Man created symbols because he needed to express his religion or visual art through objects or shapes. Much before the heart's role in pumping blood was discovered, the organ was seen as the center of life, of courage, and of reason. It is the most universal of symbols. Historians have always been curious as to how and whence this representation appeared, since it has little to do with the anatomical organ. For some, the origin lies in the heart's resemblance to an ivy leaf, which in ancient times was a symbol of immortality and power. The article explores the curious origin of this symbol and the reason it came into being.
history of medicine; symbolism; heart
