In the traditions of many European peoples a symbol of triumph and victory is a laurel branch. To understand why this happened, you need to look at history. Ancient world and trace the path that an ordinary tree made - from a simple plant to a symbol of victory.
Greek legends
Myths Ancient Greece This triumphal symbol is associated with Apollo - the god, patron of the arts and competitions. According to legend, one day Apollo fell in love with the nymph Daphne and began to persistently pursue her. The beauty tried to escape. When Apollo had almost caught her, Daphne, raising her hands, turned to her father, the god of rivers Peneus. He turned her into a slender tree. The saddened Apollo wove a wreath for himself from the leaves of this tree, in memory of And the tree was named after the unfortunate nymph. Translated, Daphne means laurel. To this day, laurel gardens and groves grow on the island of Delos, where, according to legend, the god of beauty was born. Well, the decoration from it became an indispensable attribute of the image of Apollo.
Winners symbol
Since then, the laurel tree has been inextricably linked with the name of Apollo. Since, in addition to the arts, Apollo patronized sports competitions, the laurel wreath began to be awarded not only to skilled composers, singers and artists, but also to the winners of the Pythian games, the venue of which was the Cryssaean plain. From Greece it was inherited by the Romans. The triumphal symbol of the laurel began to be intended not only for winners in sports competitions, but also for heroes who distinguished themselves in military campaigns. The Romans used the laurel to follow a military victory. This award was given to a warrior for special merits - for example, for saving a comrade in battle, being the first to enter an enemy fortress, for a successful assault on an enemy city. The goddess of victory Nike always held in her hands a triumphal symbol - a laurel wreath, which was placed on the head of the winner.
Legend had it that the laurel was Jupiter's favorite tree, and it was never struck by lightning. IN Peaceful time served as an indispensable attribute of holidays and sacrifices glorifying the supreme god of the Romans. The symbol of triumph was minted on coins depicting Apollo and Jupiter. Yuri Caesar wore a wreath to all ceremonial events. Is it true, gossips it was claimed that the laurel wreath helped to hide the balding crown of the emperor.
Laurel among early Christians
The early Christians borrowed many symbols from the symbol of triumph - the laurel branch, which was also not forgotten. In the aesthetics of early Christianity, laurel symbolizes chastity, purity, health and longevity. Evergreen leaves perfectly symbolized eternal life which will come after the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God. Christ was also often depicted with a laurel wreath, as the One who conquered death. Some early Christian martyrs were depicted with laurel wreaths. Laurel was also revered as a plant widely used in medicine and cooking. In an era when spices were worth their weight in gold, bay leaves were indeed a precious gift that could be presented even to a king.
Laurel in heraldry and faleristics
The symbol of immortality from theosophy migrated to the coats of arms and insignia of well-born aristocrats. In heraldry, laurel, like oak, is a symbol of fearlessness and valor. Golden leaves on a red background symbolized the fearless heart of a brave warrior. The triumphal symbol became especially popular in France, and was decorated with the coat of arms of the French Republic. After this, the laurel took pride of place on the coats of arms of many states. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, laurel wreaths adorned the state signs of such countries as Brazil, Guatemala, Algeria, Greece, Israel, Cuba, and Mexico.
And the insignia of many countries around the world is decorated with evergreen laurel leaves. After all, throughout the world this plant is a symbol of glory, victory and military valor, which means that awards should contain this triumphal symbol in their image. The most honorable awards European countries contain images of bay leaves.
The meaning of the laurel wreath today
Until now, the laurel wreath adorns the winners of various artistic and music competitions. The title “laureate” literally means “decorated with laurel,” which means a winner worthy of wearing this symbol of triumph. Photos of modern laureates show that today they are not decorated with wreaths like the ancient winners. It’s just that the insignia of scientists and musicians certainly contains images of laurel leaves. According to some sources, the scientific title “bachelor” also comes from the name of the laurel branch.
Thus, from the ancient past, the laurel has safely come to our time, almost without losing its symbolic meaning.
