What is the flower language of the peony? Latest symbolic meaning interpretation
The peony is hailed by people as the “Flower Fairy” and the “Flower Minister,” and is listed as one of the “Six Great Famous Flowers.” It is also called the “May Flower God.” Because it has been regarded as the flower of love since ancient times, it is now revered as the representative flower of the Qixi Festival. Below, let us take a look at the flower language and legends of the peony.
The flower language of the peony
“Beautiful and charming” and “reluctant to part, hard to bear separation.” In ancient times, when men and women interacted, they gave peonies to each other to express a pledge of love or the sorrow of parting, which is why it is also called the “Departing Grass.”
The legend of the peony
Legend has it that neither the tree peony nor the herbaceous peony is an ordinary flower species. One year, when a plague struck the mortal world, a jade maiden or flower deity stole the Queen Mother of the West's immortal elixir to save the people and scattered it upon the earth. As a result, some became the woody tree peony, and others became the herbaceous peony, and to this day the peony still carries the character for “medicine.” Laughing aside, the flowers, leaves, roots, and stems of both the tree peony and the herbaceous peony can indeed be used as medicine. Danpi is especially famous, and Hangbaishao is even a top-grade tonic for nourishing yin and replenishing blood [15].
There is a similar legend in the ancient West as well. It is said that the famous ancient Greek physician Asclepius had a clever student named Paeon who surpassed his master and even healed the wound of Hades, the god of the underworld. Out of jealousy, Asclepius killed young Paeon. Fortunately, Hades, remembering his kindness, turned young Paeon into a healing flower, namely the peony. Westerners have also always believed that the peony possesses a certain magic: wherever peonies grow, demons vanish without a trace, and it can even counteract a flower as poisonous as the datura.