When we think about a heart, automatically a sort-of-apple-shaped image pops into our head. This somewhat strange shape has become the universal symbol for love and affection.
Which leads me to my primary question: why? How has this completely funny-looking shape become the worldwide emblem for love? How can some amorphous shape be a heart when, in no way, shape, or form, can it even be remotely compared to a human heart? There are two main theories telling about the emergence of the heart-form.
A handful of ancient and modern believe that the heart contains all human passion. Thus, for centuries, the heart has been given the connotation of feelings and emotions, overall encompassing love.
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| Cattle's Heart |
First theory – surprisingly, a cattle heart is very similar to the hand-drawn heart shape we see today. In the past centuries, cattle hearts were more readily available in sight than actual human ones. Thus, the image of a heart might have arisen from a model of a cattle’s heart.
Second theory – this theory tells that the heart-shape might’ve derived from a seed of the Silphium plant. Despite being extinct for 2 millennia, it was very important to the people of the ancient city of Cyrene seven-hundred years before the birth of Christ. The plant was widely used for seasoning, yet its most common use in Ancient Egypt was as a contraceptive. This seed was very important to their economy – thus, the image of the seed was depicted on their coins, the shape being the one as our current heart image. It is also said that due to the seed’s use as a contraceptive, the seed became closely associated with sexuality, which eventually became romantic love. These are the two most widely accepted theories of why we see a heart the way we do. Hope you enjoyed it!
Izzie