The famous Ovid in his Metamorphoses tells that Apollo, who lived among people, fell in love with the nymph Daphne and constantly pursued her. One day, after defeating the serpent Python, Apollo met the young god of love Eros with a bow and arrows and joked with him: “Why do you need a bow and arrows, baby? Are you really thinking of surpassing me in the art of shooting?
This mockery offended Eros, and he sent two arrows in revenge. The first, the arrow of love, pierced Apollo, and the second, killing love, hit Daphne. Since then, Daphne has always run away from Apollo. No tricks helped him. Exhausted by suffering and eternal persecution, Daphne turned to Father Peneus and Earth so that they could take her image away from her. After these words, she turned into a laurel bush (a curious fact is that in Rus' until the 18th century, the bay leaf was called “daphnia” (“laurel” in Greek is “daphne”).
The saddened Apollo from then on began to wear a wreath of evergreen laurel on his head. In Greece, homes were decorated with laurel leaves to refresh the room. Laurel branches were placed in mattresses to make people dream prophetic dreams. There was a belief that laurel saved from lightning strikes.
Thus, it is a known fact that the Roman Emperor Tiberius, during thunderclaps, put on a laurel wreath and crawled under the bed. Laurel was considered a sacred tree; the heads of victors were decorated with wreaths in Ancient Greece. For several thousand years this tradition has been preserved in other countries, for example in England. From the word “laurel” comes the word “laureate” - “crowned with laurels.”
The magical properties of bay leaf
There are a lot of secrets to using bay leaves as a magical remedy, and everyone believes that it can bring him many positive changes in life. Bay leaf is used for love rituals , in order to attract a “soul mate”, monetary rituals (it is believed that the plant is directly related to financial well-being person and literally “attracts” money to itself), as well as in order to get rid of any damage and fulfill your cherished desires.
Bay leaf is often symbol of wealth and prosperity. That is why laurel branches are often hung around a home or workplace (office, store, workshop) to attract customers and cash flows into action. It is not uncommon for a bay leaf to be present in a person’s personal belongings, for example, in a wallet. This way you can attract success to yourself, which will accompany you not only in business, but also in your work.
A good sign is to take take a bay leaf with you and put it in your pocket(as close to the body as possible) to succeed in an interview or meeting, to be noticed and recognized for your abilities, to be hired or promoted. To prevent the leaf from getting dirty and sometimes tormented by an overly stuffy aroma, you can wrap it not just in a handkerchief, but in a piece of red or green color (red attracts good luck, green attracts money).
Many athletes, even before the announcement of the results in competitions, carry a bay leaf with them, which, in their opinion, brings victory and well-being in competitions, as well as recognition and a self-sufficient life.
There is one ritual that allows you to achieve the desired wealth with the help of bay leaves. This ritual should be performed at home or in the workplace. Choose a large and whole bay leaf, without holes, cracks or damage. On the back side (not glossy), write your wish with a pen or pencil (“get rich”, “receive a bonus” or, for example, “repay a debt”). This sheet should be burned and its smoke spread throughout the room.
Another method invites you to write your wish related to well-being on a piece of white paper and roll it up into a tube, tying three beautiful and undamaged lava leaves to the “roll.” This amulet should be kept in a secluded place at your work or home. Only after the desire is fulfilled should the amulet be burned and its ashes scattered over fertile soil (garden, vegetable garden).
There is a conspiracy for money with bay leaves. With its help, you can count on good luck in the monetary sphere and the growth of accumulated funds. To perform it, you need to take a beautiful container and put a large denomination coin into it. Each coin lining must be accompanied by a laurel leaf lining. When placing a coin in a container, you must say where the money will come from. This could be a gift, an inheritance, good earnings or a sudden find. After the ritual, the container is closed and shaken. At the same time the conspiracy is said:
“Money for money, but poverty is beyond the threshold, profit is with me like a laurel on a bush.” Afterwards, the container with the spoken coins is placed in a secluded place, away from prying eyes. If money comes to you exactly as promised, then every time it comes Money Don’t forget to gratefully put a coin and a bay leaf into your piggy bank.
