The heart appeared very early in history and gradually became popular in popular culture. Today, the heart is one of the most recognized symbols in the world, representing love, romance and loyalty.
The symbol of the heart in history
The oldest known heart image in history appeared on a coins dating from 510 to 470 BC, found in the city of Cyrene - the oldest and most important city of ancient Greek civilization, today located near the town of Shahhat in Libya.
In fact, this is an image of silphium seeds - a giant salmon tree that is now extinct, with significant uses in cuisine and medicine. Silphium can be used to make delicious dishes, on the other hand, ancient Greeks believed that it had effective contraceptive properties.
According to some scientists, the idea of a heart shape originated from the thinking of ancient Greek philosophyans, who believed that in the human body there were 4 types of fluids, blood was one of them. Blood is the liquidation associated with love and passion and "The heart is considered the engine that heats up fresh blood and moves blood throughout the body, so it is also considered the origin of intense emotions" - said Professor of science history Brad Bouley at the University of California, USA.
The shape of the modern heart is also likely to originate from initial scientific ideas about the body. Ancient medical documents do not have images, but Greek and ancient Grecian philosophies described the heart as having two hollow rooms and a hole in it. If you try to paint an organ based on that description, you can see how it transforms into the shape of the heart we see today, explains Professor Brad Bouley.
By the 17th century, the dich extended table had been rejected. However, after centuries, the heart symbol has become a part of the romantic tradition, often appearing in art, literature and popular culture.
Back in the Middle Ages in Europe, when the concept of romantic love was expressed in countless illustrative works praising romance, it often used the shape of a heart - the original shape was the shape of a pine tree or a pear - as a symbol of love.
In the French work "Le Roman de la Poire", published in 1250, there is a picture of a young man holding a bearish heart towards the woman he loves.
In the German collection of romantic poems "Codex Manesse", from 1500 to 1340, a tree forms the shape of a heart, in the middle of which is a coat of arms engraved with the Latin AMOR, meaning "love".
The image of a modern heart today first appeared in a French treatise published in 1344 called "The Romance of Alexander", with a woman holding a heart that she received from a man sitting opposite her.
From then on, the symbol of the heart appeared more and more, not only in documents but also on items from jewelry to badges, swords and cards, most of which were related to love.
Not just love
The birth of the holiday celebration has established new connections. Since the end of the 18th century, Valentine cards have been widely sold in the UK, US and France, contributing to the strengthening of symbols associated with love such as: Flowers, birds, Cupid love god and of course the indispensable heart.
Then, in 1977, the "I Love New York" logo by Graphic designer Milton Glaser was born, aiming to lift the spirit of a city that was immersed in pollution, crime and economic crisis. The design became a famous cultural symbol for New York City, USA, marking a major turning point. The image of a heart is not simply love between couples, it has a broader meaning, in addition to romance, it is also love for the community and the country.
In the tropical regions of Asia, where the shiny, brilliant red grains of the native saga tree, scientifically known as Adenanthera pavonina, are also known as the crab grains, the red grains, are also considered symbols of love and value. These round, large, regular grains were used as a unit of weight for pure gold grains in ancient India. The word saga in Malay is said to originate from the Arabian word al-sayigh, meaning goldsmith.
The value of saga beans lies in their bright red and beautiful color that has gradually taken on over time with the shape of a heart that makes them used as jewelry and gifts to exchange between lovers. In Quan Thoai language, they are called soy sauce, a symbol of love. People believe that giving tofu to someone means sending affection and missed them.
Nowadays, on social networking platforms, we are very familiar with photos taking stature of a heart-scoring thumb. The cardio pose, also known as a Korean heart, is created by combining the index finger and thumb to form a small heart shape. This trend has been popular with K-Pop idols since the 1990s and then spread globally since the 2010s under the influence of the Korean cultural promotion wave.
In addition, heart shaping by joining hands together or each person forming half of a heart shape with the hand is equally popular. The trend is further promoted by celebrities and influential people on social media, especially used in social activities and campaigns to express a commitment to social inclusion, equality, love and social justice.
