The Pansy flower means romantic and lasting love. The combinations of three colors that appear in the delicate flowers are the reason for also being called "Trinity Herb", a reference to the Holy Trinity. It is a delicate flower of European origin that reaches a maximum of 15 cm in height. The fact that it is round and flat makes it often a flower that looks like a human face.
Pansy is a symbol of the glorification of work. In Greek mythology it is dedicated to Athena (Minerva), goddess of military strategy, wisdom and the arts.
In French, the name of the flower is "Pensée", a term that means "thought" and the lovers gave this flower as a present before going away for an indefinite time, as a guarantee that their love would never fall into oblivion. Velvety flowers are associated with reflection, thought and loving memories.
On many occasions it is offered by those who want to convey the message of a love that will never be forgotten. A powerful love whose memories will remain in thought.
Pansy is associated with a mother's love. For Mother's Day it is the symbolic message of a love that never ends. It's infinite.
The varied colors make these flowers special. The unique color combinations range from yellow, white, orange, brown, red and other shades ranging from blue to very dark purple.
Of European origin and botanical name "Viola tricolor", the Pansy is a wild, creeping plant that prefers colder climates. During the hottest time of year, the flowers lose their vigor.
Pansy - Origin
There are some legends that explain the origin of the flower and the name pansy. One of them is based on Greek mythology and tells that Zeus fell in love with young Io. However, Zeus noticed that this feeling once again it would arouse Hera's jealousy, well-founded jealousy, as Zeus was known to have several love affairs. So that Hera wouldn't find out, Zeus turned his beloved into a heifer that grazed at her feet. With pity for the young woman and so that she would not be bored with a diet exclusively based on herbs, he decided to create beautiful flowers that she could eat. He called the flowers of Io, which with phonetic evolution came to be called viola, the name corresponding to the pansy flower.
Another legend reveals that the small flowers were highly prized by Eros, also known as Cupid. They were just white, but Aphrodite (Venus), decided to paint them purple to irritate Eros and so he would lose interest in flowers.
Pansy - Cooking and Medicine
Over time the pansy flower has had many uses. It was a highly prized flower in ancient Greece, and the Athenians wore a wreath of these flowers to combat headaches and seasickness. Furthermore, they believed they had the ability to calm their anger. The Chinese also used the flower for the same purpose.
Celts and Romans prepared cosmetics and perfumes with the flower. In the Middle Ages, sorcerers believed they had the power to ward off evil. In England the flower was also used to make a love potion. They believed that by putting this potion in the eyes of a sleeping person, they would fall in love with the first person they saw when they woke up. Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dreams" is believed to have been inspired by the pansy flower.
The pansy flower has been used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of childhood eczema, skin infections, rheumatism, nervous weakness, tiredness, nervous heart disease and jaundice. Along with honey, the flower also forms an ointment that helps to heal wounds. It has characteristics of a good expectorant and also strengthens blood vessels. It is used for cleansing the skin and as a hair lotion against hair loss.
In the culinary context, these flowers are widely used to decorate salads, desserts and many other dishes. Because it has a slightly sweet taste, it is often introduced into fruit salads.