There is another conspiracy to use bay leaves for money. In order for you to always have money and increase your capital, you should choose a large and whole leaf of laurel. This leaf should be rubbed between the palms of both hands, asking the laurel to help you in any financial affairs. Then you need to apply a little of any essential oil to the plant so that its smell merges with the smell of laurel. After this, the sheet must be placed in the place where the money is stored. At the same time the words are spoken:
“Money to money, wealth to wealth.”
A bay leaf will attract cash flows and protect you from unnecessary spending. The enchanted plant can be placed in a wallet so that money can be transferred and not transferred. Such rituals attract cash flows and stimulate a person to learn how to earn good money himself.
Bay leaf is used very often to attract money. In order for there to be money in the house, there is another ritual; for it you need to take seven large and undamaged leaves of the plant. The leaves should have long stems. These legs are tied with red woolen thread. Either a bill or a coin is tied to the thread, symbolizing monetary energy. This kind of amulet hangs over front door with words:
“Money goes into the house, but poverty is beyond the threshold.”
A bay leaf spell for money is best done and read on a waxing moon. It is believed that it is in this phase that flows open that help increase profits and material well-being.
Why do they put a bay leaf in a wallet, and with what words of conspiracy?
Putting a bay leaf in your wallet to attract money and prosperity should also be done “correctly”, so as not to incur any negative energy and not have the opposite effect. Of course, you can do without any rituals and simply mentally wish yourself success, but reading a conspiracy to attract wealth will be much more effective. Such conspiracies are best read during the waxing moon, sitting alone and in silence with a lit candle.
IMPORTANT: You must believe in the ritual itself and in every word spoken, so that your ritual is sure to be effective.
This turns out to be a magical and powerful ordinary bay leaf that everyone has at home.
One of which is laurel, people have always treated it in a special way. They were seen as the personification of eternity, constancy - in a word, everything that was traditionally opposed to transience human life. The glory of the winner should be eternal - in any case, people wanted to believe so.
Apollo tree
It is noteworthy that athletes in Ancient Greece were not crowned with laurels; for them, a sign of victory was a wreath of olive branches or... celery. The award in the form of a laurel wreath was intended the best winners Pythian games that took place at Delphi. Over time, these games also began to include sport competitions, but their main content has always remained the competition between poets and musicians - in a word, those who are still called “servants of Apollo” today. The laurel was dedicated to this patron god of art. Why him?This connection had a real basis: these trees grew on Mount Parnassus, which the Greeks revered as the abode of the muses and Apollo Musagetes. But it would be strange if it did not give rise to legends explaining the connection between art.
Apollo, like many Greek gods, was distinguished by his love of love. One day, a nymph named Daphne became the object of his passion, but the beauty vowed to remain chaste and was not going to give in to his advances. The unfortunate woman begged the gods to protect her from Apollo’s persecution, and the gods heeded the plea: instead of the girl, a laurel tree appeared in Apollo’s arms. God placed a wreath of laurel on his head so as not to part with his beloved, who had been turned into a tree.
Further history of the symbol
The laurel wreath as a symbol of glory and victory was adopted from Greece by another ancient civilization - the ancient Roman one. In contrast to refined Hellas, harsh Rome does not recognize any glory and any victories in a military coma. The symbolism of the laurel wreath is changing: it is used to crown a triumphant commander; it was initially worn by Roman emperors as a sign of power.Christians saw a new meaning in this symbol. For them, the lava wreath became the personification of the eternal glory of the martyrs who died for the faith.
The connection of the laurel wreath with poetic glory is resurrected in the era that succeeds antiquity. In 1341 one of greatest poets Italian Renaissance- Francesco Petrarca - in the hall of the senatorial palace on the Capitol in Rome, accepted a laurel wreath from the hands of the senator as recognition of his poetic achievements. This gave the poet a reason to play on the name of the woman he sang, whose name also comes from the word “laurel”: Laura gave him the laurel.
