From “The Iris in Heraldry” in Irises: A Romantic History with a Guide to Cultivation by Susan Berry:
“The heraldic fleur-de-lis almost certainly derives from the iris flower. According to John Guillim, in A Display of Heraldrie, published in 1610, the fleur-de-lis ‘is in Latine called Iris.’ Its origins derive apparently from the time of Clovis I, King of the Franks in the sixth century AD, whose army was being pursued by the Goths and was trapped by a bend in the river at Cologne. Clovis caught sight of yellow irises growing far out in the water, and realized that the river had to be shallow enough at that point for his army to cross to safety. Having escaped, he showed his debt to the iris by adopting the flower as his emblem. In the twelfth century, the emblem was revived by the French king, Louis VII, who adopted it as his own during the Crusades, whereupon it was christened the ‘Fleur de Louis,’ or fleur-de-lis.
“According to [Buckner] Hollingsworth in his Flower Chronicles, so potent a symbol of the monarchy had the fleur-de-lis become in France by the eighteenth century that the Revolutionaries, in 1789, set out to obliterate it, chipping it off buildings and tearing it down from draperies. Men were guillotined for no more than wearing a fleur-de-lis on their clothes or jewellery….
“The iris has also been called the flower of chivalry: ‘a sword for its leaf, and a lily for its heart,’ and the three points of the fleur-de-lis are reputed to stand for faith, wisdom, and valor.”
From “Iris” in Flower Chronicles by Buckner Hollingsworth:
“The earliest appearance of the iris… was in a serious role because the first perfumes were offerings to the gods. Since dried iris root flung on a fire gives forth a pleasant odor, it is more than likely that the iris figured in some of the sacred burnt offerings of primitive times. Be that as it may, a number of men and women very early failed to see why the gods should monopolize all sweet scents. In Egypt, Persia and Greece perfumes of one sort or another were known and valued from very early periods. Theophrastus mentions iris among the plants used for perfume in Athens and down in Corinth an iris water called Irinen, which had the fragrance of violets, was distilled from the rhizomes.
“This peculiar property of orris root should be emphasized. Its odor is not that of iris but of violets. Until the synthetic ionone was discovered… all violet powders and perfumes were based on orris root….
“A second property of orris root is no less important. It has the quality of being able to strengthen the odors of other perfumed substances. Thus, as a fixative, it has for centuries held a place in the making of powders and perfumes.
“When civilization had staggered to its feet after the fall of Rome, during the ensuing Dark Ages, all through the feudal period, in the Renaissance, and up to comparatively modern times, orris root has played a major role in helping to make social intercourse bearable. Clothes, even gloves, were soaked in perfume.”
Hello!
This is the second of two posts with images of intensely colored yellow irises that I photographed in late spring at Oakland Cemetery. The first post is The Yellowest Yellow Irises (1 of 2).
In this post, we get a closer look at some of the flowers’ petals and their beards, and again get to observe the interplay of the plants’ leaves, the varying forms they take, and their surroundings, as well as the shades of green and blue that are reflected by those leaves.
As I can only speculate on this iris’s specific species name, I decided to dig up some historical excerpts about irises in history that are applicable to many variants, including these. The first excerpt explains the connection between irises and the fleur-de-lis as a coat of arms or symbol of heraldry, while acknowledging that this “almost certainty” includes competing narratives that lilies — not irises — were the inspiration for such symbols. When researching irises or lilies, it’s common to encounter variations of both themes, at least in part because there was a lot of cultural overlap between the two plant families whose members flipped between them as botanical exploration advanced toward greater scientific accuracy. A consistent recurring detail, though, is that the irises Clovis encountered were most likely yellow Iris pseudacorus, commonly known as the Yellow Flag Iris, or Water Iris, based on its preference for growing in the vicinity of (or in) swamps or bogs. While it’s considered invasive in some regions, its better story is that its ancient landscape presence likely means that its yellow colors found their way into subsequent iris generations and variations.
The second excerpt describes the uses of perfume derived from orris root, introducing them then anchoring in pre-modern periods when personal hygiene had a different kind of emphasis than you might be accustomed to, especially when running water was a luxury in private homes. Overpowering orris-based perfumes helped make social interactions “bearable” — presumably because… well, do I really need to explain?
Thanks for taking a look!
