The heart has long been used as the symbol of love and passion. 14th February, the Valentine’s Day, sees millions of cards, letters, balloons etc., with the spectacular red colored heart symbol. There maybe millions of ways to impress your partner but this simple red curve can beat any symbol of love. But ever wondered what the heart-symbol actually means? Or how the symbol originated? Well don’t get too surprised but the truth is in this post.

First of all we all know it is nowhere near the shape of the real heart, which has a ugly fist shape. Then we think why would the ancestors think about such an organ of our body which we never see in our lifetime. So the best option available is that the symbol of heart represents a stylisation of the vagina or the inverted head of a male penis.

Yes, the heart symbol seems to have first represented lust before it became associated with love. One thing that lays the base of this weird theory is the myth about the silphium drug, an ancient contraceptive. There are reports that its seed was perfectly heart shaped. The plant was considered so important during the Roman Empire that it was imprinted on the coins. The plant was ‘used up’ to extinction. Another fact that shoots up the importance of this theory, Silphium has similarities to the word Sylph – meaning slender and desirable young woman – a virgin.

Now the question, how come the word ‘heart’ got associated it with the symbol. For that we have a brittle explanation. Like the word heartwood is linked with the inner part of a tree, same way there are citations that ‘heart’ could mean ‘virginity’ in older times. Another example that proves the fact is the symbol of the cupid, a heart “pierced” by an arrow with tiny droplets of blood. The droplets of blood represent the breaking of the hymen and the loss of virginity. The arrow is also the definitive phallic component of the Male symbol – Mars – the erect arrow. In plain language it is a vagina penetrated by a penis.

So, this theory is yet standing on wooden sticks, but it has some truth behind it. So next time you send a heart symbol to your lover remember you are giving an invitation for an intercourse! We’ll leave you with this quote while you think about this :-

“Love is just a system for getting someone to call you darling after sex” Julian Barnes