Where did the heart symbol really come from?

The heart symbol is instantly recognised around the world, but it doesn’t actually look much like the human heart. So where did it come from? Its origins are tied to ancient plants, medieval art, and centuries of changing symbolism. Here’s how the iconic heart shape may have come to be. (unsplash)

The silphium theory: One popular theory links the symbol to silphium, an ancient Mediterranean plant prized in Cyrene. Its seed pod closely resembled the modern heart shape and because the plant was associated with love and fertility, many believe it inspired the icon. (wikimedia commons)

It became tied to courtly love: By the Middle Ages, the heart symbol had become strongly linked with love, emotion, and affection. It appeared in paintings, manuscripts, and decorative objects as a visual shorthand for romance. (wikimedia commons)

Medieval artists helped popularise it: One of the earliest heart shaped images appears in a 13th century French manuscript. It showed a figure offering a stylised heart, helping connect the shape to romance and devotion. (wikimedia commons)

It doesn’t resemble the real heart: The first mystery is obvious: the familiar heart symbol looks very different from the organ inside our bodies. Historians believe the shape wasn’t originally meant to be anatomically accurate at all, which is why its beginnings are still debated. (unsplash)

People once imagined the heart differently: Before detailed anatomical studies, artists and scholars had only vague ideas of what the human heart looked like. Their artistic interpretations were often symbolic, which may have helped the now-familiar shape evolve. (facebook: David Siegel)

A symbol that lasted centuries: Over time, the heart shape spread across cultures and took on universal meaning. Today it represents love, care, and connection everywhere from handwritten notes to emojis despite its mysterious beginnings. (unsplash)