hope, renewal, new beginnings, perseverance, and keeping promises. Generally just about surviving the winter because blossom trees tend to bloom before trees get their leaves in spring.On top of the incorrect flowers is the fact that I forgot that Will does end up seeing the tree in picture form in the next episode. His recreation of it is interesting because unlike others where he recreates where it happens, the scene shows him in Hannibal's office. That shows that he gets that the message is to him because that is where Hannibal had sown the seeds of Becoming into Will, but I get the impression he's blind to the whole meaning of the flowers. And what is the message Will is missing?
It's still a response to Will's attempted murder. Since the tree and flowers are in bloom there is a message of pride (narcissus) that those seeds he had sown started to sprout, that Will has stepped up to play (pink hyacinth) the game with Hannibal. He is disappointed and feels slighted (yellow chrysanthemum) by him using a proxy and that Will could use some refinement (sea holly) still. Overall though he's applauding the new beginnings (blossom tree) and the dark thoughts (nightshade) that has been sown into Will's heart.
I left a portion in the early part of this post asserting that Hannibal's Person Suit doesn't agree with the Ripper that lays beneath the surface in a similar fashion to the way Francis and the Dragon aren't entirely one. I have spent a lot of time deliberating whether or not the message he sends here is in agreement with the actions of his Person Suit. As I have left the aforementioned assertion I agree with my previous thoughts.
And I have Jack Crawford and his line where he names the flowers to thank for that. Why call one of the most notorious poisonous plants belladonna? If the team wanted to actually sell the whole poisonous man-tree thing I don't see a reason to not call it nightshade; a way more recognizable name. He calls it belladonna. By that point in the series we already know about Jack's wife Phyllis who he calls Bella. The audience is already aware of him calling his wife beautiful all the time. The association of Italian words and their meaning is present. Bella donna meaning beautiful woman is just a surface level meaning that is easily coupled with the blooming on screen relationship between Hannibal and Alana. A relationship that Hannibal seems to actually care about as he doesn't want to kill her and invites her to partake in his hobbies; the dinner parties and playing his instruments.
Yet the Rippers bouquet message to Will as well the subsequent actions show that beneath the surface his thoughts are only on Will. Even the canvas upon which he uses for this tableau is a white man with messy brown hair.
These details show that there's a dilemma going on with the Person Suit and the Ripper. And this is glaringly obvious because Will is unpredictable; especially after release. By being with Alana he was putting her in danger. Hannibal had to have a lot of faith that Will would never hurt her. Even after being baited by Will's flirting he still tried to send her away during the season finale. And even then it was Abigail who almost killed her, not Hannibal. Yet not once are any of the Ripper's actions defined by her. Those are all for Will. Underneath is an obsession and love that Hannibal has no clue what to do with.
All the Ripper could do was leave a lonely tableau in an empty parking lot, with the roots and guts on display, and no one around to understand. The only hint of the actions to come.
