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the shape of a heart

1/27/2018

24 Comments

 
The reigning symbol of love and emotion has always been the heart, with it's rich crimson hue representing the passion of all feelings. The symbol that decorates sweet greeting cards and shapes chocolate boxes during Valentine's Day is supposed to be the same as the organ that beats in our chest and provides us with the energy and vitality to live our everyday lives. So why is it that they've come to look so different? One with it's simple triangular shape and a small arch in the middle (♥), and one with visible veins and arteries that seem so much less dainty and so much more aggressive. I tried finding the answer, and it really isn't as clear as you'd think. 
Picture
One of the many unconfirmed theories of where the sign originated is from playing cards of the 1400's. Google says that before the 13th and 14th centuries, the heart symbol wasn't associated with love, but instead they were more of a book of your faith in religion. People believed that when you cut open somebody's heart, there would be inscriptions that indicated their love for God. According to cardiologists, when you actually do cut open a human heart (a little weird), the four chambers do slightly mirror the red emblem you see on playing cards. The symbol, however, is even more similar to that of animal's heart, which makes sense since the medical community was a lot more familiar with the anatomy of other creatures than of humans back in the olden times.
Heart Playing Cards.
Silphium Seed Coin.
15th century heart- shaped book.
PicturePhoto Credit: Irrational Geographic
After some research, I found another amusing idea involving the extinct plant Silphium​, a species of fennel that was once cultivated on the Greek colony of Cyrene. The plant was said to be very versatile, working magically to solve all issues- anything from food flavoring to medicine. Silphium worked wonders and did it all. The people of Cyrene began to use the plant so heavily that the entire species was gone before the first century A.D. Cyrene citizens thought so strongly that the plant was responsible for their flourishing economy that they decided to embellish their coins with pictures of the Silphium seed, which bares a striking resemblance to the modern day symbol of the heart. I thought this theory was the most fascinating just because of how much we still value the pictures that are put on a country's currency- except nowadays they're mostly historical figures and I think it'd be interesting to put a plant on a coin instead! 

Other historians, specifically a man named Pierre Vinken, seem to think that the symbol was actually a misinterpretation of a real heart. Somebody attempted to draw what famous philosopher Aristotle said has three chambers and a dent in the middle,  and it resulted in the common little arched icon. An Italian physicist named Guido da Vigevano created a series of anatomical illustrations that are said to feature a heart similar to the one described by Aristotle. The shape evolved into a symbol of romance and courtly love. One of the first instances where a heart is used in a non-medical context is in the 1255  love poem Le Roman De La Poire by Thibaut, where the poet sparks the concept of being able to "give" your heart to someone, just as the lover in the poem gives away his pear. 
                                                                                   
​Whatever the case, I think both types of hearts are important- the real one and the logo. They both work together to illustrate the vibrant strength and love of a human heart! 
24 Comments
Soffy
1/27/2018 02:42:02 pm

It’s true that you learn something new everyday! I never have it any thought before, this really was an interesting read!

Soffy // themumaffairs.blogspot.com

Reply
Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 11:03:46 am

Hi Soffy,
Glad you learned something- I definitely learned a lot, too!!

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Nicky Sid
1/27/2018 05:37:31 pm

Wow! I have never thought about this before but I have always wondered and marveled over the resilience of the human heart. Enjoyed reading this:)

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Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 11:05:01 am

Yes, the human heart is unbelievable!! So happy you enjoyed the post! Come back next week for more :)

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Genaya link
1/28/2018 12:56:14 am

Amazing, such an interesting and informative post !!!!

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Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 11:06:06 am

I was very interested as I was writing it, I'm glad you liked it too!! Hope to see you again, Genaya!

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Della link
1/28/2018 07:36:20 am

What an interesting post! Xx

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Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 11:11:23 am

Thanks for your comment, Della! I'm delighted that you found it interesting- I had lots of fun while writing it! See you soon :)

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Emily link
1/28/2018 02:33:13 pm

This was such an interesting read! Thanks for sharing lovely! What a unique and informative post!! Such a great idea xx

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Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 05:07:41 pm

I'm glad you found it unique, Emily!! I try my best to write about things I find interesting. Thanks for taking the time to comment!! :)

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The Travel Bugster link
1/28/2018 02:48:21 pm

This is such a great blog! I’ve never thought of it like that 💕

www.thetravelbugster.com

Reply
Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 05:08:53 pm

I know!! Sometimes random thoughts pop into my mind and they usually end up being blog posts haha!!

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Lorna link
1/28/2018 03:18:06 pm

This was really interesting to read! Thanks for sharing!x

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Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 05:10:08 pm

You're welcome, Lorna!! I wouldn't have the blog if I didn't want to share it! :)

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CorinneandKirsty link
1/28/2018 04:33:46 pm

I love that I learn something new everyday! even better when it comes from a blog! Such an interesting and informative post! xx corinne

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Another Little
1/28/2018 05:11:42 pm

I, too, love learning and love blogging!! When I put them both together into a blog post, it makes me so happy! Pleased to hear that you enjoyed it!

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Sophie link
1/28/2018 04:41:47 pm

This was fascinating! I can't say this is something I have ever thought about before but I guess you learn something new everyday. And yes, they're definitely both important! x

Sophie
www.glowsteady.co.uk

Reply
Another Little Birdie
1/28/2018 05:13:03 pm

I find this kind of thing fascinating, too! I learn things all the time just by running this blog. I'm sure you know what I mean!! :)

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RTB link
1/29/2018 01:23:35 pm

This was a really interesting read. Just in time for valentine's Day too. :)

C | www.randomtangentblog.wordpress.com

Reply
Another Little Birdie
1/29/2018 05:21:11 pm

Yes, I realized that just as I was writing this post!! I can't believe that it's almost February! I feel like we were just celebrating New Year's haha :)

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MJ link
1/30/2018 08:45:53 pm

Wow! You really did your research because I never even thought that this would be the answer. I learned something new tonight thanks to you! 💓 great post❤️

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Another Little Birdie
2/3/2018 10:17:16 am

It's always great to teach people! I, myself, didn't know any of this before writing the post so we're always learning here on the blog :)

Thanks for taking some time to comment, MJ!!

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Domesticated Rebellion link
2/2/2018 04:41:04 pm

Having worked for a cardiologist office plus having a fetish adoring the heart 'logo' made this post music to my eyes! Great job all around!

Reply
Another Little Birdie
2/3/2018 10:23:34 am

Wow, you probably know more about what I wrote than I did haha!! Working at a cardiologist office sounds very cool and the heart symbol is so dainty and cute that I totally understand when people write it all over everything :)

Come back soon!!

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