I am a big fan of any kind of flower symbolism, so when the valentine's alts in heroes came out this year I was instantly curious as to what the significance of the flowers chosen in each character's art was, so I'd like to share what I've found!
Edelgard - Violets/Crocuses
I actually found it pretty difficult to figure out what flowers Edelgard was holding, as they're not what you'd expect her to have, namely her favourite flowers, carnations. So I did a bit of research and the two most likely flowers I think they could be are either crocuses or violets.
I think both of these have the right kind of colouring and petal shape to be the flowers shown in Edie's art (although if you know of another flower that it could potentially be lmk!). In terms of the symbolism, crocuses (left) represent cheerfulness, youth, glee and the return of spring, and purple ones in particular represent dignity, pride and success.
Violets (right), on the other hand, represent modesty, faithfulness, humility, and romantic love between women, as Sappho used violet imagery to describe her lost love multiple times in her poems (a win for the lesbians and bisexual women). According to Christianity, St. Valentine used crushed up violets as ink to send letters while he was imprisoned, so they're closely related to Valentine's Day too. They're also associated with grief and mourning as in ancient rome they were used for funerals, and I believe they're also used for mourning in countries like Thailand. An interesting link I found (which could just be me overthinking lol) is that they bloom in February, which is the month in-game when Edelgard launches her attack against the church. Personally, I think the violet symbolism works better for Edie.
Dimitri - Lily of the Valley
Lily of the valley represent sweetness, purity, luck, and in flower language mean the return of happiness. While being beautiful though, pretty much every part of the plant is very poisonous. These are also associated with Mary in Christianity, with folklore saying that the flowers grew from where her tears fell on the earth when Jesus was being hanged on the cross. They're the flower of May, which has another potential connection as that's the month Dimitri starts on his path to redemption and retakes Fhirdiad. Also they're Marianne's favourite flowers which makes me very happy 🥺 Dimamari my beloved (fun fact: they're also one of my favourites!)
Claude - Daisies
Claude's are another easy one, they're pretty obviously daisies, although I think they could be two specific types: oxeye or camomile
Daisies as a whole represent innocence, loyal love, new beginnings, and signalled that a secret was kept safe in victorian flower language. White ones also symbolise purity and yellow joy & friendship. While these flowers usually have happy connotations, there's also a celtic folktale that when a child dies young, god will make daisies grow to comfort the parents. They're also the flower of April, which is both the month the lords and Byleth meet, and the month of the war at Gronder. Not sure if there's any strong link to Claude there, but interesting nonetheless.
For the specific daisies I mentioned, as well as looking like the correct size and shape, the symbolism of both work very well for Claude. Oxeye daisies (left) are dedicated to Artemis, greek goddess of the moon, and of course Claude's crest is related to the moon arcana, while camomile (right) symbolises patience in adversity, calmness and resilience. It's also one of Claude's favourite teas!
Rhea & Sothis- Lillies
The symbolism of lillies is pretty straightforward: affection for loved ones, purity, fertility and majesty. White lillies are closely associated with the divine, rebirth and rejuvenation of the soul, which is why they're often chosen for both weddings and funerals. In another win for the lesbians, a few sources I found said they can also symbolise sapphic love! Nice to see the bisexual women being represented
Hubert- Carnations
(I still can't get over how goofy he looks knsbdkdhf)
Carnations represent fascination, devotion and distinction, but can also represent contempt. Red ones in particular symbolise a deep love, and mean "alas my poor heart" or "my heart aches" in flower language. They're also a symbol of socialism and the labour movement. They are the flower of January, but I couldn't find any relevant links to Hubert or Edelgard in the equivalent month in game. Carnations are, as previously mentioned, Edelgard's favourites, which the fact that he's got them for her just makes me 🥺🥺🥺
So, that's my little ramble for the evening, I hope you enjoyed!
me: not every couple needs to be childhood friends.
gosho: they met at a random bookstore, the guy saved the girl from bullies and the girl made sakura flowers from a paper straw as a gift so the guy became a police that is symbolized by sakura flowers because of it. and they were kids.
A piece I did for dmcl week 2020 - the theme was "deer/lion" (I posted this originally on twitter/x, but I deleted my twitter/x account, so I am reuploading to tumblr for posterity)
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