TO XVII century The laurel wreath has already firmly established itself as an emblem of glory in general, not only poetic. He is depicted on orders and awards for winning competitions. In this form, she inherited this symbol modern civilization. Not only the word “laureate” goes back to him, but also the name of the bachelor’s degree.
IN ancient Greek culture the laurel represented victory and peace and was dedicated to Apollo and Dionysus. According to myth, Apollo pursued the nymph Daphne, who had promised to remain chaste. Daphne begged for help, and the gods turned her into a laurel tree, which Apollo hugged in vain. From now on, the laurel became his sacred plant. That is why in Greece musicians, poets, dancers, whose patron was Apollo, were awarded laurel wreaths, while athletes were crowned with olive or celery wreaths. Laurel groves grew at the top of Parnassus, the abode of the muses, and surrounded the temples of Apollo. Festive garlands and wreaths were woven from laurel leaves; at festivals in honor of Apollo, spectators wore laurel wreaths. Laurus was credited with not only healing powers, but also the power of cleansing from spiritual defilement. Laurel leaves were ritually cleansed from spilled blood; Apollo cleansed himself with them after killing Python. The goddess of victory Nike was depicted with a laurel wreath in her hands, which she places on the heads of the victorious heroes.
IN Ancient Rome the laurel wreath becomes the highest sign of military and imperial glory. It symbolized the peace that comes after defeating the enemy. Messages of victory and victorious weapons were wrapped around the laurel and folded in front of the image of Jupiter. Laurel wreaths and branches were depicted on coins and gems as attributes of Jupiter and Apollo. The first Roman emperors did not wear crowns, but decorated their heads with a laurel wreath. In ancient Rome, orators and poets also aspired to own a laurel wreath. In addition, the laurel was dedicated to the Vestal Virgins and personified purity.
IN early Christianity evergreen laurel leaves were considered a symbol of eternal life or new life that would come through the redemptive acts of Christ, and a laurel wreath symbolized martyrdom. St. Paul contrasts the incorruptible crown with which a Christian ascetic is crowned with the perishable crown that is received by the winner in the lists.
Already in Hellenistic era the laurel becomes a symbol of glory as such, and a laurel wreath or laurel branch becomes an emblem of glory. In the Middle Ages, laurel was not used in classical heraldry. But after french revolution In 1789, the laurel became the most popular emblem of France: laurel branches were included in the coat of arms of the French Republic, and in our time they are also included in state emblems Algeria, Brazil, Greece, Israel, Cuba, Mexico and other countries
IN the art of classicism The laurel became widespread as the main emblem of glory. It is found on awards received for successful participation in competitions by scientists, artists, musicians, poets, writers (who are therefore called laureates), as well as on most orders - signs of lifetime glory
Ovid "Metamorphoses"
Daphne
The bright, joyful god Apollo knows sadness, and grief befell him. He experienced grief shortly after defeating Python. When Apollo, proud of his victory, stood over the monster killed by his arrows, he saw near him the young god of love Eros, pulling his golden bow. Laughing, Apollo said to him:
- What do you need, child, such a formidable weapon? It’s better for me to send the smashing golden arrows with which I just killed Python. Can you be equal in glory to me, Arrowhead? Do you really want to achieve greater glory than me?
The offended Eros proudly answered Apollo:
- Your arrows, Phoebus-Apollo, do not miss, they strike everyone, but my arrow will strike you.
Eros flapped his golden wings and in the blink of an eye flew up to high Parnassus. There he took two arrows from the quiver: one - wounding the heart and evoking love, with which he pierced the heart of Apollo, the other - killing love, he shot it into the heart of the nymph Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus.
Once he met the beautiful Daphne Apollo and fell in love with her. But as soon as Daphne saw the golden-haired Apollo, she began to run with the speed of the wind, because the arrow of Eros, killing love, pierced her heart. The silver-bowed god hurried after her.
“Stop, beautiful nymph,” cried Apollo, “why are you running from me, like a lamb pursued by a wolf, like a dove fleeing from an eagle, you rush!” After all, I’m not your enemy! Look, you hurt your feet on the sharp thorns of the thorns. Oh wait, stop! After all, I am Apollo, the son of the thunderer Zeus, and not a mere mortal shepherd.
