THE
ARCANE
ARCHIVE
a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.


TOP | INTERDISCIPLINARY | ICONOGRAPHY | MYTHS AND SYMBOLS

heart shape symbol

To: alt.lucky.w,alt.magick.tyagi
From: catherine yronwode 
Subject: Re: heart shape symbol
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 10:48:12 -0800

HERMANN wrote:
> 
> I'm doing research concerning the shape of the heart as used in 
> valentines, love symbols, etc. My interest is 
> 1) the origin of the shape of the heart,
> 2) the original meaning of this shape, and 
> 3) any history involved or related to this shape. 
> If you can help or direct me in my search for
> answers, it will be most appreciated.
> 
> Dr. Ray Hermann, hermann@prodigy.com

I have no scholarly data on the subject, but based on my reading and a
fairly well-organized memory for images, i associate the "heart-shaped"
image of the heart with Europeans only after the medieval era. It
certainly is not a culturally universal ideogram for a heart (nor is the
heart universally considered the seat of affection or emotion). It is
not found in the art of the Americas, Australia, or East Asia until the
advent of global communication. As for its use in European symbolism, it
may have had earlier roots in European tribal art, but i think not -- i
believe that it came to Europe from the Middle East during the era of
the Crusades and the later Moorish invasions. One finds it used a great
deal in the filigree jewelry work of North Africa, especially in
connection with the so-called Hand of Fatima (Hamsa Hand). If Hamsa
Hands interest you, go to my web page at
http://www.luckymojo.com/HamsaHand.html

The nearest form of curved image that approximates the "heart" is the
"paisley" of India -- two "paisleys" face-to-face make a "heart." Since
there was extensive trade between India and the Middle East in early
historic times and many Middle Eastern design ideas was transferred to
Europe during the Crusades and during the Moorish invasions, i suspect
that is the route you'll find the "heart" followed. 

As far as hearts themselves, there are numerous images and references to
them at the Lucky W Amulet Archive. The primary page is the one on the
flaming heart at
http://www.luckymojo.com/flamingheart.html
-- but to extract the most information from the Archive, go to the
top-leavel page and just use my site's local search engine on the word
"heart." The search engine is at 
http://www.luckymojo.com/LuckyW.html

If you do turn up more information, please post it to alt.lucky.w, a
newsgroup devoted to such esoterica. 

catherine yronwode

Lucky Mojo Curio Co: http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
The Lucky W Amulet Archive: http://www.luckymojo.com/LuckyW.html  
Sacred Sex: http://www.luckymojo.com/sacredsex.html
The Sacred Landscape: http://www.luckymojo.com/sacredland.html
Freemasonry for Women: http://www.luckymojo.com/CoMasonry.html

The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org.

Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small
donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site.

The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories,
each dealing with a different branch of
religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge.
Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit:
interdisciplinary: geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness
occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells
religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo
societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc.

SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE

There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):

Search For:
Match:  Any word All words Exact phrase

OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST

Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including slave narratives & interviews
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
Sacred Sex: essays and articles on tantra yoga, neo-tantra, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
Sacred Landscape: essays and articles on archaeoastronomy, sacred architecture, and sacred geometry
Lucky Mojo Forum: practitioners answer queries on conjure; sponsored by the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Herb Magic: illustrated descriptions of magic herbs with free spells, recipes, and an ordering option
Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers: ethical diviners and hoodoo spell-casters
Freemasonry for Women by cat yronwode: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith, the Smallest Church in the World
Satan Service Org: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World
Lucky Mojo Usenet FAQ Archive: FAQs and REFs for occult and magical usenet newsgroups
Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic
Aleister Crowley Text Archive: a multitude of texts by an early 20th century ceremonial occultist
Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective
The Mystic Tea Room: divination by reading tea-leaves, with a museum of antique fortune telling cups
Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
Lucky Mojo Magic Spells Archives: love spells, money spells, luck spells, protection spells, etc.
      Free Love Spell Archive: love spells, attraction spells, sex magick, romance spells, and lust spells
      Free Money Spell Archive: money spells, prosperity spells, and wealth spells for job and business
      Free Protection Spell Archive: protection spells against witchcraft, jinxes, hexes, and the evil eye
      Free Gambling Luck Spell Archive: lucky gambling spells for the lottery, casinos, and races