Have you ever looked at the heart shape properly? I mean, really looked at it?
It’s everything it’s supposed to be for representing love.
Look at it this way:
We can imagine the female anatomy – breasts leading down to the vulva – the bottom is even in a V shape, and if you turn the heart on its side, the top looks like a B!
Yet if we turn it the other way up:
– lo and behold we have a pair of testicles, and the suggestion of a man’s love member (since it’s February, I’m not going to use the word ‘penis’ because it’s not a particularly lovely word…).
So what’s the history of the heart-shape as we know it?
Some scholars argue that the shape originates from artists trying to depict the heart with three chambers, according to ancient medical texts from Aristotle and Galen.
In medieval times, the heart-shape was used on heraldic objects, but was not symbolic of love; rather the shape depicted a lily-pad:
A lily pad symbolised eloquence and persuasion. I actually find this interesting, because these two elements are present in every romantic relationship, aren’t they…think of the First Date. The Proposal. One is supposed to be both eloquent and persuasive.
Heraldry also used the symbol inverted, to symbolise a pair of testicles. The Colleoni family of Milan use this in their Canting arms. Canting arms are those who depict the bearer’s name in a visual pun. Testicles, in Italian, is coglioni. Colleoni, coglioni.
So when was this shape first used to depict love? Nobody really knows the answer, although there are clues. In the Empress Zoe mosaic of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, dated 1239, there are heart symbols on the bible Jesus holds.
Heart symbols have also been seen on Persian excavations (circa 90 BC – 637 AD). Tantalizing!
The heart shape became popular in religious art during the Renaissance, and began to be used as a suit in playing cards at this time.
Since the 1900s, the heart has been used to represent love on Valentine’s Day cards, and chocolate boxes.
Aw. It’s a pretty awesome shape, isn’t it!
Je, umewahi kutazama umbo la moyo kwa usahihi? Namaanisha, kweli kuangalia ni? Ni kila kitu ni lazima kuwa kwa kuwakilisha upendo. Angalia kwa njia hii: Tunaweza kufikiria anatomia ya mwanamke <unk> matiti inayoongoza chini ya vulva <unk> chini ni hata katika umbo la V, na kama wewe kugeuka moyo juu ya upande wake, juu inaonekana kama B! Hata hivyo kama sisi kugeuka ni njia nyingine juu: <unk> lo na tazama tuna jozi ya testicles, na pendekezo la mtu <unk> upendo mwanachama (kwa kuwa ni Februari, mimi si kwenda kutumia neno <unk> penis <unk> kwa sababu si neno hasa lovely...). Kwa hiyo, historia ya umbo la moyo kama tunavyoijua ni nini? Wataalamu fulani wanasema kwamba umbo hilo lilitokana na wasanii waliojaribu kuelezea moyo kuwa na vyumba vitatu, kulingana na maandishi ya kale ya kitiba ya Aristotle na Galen. Katika nyakati za kati, umbo la moyo lilitumiwa kwenye vitu vya heraldic, lakini haikuwa ishara ya upendo; badala yake umbo hilo lilionyesha lily-pad: lily pad iliashiria usemi na ushawishi. Mimi kweli kupata hii ya kuvutia, kwa sababu hizi vipengele viwili ni sasa katika kila uhusiano wa kimapenzi, si wao... kufikiri ya Tarehe ya Kwanza. Pendekezo hilo. Mtu anapaswa kuwa mwenye kusema vizuri na mwenye kushawishi. Heraldry pia ilitumia ishara hiyo iliyorudishwa nyuma, ili kufananisha jozi ya viungo vya uzazi. Familia ya Colleoni ya Milan hutumia hii katika mikono yao ya Canting. Silaha za kuimba ni zile ambazo zinaonyesha jina la mtoaji katika mchezo wa maneno wa kuona. "Kama ilivyo kwa Kiitaliano, ""Testi"" ni ""coglioni.""" Colleoni, coglioni. Ni lini umbo hili lilitumiwa kwa mara ya kwanza kuwakilisha upendo? Hakuna mtu anayejua jibu halisi, ingawa kuna madokezo. Mfano wa msalaba wa Empress Zoe katika Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, ni mfano wa maandiko ya Yesu. Mfano wa moyo wa mnyama huyo ulipatikana katika vitu vya kale vya Uajemi (karibu mwaka wa 90 KK hadi mwaka wa 637 KK). Ni yenye kuvutia sana! Mfano wa moyo ulijulikana sana katika sanaa ya kidini wakati wa Enzi ya Renaissance, na ulianza kutumiwa kama suti katika kadi za kucheza wakati huu. Tangu miaka ya 1900, moyo umekuwa ukitumika kuwakilisha upendo kwenye kadi za Siku ya wapendanao na masanduku ya chokoleti. Aaaah. Ni umbo la ajabu sana, sivyo!