Black Rose (symbolism)
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Black Roses (roses of black color) do not exist in nature but nevertheless they are often featured in fiction with many different meanings.
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[edit] Cultural
[edit] Goth subculture
The black rose is ubiquitous in the Goth subculture where it may symbolize tragic romance, or merely be a fitting addition to the decorum of those with a darker æsthetic, along with the black candles, black clothes, and so on. Thus, to Goths, the black rose is incorporated both in the literary realm, as well as in the real world. White roses may be dyed black, but usually they will be fake, as those used at funerals.
[edit] Language of Flowers
In the 19th century, the Language of flowers became popular. In this code, black roses signify death, hatred, or farewell. They were often used at funerals. A single black rose might be sent by a close friend and or loved one leaving for a war or on a journey from which he did not expect to return.
[edit] Political
[edit] Anarchism
- See also Anarchist symbolism
The Black Rose is a rarely used symbol of the anarchist movement. The political origins of the Black Rose can be traced to the Irish song about their struggle against the British, "Little Black Rose". The song is about resistance and rebellion, and as such aligns to the general view adopted by anarchists of anti-authoritarianism.
Black Rose Books was the name of the pre-eminent anarchist bookstore in Montréal and is now the name of a small press imprint headed by anarchist philosopher Dimitrios Roussopoulos. Black Rose was the title of a respected journal of anarchist ideas published in the Boston area during the 1970s, as well as the name of an anarchist lecture series addressed by notable anarchist and libertarian socialists (including Murray Bookchin and Noam Chomsky) into the 1990s.
[edit] Nazism
During World War II, a group called the White Rose leaded by the siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl formed to oppose the Nazis, but was dismantled and their memebers were executed. Because of this, some claim that the Nazis used the white rose as a symbol of a traitor and the black rose as a symbol of all being well (victory over the white rose).[1]
[edit] Art and literature
[edit] Novels
Black roses have been used in many book titles, most often romance novels.
- Black Rose is a romance novel by prolific author Nora Roberts.
- Black Rose is a romance novel by Christina Skye.
- Black Rose is a suspense novel by Holly Poage.
- Scandal of the Black Rose is a romance novel by Debra Mullins.
- Harlequin has published a series of historical romances, "Knights of the Black Rose"
[edit] Science fiction and fantasy
In the Dragonlance saga, the black rose is a symbol of shame or dishonor, especially among the Knights of Solamnia. It is often assiciated with Lord Soth, also known as the Knight of the Black Rose. Sturm Brightblade, one of the main characters of the Dragonlance epic, was associated with the black rose when his honour was questioned, but was later remembered as one of the greatest knights who ever lived.
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes uses the black rose as a symbol of the vampires in her first few novels:
- In In the Forests of the Night, Aubrey gives a black rose to Risika before she is changed.
- In Demon in My View, black roses mark the path to the vampires' city, New Mayhem.
- Nikolas's knife is inlaid with a black rose in Shattered Mirror.
- In Midnight Predator, black roses are grown on the grounds of Midnight.
In the third season episode of Babylon 5 titled "Passing Through Gethsemane," there are references to a serial killer known as "The Black Rose Killer" who murdered several women and left a black rose as his calling card.
[edit] Computer games
In the computer game Fable: The Lost Chapters, a black rose is a symbol of love. For example, Lady Gray, who has a heart of ice, will only fall for you if you deliver one to her.
In the Elder Scrolls universe, black roses are a symbol of savage beauty and romance, though they represent realised, rather than idealised conceptions of these things. These flowers grow only on the isle of Vvardenfell and the Great House Redoran is especially proud to put them on their family crests and coats-of-arms. Although called black roses, they may range in shade and can be black, though are often ash-grey, with very delicate petals through which light may shine to produce a chillingly beautiful effect. Their symbolism in The Elder Scrolls very closely mirrors that of their actual symbolism in the real-world Goth subculture, as noted above.
In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, the most powerful sword in the game, the Great Fairy Sword, is decorated with black roses.
[edit] Anime
In the anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena, which is heavily concerned with the symbolism of roses, the black rose represents the dark side of a person's soul. The Black Rose Duelists are the friends of the series' protagonists who have been turned against them by their ignorance, selfish desires and passions that were carefully amplified by a mastermind psychologist, a school teacher named Souji Mikage.
In the anime series Ranma ½, Kodachi Kuno, sister of Tatewaki Kuno is nicknamed 'Black Rose'. She is an arrogant, crazy, childish and guileful young girl whose trademark is the black rose.
In the anime series Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask uses red roses as a weapon (and white ones when he's posing as the Moonlight Knight at some point), but while he is under the control of Queen Beryl, one of the series' villains, his roses turn black.
[edit] External links
- Wilkins, Eithne. The rose-garden game; a tradition of beads and flowers. [New York] Herder and Herder [1969]
- Black Rose (Róisín Dubh) pub in Boston
- Thin Lizzy: Black Rose (album)
