Literal Translation
To discover the rose pot
Actual Meaning
To find out a secret
Etymology
Around 1180, the expression découvrir le pot (to uncover the pot) already existed, but there was no mention of flowers. It was not until the 14th century that the expression découvrir le pot aux roses (to uncover the pot of roses) appeared (around 1330). Another variant appeared in the 16th century, discover the potpourri, but it has completely fallen out of use.
But why a pot of roses? Since ancient times, the rose has been considered a symbol of secrecy, silence and confidentiality. In Greek mythology, Eros, the god of love, offers a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, so that he will keep quiet about the romantic adventures of his mother Aphrodite. This symbolism continued into the Middle Ages: during meetings of Catholic bishops, a rose was hung from the ceiling to signify that the debates were being held ‘under the rose’, i.e. under the seal of secrecy, hence the Latin expression sub rosa. Roses were also carved into confessionals to remind people of the importance of confidentiality. Even today, the seal of the United States Intelligence Community is adorned with a rose.
However, in this expression, we are talking about uncovering a pot of roses, not just a single rose. The famous pot could be the one that contained rose water, which women used in the Middle Ages to care for their complexion, or the pink powder they used as make-up. In both cases, uncovering the pot (before the 16th century, uncovering literally meant ‘lifting the lid’) meant revealing the secret of their beauty. Other hypotheses have been put forward. For some, it refers to the flower pot under which a lover could discreetly slip a sweet note to his beloved: if the husband discovered the pot aux roses, the secret was revealed! For others, the pot aux roses is more of an allusion to rose perfume, the secret of which was jealously guarded. Finally, alchemy enthusiasts enjoy the hypothesis that the pot aux roses refers to the mineral rose, a powder of gold and mercury comparable to the philosopher’s stone and therefore shrouded in mystery.