 |
Roses through the ages
Roses in History:
Clay tablets excavated in the temples of Ur in Iraq speak of the delivery of rose
water intended for the sultan of Bagdad. The sultan used no fewer than 30,000
jars of rose water a year, to make his rooms smell nice for his extensive harem.
The Saracen general Saladin sent camel caravans loaded with rose water
through his empire to cleanse the mosques after 'impure' crusaders had occupied
the prayer rooms.
Until the early 19th century dried rose petals were
believed to have mysterious powers. Napoleon gave his officers bags of rose petals
to boil in white wine, to cure lead poisoning from bullet wounds, Even today,
rose water is still used to refresh the hands before a feast or festive greeting,
from the Middle East to northern India.
Cleopatra covered the floors
of her palace with a thick layer of rose petals every day. The mattresses and
pillows of her bed were stuffed with rose petals.
There is a special
rose language invented as a secret means of communication between lovers who were
not allowed to express their love for one another openly in the harems of the
Middle East. In the mid 18th century Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of the
British ambassador in Constantinople, described this in her letters, which were
published after her death. These letters inspired many books on the language of
flowers, each describing the secret message hidden in each flower. A red rose
bud stands for budding desire, while an open white rose asks "WIll you love
me?". An open red rose means "I'm full of love and desire", while
an open yellow rose asks "Don't you love me any more?".
back |
| | |
|
|
