Language of Flowers
Pain and Grief (Victorian, Mexican)
But to someone who is grieving, it can also signify "comforting the heart."

Mythology/ Folklore

The common name marigold comes from Mary's gold and honors the Virgin Mary. Because of this association, the flowers were considered powerful tokens of good luck and were thought to be protection against evil and witchcraft.

The genus name Tagetes is from the Etruscan god Tages, who first taught men the art of divining.

In England the marigold is often used for divination of their love.

History/ Modern use

The marigold was regarded as the flower of the dead in pre-Hispanic Mexico, parallel to the lily in Europe. As they were thought to be sacred to the Aztec Indians, they used it extensively to decorate shrines and temples. The marigold is still widely used in the Day of the Dead celebrations.

After the Spanish invasion, the Aztecs considered it a living symbol of the Spanish massacre of their people, the red and the yellow blossoms representing the blood of Indians spilled on gold that the Spaniards had seized.

The Portuguese brought marigolds from Brazil, and exported it around the world.

In India, it quickly became popular and became the sacred herb of the Hindus. Marigolds were also sent to northern Africa, where it grew so profusely that it was soon called the African marigold. A dwarf variety became quite popular in Parisian gardens, and this strain became known as the French marigold.

Literature/ Arts

Shakespeare alludes to the “Marigold, that goes to bed with the sun,/ and with him rises weeping.”