What's in a name...?
By Lenalie
This month, Pansy has taken over SOUP. (Rightfully so. The poor girl never gets the recognition she deserves.) We have some fantastic Pansy-themed articles for you; even the freelance writers have devoted their time and effort to the wonder that is Miss Parkinson. For my article, however, I'm changing things up just a bit. (It is my job to be creative and free, isn't it?) So, this issue, I will be talking about the beautiful flower Pansy is named for!
The pansy was created in the early 19th century by Lady Mary Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of Charles Bennet, the fourth Lord of Tankerville. (It is no surprise that this flower came to be at the hands of someone so distinguished. We are talking about a flower fortunate enough to share a name with a lovely Slytherin lady!) It quickly gained popularity, and remains a well-loved flower that even those not fond of flowers can identify with ease.
Pansies are associated with many different things, several of which we can relate to our own Pansy Parkinson. In Shakespearean literature, the pansy was used in Love Potions. As you will see from Sam's Potion of the Month article, this is perfect for Pansy. Her favorite potion is none other than the most powerful Love Potion of all! This is not the only instance of a pansy's association with romance, however. The pansy was used in actual Love Potions by the Celts and Ancient Greeks, in fact, and was believed to hold special love-related magical properties. This earned the pansy several nicknames, such as tickle-my-fancy and heartease. In Victorian times, admirers would leave beautiful ladies pansies as symbols of forbidden love. How charming!
Broadening the topic a bit, the pansy is also a wonderful symbol for our fabulous Slytherin house. The pansy is associated with the free flow of thought, which definitely describes the Snakes. We are a house of intelligence, after all! In fact, the name “pansy” comes from the French word pensee, meaning “thought.” This originated from the rather fascinating resemblance between pansies and human faces. Pansies were seen as tiny faces deep in thought.
Even without all of these associations and comparisons, the pansy is still a perfect flower for Slytherin and Pansy herself. Just look at it! It is a beautiful flower befitting a beautiful girl from a house full of gorgeous snakes. I suppose you could call it our house flower! In case you don't believe me, I'll leave you with a photo of mine to prove my point.
Until next time,
Lenalie Diana Collier
By Lenalie
This month, Pansy has taken over SOUP. (Rightfully so. The poor girl never gets the recognition she deserves.) We have some fantastic Pansy-themed articles for you; even the freelance writers have devoted their time and effort to the wonder that is Miss Parkinson. For my article, however, I'm changing things up just a bit. (It is my job to be creative and free, isn't it?) So, this issue, I will be talking about the beautiful flower Pansy is named for!
The pansy was created in the early 19th century by Lady Mary Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of Charles Bennet, the fourth Lord of Tankerville. (It is no surprise that this flower came to be at the hands of someone so distinguished. We are talking about a flower fortunate enough to share a name with a lovely Slytherin lady!) It quickly gained popularity, and remains a well-loved flower that even those not fond of flowers can identify with ease.
Pansies are associated with many different things, several of which we can relate to our own Pansy Parkinson. In Shakespearean literature, the pansy was used in Love Potions. As you will see from Sam's Potion of the Month article, this is perfect for Pansy. Her favorite potion is none other than the most powerful Love Potion of all! This is not the only instance of a pansy's association with romance, however. The pansy was used in actual Love Potions by the Celts and Ancient Greeks, in fact, and was believed to hold special love-related magical properties. This earned the pansy several nicknames, such as tickle-my-fancy and heartease. In Victorian times, admirers would leave beautiful ladies pansies as symbols of forbidden love. How charming!
Broadening the topic a bit, the pansy is also a wonderful symbol for our fabulous Slytherin house. The pansy is associated with the free flow of thought, which definitely describes the Snakes. We are a house of intelligence, after all! In fact, the name “pansy” comes from the French word pensee, meaning “thought.” This originated from the rather fascinating resemblance between pansies and human faces. Pansies were seen as tiny faces deep in thought.
Even without all of these associations and comparisons, the pansy is still a perfect flower for Slytherin and Pansy herself. Just look at it! It is a beautiful flower befitting a beautiful girl from a house full of gorgeous snakes. I suppose you could call it our house flower! In case you don't believe me, I'll leave you with a photo of mine to prove my point.
Until next time,
Lenalie Diana Collier