Ancient Love Symbols

If you desire more love in your own life, or you want to see evidence of the love that exists around you,

you can begin by visualizing love through these ancient symbols of love.

These ancient love symbols are attached with the love that can be shared between two people.

Many of these ancient symbols have been symbolic since before the time of the writing of the bible.

Today, many of these symbols are still recognized as true symbols of love.

Ancient Love Symbol - The Apple

The apple is an ancient love symbol which has had several meanings over the years, however it often had something to do with love.

Secular art made use of the apple as a symbol of love and sexuality. It is often an attribute associated with Venus who is shown holding it.

The apple is also known as the biblical 'forbidden fruit'.

The larynx in the human throat is called the Adam's apple because of the folk tale that the bulge was caused by the forbidden fruit sticking in the throat of Adam.

The apple as a symbol of sexual seduction has sometimes been used to imply sexuality between men. When Hera married the god Zeus, Gaia gave apples to Hera, with the significance of long love and union.

Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, gave baskets filled with apples that were meant to woo Aphrodite and win her love.

Ancient Love Symbol - The Heart

The heart is an ancient symbol that dates back to the time of the Bible.

The heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past, intellectual core of a human being. As the heart was once widely believed to be the seat of the human mind, the word heart continues to be used poetically to refer to the soul, and stylized depictions of hearts are used as prevalent symbols representing love. For example: if your soul is pure and good, your heart was filled with love. The ancient heart symbol is still used today mostly to symbolize love, and it is used mostly on Valentine's day.

Magicians and Alchemists used the heart symbol for incantations and rituals related to love, romance and strengthening relationships.

Ancient Love Symbol - Cupid

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Here is some history on this ancient love symbol.

Cupid is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love.

Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.

Ancient Love Symbol - The Swan

Swans are often a symbol of love or fidelity because of their long-lasting, apparently monogamous relationships.

See the famous swan-related operas Lohengrin and Parsifal.

In Greek mythology, the story of Leda and the Swan recounts that Helen of Troy was conceived in a union of Zeus, disguised as a swan, and Leda, Queen of Sparta.

This ancient symbol dates back to the times when the bible was written. The Swan is also known as a symbol of the Virgin Mary and The Swan represents the Virgin Mary's purity and love.

Ancient Love Symbol - The Harp (or Enchanted Harp)

The harp or enchanted heart has long been known as a symbol of love, that expresses love through music, poetry, and lyrical art.

The Harp shares more mythical connections to the Celts, representing the bridge of love, connecting heaven and earth.

In Norway and Iceland, the Harp strings formed a ladder symbolizing the ascent to higher states of love and a pathway leading to paradise.

King David played the Harp to the Lord, to express his devotion and love.

Ancient Love Symbol - The Rose

Roses havelong been used as symbols in a number of societies.

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty.

"Rose" means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as romance languages, Greek, and Polish).

The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary.

The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus.

In ancient mythology, in Greece and Rome, the first red roses are said to have grown from the blood of Adonis for the love of Aphrodite (Venus); thus, they have become symbolic of love, and often eternal life.

The red rose is an ancient symbol of love, roses in other colors carry different meanings.

Ancient Love Symbol - The Dove

Doves, usually white in color, are used in a variety of settings as symbols of love, peace or as messengers.

In Hinduism, the Dove represents our spirit, and the spirits infinite capacity for love.

In Roman mythology, the dove was a sacred creature to Aphrodite or Venus (the Goddess of Love).

Ancient Jewish rituals sacrificed doves as gifts of love to signify the purification of a new mother after childbirth.

In western tradition, the Dove (as well as turtledoves) symbolizes love and are often released in wedding ceremonies.

Ancient Love Symbols - Hands

Clasped hands represent the hands of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and clasped hands were and still are symbols of the friendship between their countries.

Years ago, when a man proposed marriage to a woman, the man asked for her hand. That is when the hand became a symbol of marriage and love.

Clasped hands can be a symbol of a farewell or last goodbye, and some are accompanied by wording reflecting such sentiments.

This symbol can also illustrate unity in life and death, a fraternal bond or a partnership such as man and wife.

Ancient Love Symbol - Maple Leaf

In China and Japan the Maple Leaf is an emblem of lovers.

North American settlers used to place the maple leaves at the foot of their beds to ward off demons and encourage sexual pleasure as well as peaceful sleep.

Also in the North American region, the stork can be seen weaving Maple branches into their nests and as such, the Maple became a symbol of the love found in welcoming a new child into the home. Just as the sweet rich sap produces maple syrup, maple leaves serve as symbols of love depicting the sweetness and wonder of love in every day life.

Ancient Love Symbol - The Triangle

In Egypt, in ancient times, the triangle was often seen as a symbol of intelligence, and it indicated the capacity for love.

The triangle is also associated with the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.