In the days before air conditioning and electric fans, hand-held fans were a necessity for much of the year in the South beyond all discussions of fashion and style. Fans ranged from the extraordinarily simple and inexpensive to those that were quite elegant, elaborate, and costly. Some fans were scented, made of woods such as cedar or other inherently fragrant woods, while others might be doused from time to time with the favorite perfume or cologne of the fan holder. In a day when deodorants were absent and multiple layers of clothing were the norm, and especially in a society not noted for its cleanliness, having the ability to present a pleasing fragrance to your own nostrils was a kindness you could do for yourself without criticism. In all fairness, too, not every odor that one sought to cover with a perfumed fan was the odor of another; sometimes the one needing a breath of fresh air was the one providing the foul odor in the first place.

Fans were reputed to have far greater utility than just helping to keep a lady cool, or to supplant foul odors with fair. Some have asserted, and broadly published, the idea that fans were also used to communicate an extensive body of phrases and meanings that almost rival those sent by semaphore.

There has been some debate as to whether such a system of communication was actually ever used. It seems likely that some few such signals might have been used by young teenage girls, but it is questionable whether the code was ever widespread. After all, it presupposes not only that one person know the "code", but that many would have known it.  Too, if that form of communication had been in widespread use, it stands to reason that publications of the day would have had cartoons or humorous accounts dealing with overheated young ladies sending out all sorts of outlandish or outrageous messages inadvertently.

Documented source documents vindicating the widespread use of such a system is lacking so far as we have been able to discover to date, thus making the idea of a "language of the fan" apocryphal. Still, it seems a harmless enough notion if only a work of fiction.

Does that mean that no level of communication was accomplished with fans?  Of course not.  A fan was a terrific tool for flirtation.  Snapping the fan closed and looking away would have been a clear enough communiqué, as would be the brisk fanning of oneself without heat or exertion to justify rapid fanning; or a longing look given over the top of the fan to a suitor, or a would-be suitor.  Those sorts of messages would need neither code nor interpretive skills to be clearly understood.

There are a number of visual communications that may have been carried on with a lady’s fan that have been circulated in recent years, and if true, it would have behooved a gentleman to understand "fan language" if such was used. A simple listing of "fan talk" as it has been delivered to us would include messages as follows, and conveyed in the manners indicated:

"Yes."                                       Rest the fan on your right cheek.
"No."                                        Rest the fan on your left cheek.
"I wish to speak with you."        Close the fan.
"I desire your acquaintance."     Carry the fan in your left hand before your face.
"I am engaged."                        Fan yourself very quickly.
"I am married."                         Fan yourself slowly.
"We will be friends."                 Drop the fan.
"Wait for me."                          Open your fan wide.
"Follow me."                            Carry the fan in your right hand before your face.
"We are being watched."           Twirl the fan in your left hand.
"I love you."                             Draw the fan across your cheek.
"Do you love me?"                    Present the fan closed.
"You are too willing."                Hold the handle to your lips.
"I love another."                        Twirl your fan in your right hand.
"I am sorry."                             Draw your fan across your eyes.
"You have changed."                 Draw your fan across your forehead.
"You are cruel."                         Open and shut your fan several times in succession.
"I wish to get rid of you."           Place your fan against your left ear.
"I hate you!"                              Draw your fan through your left hand swiftly and spit a                                                       stream of tobacco juice between your teeth and onto the                                                       gentleman's feet (just kidding with that last little           
                                                     comment; a real lady would miss his feet).

Flowers

Bound by the strict rules of propriety, people in Victorian England (the period ranging from 1837-1901) are said to have used flowers to express what they could not say aloud. Complex messages could be exchanged without a single word being spoken.  Mixing flowers, under this method of communication, could alter the meaning of any one flower’s inclusion in the bunch, making some flower arrangements a real mystery - or a novella.

Unlike "talking fans", the use of flowers in that era to deliver messages is documented from source documents. In fact, the practice of using flowers to express thoughts and emotions was so deep-set in Victorian life that the artificial construct of flowers-as-symbols made its way into the system of brain-tinkering and dream interpretation created by Sigmund Freud - psychology.

Whether or not your dreams include flowers; whether or not those flowers are replete with meaning, the Victorians imbued gifts of flowers with meaning beyond the simpler messages of affection or love that attend our flower gifts today.

Apple Blossoms                 Hope
Camellia (white)                  Loveliness
Carnation (pink)                 Woman's love
Daisy                                 Cheerfulness
Fern                                   Sincerity, fascination
Forget-me-not                     True love, remembrance
Iris (common)                     My compliments
Iris (German bearded)         Ardor
Hyacinth (white)                  Beauty
Ivy                                      Fidelity, loyalty
Pansy                                  Thoughtfulness
Peony                                  Bashfulness
Primrose                              Childhood, youth
Rose                                    Refer to the list below
Violet                                   Modesty

Every aspect of roses, including their color, openness, and number, carried different shades of meaning, as was true with other flowers. Again, as with the other flowers, there is documentation demonstrating the relatively common use of flowers to express specific messages or meanings.

Giving a rosebud                                 I love you.
Red rosebud                                       You are young and beautiful. 
Full-blown rose above two buds          We must keep this a secret.
Single white rose                                 Worthiness of the receiver.
Yellow rose                                         Jealousy or infidelity by the giver.

The way in which a flower was presented is reputed to have said as much as the flower itself.  As with "fan language", though, the use of this "communication code" may not have been very widespread at all.  Its use is not demonstrably common so far as we have been able to ascertain, and for that reason we consider it to be an apocryphal system.  Still, the Victorian era was one filled with many romantic notions and practices so that even an apocryphal romantic notion connected with that age may not be entirely dismissed.

Flowers with blooms facing upward                           My message is favorable. Flowers with blooms facing downward                                    My message is unfavorable.
Flowers given with the right hand                                 I agree with you.
Flowers given with the left hand                                   I disagree with you.
Kissing a flower upon receipt                                       Yes.
Plucking or discarding a petal                                       No.
Flower worn in a woman's hair                                     Exercise caution.
Bloom pinned in a woman's cleavage on receipt            I'll remember you fondly
Flower pinned over the heart on receipt                         I love you.

Herbs & Flowers

As we’ve noted before about the "fan language", communication from one person to another during the period of the War Between the States through herbs is apocryphal, by and large. However, the notion is sufficiently widespread that it seemed almost necessary to include the list, just to have a ready reference. Following are the herbs, and the meanings that are alleged to have been attached to them.

Angelica - inspiration                               Lavender - devotion
Basil - love, good wishes                         Lemon Balm - sympathy, regeneration
Bay - achievement and fame                     Marjoram- joy
Beebalm - virtue                                       Mint - refreshment
Bell Flower - gratitude                              Mugwort - pleasant journeys
Borage - bravery                                      Parsley - merriment
Chamomile - wisdom, fortitude                Rose - love, success
Chervil - sincerity                                     Rosemary - remembrance
Chives - usefulness                                   Sage - long life, wisdom
Costimary - sweetness                              Salad Burnett - cheerful disposition
Dill- good cheer; survival in adversity       Santolina - full of virtue
Fennel - power, and endurance                 Savory - interest
Scented Geranium - happiness                 Sweet Woodruff - humble spirit
Speedwell - female fidelity                        Tarragon - lasting involvement
Goldenrod - encouragement                     Thyme - daring
Iris - pure heart, faith                                Violet - modesty, devotion
Lady's Mantle - protection                        Yarrow - health