17 April: Pansies

The Pansy is celebrated in the French Revolutionary Calendar on this date - so here are some things you may not know about pansies:

1. The pansy is a close relative of the violet, or viola, and the names are often used interchangeably. The difference between the two is that pansies have four petals pointing upwards, and only one pointing down, while violets have three petals pointing up and two pointing down.
2. The word "pansy" comes from the French word, pensée, meaning "thought". The name came from the markings on the flower, which resemble a human face, possibly deep in thought. Hence thought and thinking is a common attribute surrounding the symbolism associated with the flower. In the Victorian language of flowers, if a woman received a pansy it would mean “I am thinking of our forbidden love”. The French believed that pansies could make your lover think of you. Pansies are also the emblem of the freethought movement, which advocated coming to conclusions about truth through thought and logic rather than religious dogma.
3. Pansies may be all one colour, or may have lines radiating from the centre as well as the human face markings. Common colours are Purple, Blue, White and Yellow. In the language of flowers, a blue pansy means “I’ll always be true, faithful and watchful,” and white means “let’s take a chance.” Yellow and blue pansies have the strongest scent. It is considered bad luck to give a pansy to a man.
4. Which brings us to another use of the word "pansy" to mean a weak or effeminate man. The word "ponce" comes from the same root. It is, however, a misnomer as pansies are actually very tough plants. They are hardy, disease resistant and do well in cooler climates.
5. These flowers are often associated with love, too, because they have heart-shaped leaves. The leaves used to be seen as a cure for a broken heart, while the Celts used the leaves to make love potions. According to seventeenth century writer Nicholas Culpeper, a syrup made from the flowers was a cure for venereal disease.
6. You can eat the flowers. They can be added to salads or desserts, and taste slightly minty.
7. King Arthur's knights used pansies for divining their futures. They'd pick a petal and look at the markings. A petal with four lines meant hope. If the lines were thick and leaned towards the left, it meant a life of trouble. Lines leaning to the right meant prosperity. Seven lines meant constancy in love. Eight streaks meant fickleness, nine meant a change of heart. Eleven was a bad number of lines to get as that signified disappointment in love and an early grave.
8. Other common names for the pansy are heartsease, because of its association with love and herb trinity, because of its three upward pointing petals. In Italy the pansy is known as flammola (little flame); in Hungary it is known as árvácska (small orphan); and in Israel it's called "Amnon and Tamar" after the children of King David.
9. According to legend, the first pansies were white, but gained the other colours when pierced with Cupid's arrow, whereupon they also gained their powers over love. Another legend says they used to have an amazing scent, too, which was so good people would travel from miles around just to smell the pansies, trampling the grass all around them. This meant the cattle had nothing to eat, and the pansies prayed to God for a solution to this. God took away most of the scent and made the flowers beautiful to look at, instead.
10. The pansy is the city flower of Osaka, Japan.

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