Sub Rosa
Encyclopedia
The Latin
phrase sub rosa means "under the rose" and is used in English to denote secrecy
or confidentiality
, similar to the Chatham House Rule
.
The rose
was the emblem
of the god Horus
in ancient Egypt
. Later, the Greeks
and Romans
translated the god's Egyptian name Har-pa-khered as Harpocrates
and regarded him as the god of silence
. The association of Harpocrates with silence and secrecy originates from a misunderstanding of Egyptian depictions of the god. Heru-pa-khered was represented as a naked youth with a finger-to-mouth gesture--in Egyptian artwork this gesture imitates the hieroglyph for child
and is used to represent youth, but was misunderstood by later Greeks and Romans as a gesture for silence.
The rose's connotation of secrecy
dates back also to Greek mythology
. Aphrodite
gave a rose to her son Eros
, the god of love; he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates
, the god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions (or those of the gods in general, in other accounts) were not disclosed. Paintings of roses on the ceilings of Roman banquet rooms were also a reminder that things said under the influence of wine (sub vino) should also remain sub rosa. In the Middle Ages
a rose suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber similarly pledged all present (those under the rose) to secrecy.
In Christian symbolism, the phrase "sub rosa" has a special place in confessions. Pictures of five-petalled roses were often carved on confessional
s, indicating that the conversations would remain secret. The phrase has also been understood to make reference to the mysterious virginal conception of Christ.
In the 16th century, the symbol of Henry Vlll of England was the stylised Tudor rose. A large image of the rose covered the ceiling of the private chamber where decisions of state were made - in secret.
In current times, the term is used by the Scottish Government for a specific series of "off the record" meetings.
uses the term in the vernacular.
castle at Sárospatak
. In the middle of the painted ceiling there is a rose. While in reality it was probably just a pun, using both the literal "under the rose" meaning of "sub rose" as well as its reference to secrecy, many Hungarians believe that the latter meaning of the expression originated from the conspiracy, which, in fact, is known as the "Sub-rosa conspiracy" in Hungary.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase sub rosa means "under the rose" and is used in English to denote secrecy
Secrecy
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups, perhaps while sharing it with other individuals...
or confidentiality
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an ethical principle associated with several professions . In ethics, and in law and alternative forms of legal resolution such as mediation, some types of communication between a person and one of these professionals are "privileged" and may not be discussed or divulged to...
, similar to the Chatham House Rule
Chatham House Rule
The Chatham House Rule is a core principle that governs the confidentiality of the source of information received at a meeting. Since its refinement in 2002, the rule states:...
.
The rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
was the emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
of the god Horus
Horus
Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
in ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. Later, the Greeks
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
translated the god's Egyptian name Har-pa-khered as Harpocrates
Harpocrates
In late Greek mythology as developed in Ptolemaic Alexandria, Harpocrates is the god of silence. Harpocrates was adapted by the Greeks from the Egyptian child god Horus. To the ancient Egyptians, Horus represented the new-born Sun, rising each day at dawn...
and regarded him as the god of silence
Silence
Silence is the relative or total lack of audible sound. By analogy, the word silence may also refer to any absence of communication, even in media other than speech....
. The association of Harpocrates with silence and secrecy originates from a misunderstanding of Egyptian depictions of the god. Heru-pa-khered was represented as a naked youth with a finger-to-mouth gesture--in Egyptian artwork this gesture imitates the hieroglyph for child
Child (hieroglyph)
The ancient Egyptian child hieroglyph is part of the Egyptian Gardiner's Sign List hieroglyphs for the beginning core subgroup of Man and his Occupations. It relates to the child, and childhood, and has a version for the Pharaoh, as a child....
and is used to represent youth, but was misunderstood by later Greeks and Romans as a gesture for silence.
The rose's connotation of secrecy
Secrecy
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups, perhaps while sharing it with other individuals...
dates back also to Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
gave a rose to her son Eros
Eros
Eros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite....
, the god of love; he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates
Harpocrates
In late Greek mythology as developed in Ptolemaic Alexandria, Harpocrates is the god of silence. Harpocrates was adapted by the Greeks from the Egyptian child god Horus. To the ancient Egyptians, Horus represented the new-born Sun, rising each day at dawn...
, the god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions (or those of the gods in general, in other accounts) were not disclosed. Paintings of roses on the ceilings of Roman banquet rooms were also a reminder that things said under the influence of wine (sub vino) should also remain sub rosa. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
a rose suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber similarly pledged all present (those under the rose) to secrecy.
In Christian symbolism, the phrase "sub rosa" has a special place in confessions. Pictures of five-petalled roses were often carved on confessional
Confessional
A confessional is a small, enclosed booth used for the Sacrament of Penance, often called confession, or Reconciliation. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church, but similar structures are also used in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic orientation, and also in the...
s, indicating that the conversations would remain secret. The phrase has also been understood to make reference to the mysterious virginal conception of Christ.
In the 16th century, the symbol of Henry Vlll of England was the stylised Tudor rose. A large image of the rose covered the ceiling of the private chamber where decisions of state were made - in secret.
In current times, the term is used by the Scottish Government for a specific series of "off the record" meetings.
Special Forces usage
More recently, "sub rosa" activities have become a byword for covert operations, usually by security services. Originating primarily in the Canadian and American special forces, this meaning has been gradually spreading to other countries and in particular the United Kingdom. To refer to covert operations, the Special Boat ServiceSpecial Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
uses the term in the vernacular.
Hungarian usage
For many Hungarians, the expression "sub rosa" originates from the time of Wesselényi conspiracy in 1670. According to the legend, the conspirators organised their meetings in a secluded small balcony room in the RákócziRákóczi
The Rákóczi were a Hungarian noble family in the Kingdom of Hungary between the 13th century and 18th century. Their name is also spelled Rakoczi and Rakoczy in some foreign sources....
castle at Sárospatak
Sárospatak
----Sárospatak is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, northern Hungary. It lies northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply Patak, is an important cultural centre.- History :The area has been inhabited since ancient times...
. In the middle of the painted ceiling there is a rose. While in reality it was probably just a pun, using both the literal "under the rose" meaning of "sub rose" as well as its reference to secrecy, many Hungarians believe that the latter meaning of the expression originated from the conspiracy, which, in fact, is known as the "Sub-rosa conspiracy" in Hungary.