As Valentine’s Day approaches, we can already feel the love. A warm holiday for a wintry month, this celebration of romance includes red-or-pink everything, long-stem roses, boxes of chocolate, and of course, hearts and arrows. These powerful symbols have evolved over time, but where did their designation as the ultimate signs of love actually begin?
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The first instance of the heart as the epicenter of love and desire dates back to the mid-13th century: A painting in the manuscript of the Roman de la poire, an illustrated medieval poem, shows a young man handing his heart to a lady. Truth be told, the heart actually looks more like a pinecone – but according to experts, other artists were influenced by this design, and developed it into the scalloped red shape we recognize today.
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The arrow, which often pierces the heart in depiction of that powerful lovestruck feeling, comes from Cupid, the god of desire, passion, and affection in Roman mythology. According to myth, he had only to aim and shoot his arrow, and his target would fall in love. Today, his arrow illustrates amour on everything from greeting cards to emojis.
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Together, the heart and arrow represent passionate, everlasting love. Celebrate romance this season by wearing your own heart and arrow symbols, and let the sweet knowledge of your love warm your winter days.
Written by Julie Pennell