But the beautiful Daphne ran faster and faster. As if on wings, Apollo rushes after her. He's getting closer. It's about to catch up! Daphne feels his breath. Her strength is leaving her. Daphne prayed to her father Peneus:
- Father Penei, help me! Open up quickly, earth, and swallow me up! Oh, take this image away from me, it causes me nothing but suffering!
As soon as she said this, her limbs immediately went numb. The bark covered her tender body, her hair turned into leaves, and her arms raised to the sky turned into branches. Apollo stood sadly in front of the laurel for a long time and finally said:
“Let a wreath of only your greenery adorn my head, and from now on let you decorate both my cithara and my quiver with your leaves.” May your greenery never wither, O laurel! Stay forever green!
And the laurel quietly rustled in response to Apollo with its thick branches and, as if in agreement, bowed its green top.
Delphi
The path of the ridges was blocked by the masses.
There is shadow and haze in the valleys.
Fedriadas burn in the sun
And Zeus's eagles scream.
The greatness of secrets and ancient power
A holy fear will be born in the soul.
The laurel groves are silent,
And the echo multiplies every sound.
Along the beds of ditches, at the bottom of gorges
The rumor of gray streams does not remain silent.
From the ulcers of the earth, from the mountain crevices,
Foggy breath rises like steam.
Here, crowned with vines, -
To the Valley of Delphi, to the mouth of the earth
pious path
Prayers brought me.
I swam across the sea after a dolphin
And at noon a white star
Me across the scorched plains
Led to the serpent's nest.
But the foremother Gaia is not free
Give birth to sons. Python fell silent
And they guard the serpent's cave
Sacred laurel, Delphic wolf.
And where Gad crawls gloomily
The midday ghost of the day darkened,
A stream of cold and transparent
It's oozing to kill the horse.
And where the quiver clinked with threat
And God struck the snake with an arrow,
The righteous oracle speaks,
And the laurel was bitter in the mouth of the Sibyls.
And the olive branch is a wild place
Keeps it under the merciful canopy,
Where is the god of the persecuted Orestes
He sheltered the Eumenides from the wrath.
In spontaneous chaos - the order of law.
On the abyss of the spirit - the splendor of vestments.
And the murdered Dionysus -
In a coffin in front of the temple of Apollo!
The ancient Greeks believed that Apollo patronized singers, musicians and poets, so it was on the heads of the best of them that wreaths from the Laurel were placed. Some time passed and this custom spread to other segments of the population. Laurel wreath Now the winner at sports competitions could receive it, and the same wreath could be used to decorate a beautiful sculpture.
The tradition of awarding the best with a wreath of laurel leaves has survived to this day.
Many people do not even suspect that the expression " laurels of the winner"either term" laureate" are directly related to the name of this humble plant. Today, the appearance of images of leaves from the laurel tree in the form of a wreath in heraldic science is taken for granted.
Rediscovered this one ancient symbol and began to be widely used in heraldry after the French Revolution, which occurred in 1789 - 1794 years. It was after the bourgeois revolution in France that Laurel branches appeared on its coat of arms. This sign means glory and victory and is located on coats of arms, as well as heraldic symbols many countries of the world. Today it can be found on many coins, both ancient and modern.
Since this tree produces great amount essential oils, then this will allow the Laurel to constantly have a green tint. It is precisely this circumstance that can explain the origin of the legend of the Laurel wreath, a symbol of eternal life. In early Christianity, unlike Ancient Rome the symbol of the laurel branch meant eternal life, which bestows Jesus Christ by his painful death on the cross.
Without any doubt, myths are cultural heritage of all humanity, however, the bay leaf gained its fame as a spice due to its delicate smell. Moreover, it is difficult to find in nature such a plant that would live and develop throughout 1000
years.
Another symbol for placing a wreath on the head of the winner is a wish for him for long years life.
All Christian saints have halos around their heads, this is nothing more than an imitation of the Ancient Romans to designate distinguished person laurel wreath above his head.
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