There can be as many symbolic expressions of love as there are people in the world who have loved truly and madly. From time immemorial, love has been represented by using different symbols all over the world. The most famous one, as we all know, is a red heart. From Greek mythology to Tarot card reading to cultural symbolisms, love is known by various symbols. My personal symbol for unconditional love is poetry. When I fall in love, I fall hard and deep into the burning pit. I end up writing a ton of poems about them. From their personality to their behavior to every little detail that makes them the way they are and how they make me feel. Poetry is my way of showering love upon the person I am smitten with. Would you believe me if I said I have written more than 300 poems about and for one person? Let’s find out other obscure and unexplored symbols of love that people have used and have been using for centuries to convey their love for someone.
16 Beautiful Symbols Of Love With Their Meaning
Despite the popular belief of this century, a bouquet of fresh red roses and the red heart emoji aren’t the only symbols for unconditional love. As a matter of fact, different civilizations and cultures use different beautiful symbols of love to convey this beautiful emotion. Beyond the traditional symbol of love in the world, there are so many lesser-known emblems that symbolize the most beautiful feeling one can have the privilege of experiencing. Read with this hopeless romantic who turned into a desperate writer and find out the other symbols of love:
1. Apple
No, not the Apple iPhone. Get your head out of technology and gadgets for once, please. I am talking about apples, the fruit, which Adam took a bite of and it got stuck in his throat. The Greeks have honored apples as one of the ancient symbols of love and sexual desires. The ancient Greeks used to believe if you threw an apple at the woman you liked, then you were confessing your love for her. If the woman reciprocated the gentleman’s feelings, she would catch the apple or at least attempt to catch it. This healthy fruit was also considered to bring prosperity and fertility. It used to be customary for the bride to eat an apple on her wedding night to ensure her sexual desire and fertility to reproduce an offspring.
2. Swans
Swans exude a mesmerizing amount of grace, charm and beauty. Their appearance is straight out of a fairytale. Their elegance, body structure, elongated necks and their posture, everything about them is bewitching. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love is often depicted as riding a swan. Swans are depicted as one of the symbols of love and loyalty. Their intertwined necks symbolize a connected mind, body and soul of two soulmates. Swans are also among the rare monogamous species. They mate with only one partner for life. That should tell you a lot about undying devotion, love and loyalty. When two swans come together and form the shape of a heart, that sight makes one of the most romantic symbols of love.
3. Cupid
We have all heard the term “struck by Cupid’s arrow” used to refer to the process of falling in love. Cupid, the baby in a diaper with wings carrying a golden bow and arrows, is the son of Venus, the goddess of love. In Roman mythology, Cupid is best known as the god of desire, affection and erotic love. In today’s popular culture, Cupid is one of the widely known symbols of love and is commonly associated with Valentine’s Day. He is sometimes blindfolded in paintings, which is a symbolic way of saying love is blind.
4. The harp
The belief that harps represent love traces its roots to Europe. It is one of the Celtic symbols of love as its origin can be traced back to the ancient Celts who used to play the harp with lyrical poetry. It is known as the bridge of love that connects heaven and Earth in Celtic culture. The strings of the harp are believed to form a ladder, which symbolizes our ascent to higher states of love. The harp is one of the devout symbols of love in the Bible. It is said that King David played the Harp to the Lord himself to express his undying devotion and love.
5. The ankh
This is an Egyptian symbol for unconditional love. It is also known as crux ansata, or the “the key of life” or “the cross of life”. These days, the ankh has become a fashion accessory but it has an abundance of historical significance. It symbolizes fertility. Some scholars have argued that the loop on top symbolizes the female genitalia while the elongated line represents the masculine counterpart, the penis. Hence, one of the eccentric symbols of love as those two sacred units come together to form a union. The crossbar represents children that come from their union.
6. Mistletoe
I am a huge Potterhead. Ever since I saw Harry and Cho Chang share their first kiss under the mistletoe, I have wondered what implications a mistletoe brings. This tradition of finding yourself under the green leafy plant and going in for a passionate kiss has existed long before it was popularized by pop culture and TV series. Popular during Christmas time, this act of kissing under the mistletoe originates from Norse mythology and also finds a mention in a 1720 poem. Mistletoe represents love, fertility and vitality, which makes them one of the special and mysterious symbols of love.
7. Claddagh
The Claddagh is one of the well-known symbols of love in ancient Irish culture. Its design includes a hand, heart and crown. The heart represents love. The crown represents loyalty and the two clasped hands represent friendship. The Claddagh is a dazzling symbol of everlasting love. There are specific ways of wearing a Claddagh ring. If you are single and looking for love, then you wear it on the right hand with the heart on the ring pointing away from you. If you are in love, then wear it on your left hand with its heart pointing in.
8. Doves
Doves don’t just represent peace but are also one of the earnest symbols of love. They are elegant and attractive-looking birds with unique personalities. Out of all different types of doves, the white one is most commonly used to symbolize love. That’s why when we see two people getting touchy-feely with one another, we tend to use the term “lovey-dovey”. Doves produce a gentle cooing sound and the way they take flight is so extremely subtle and beautiful. The reason why they are known as one of the symbols of love is that, like swans, they too mate with only one partner for life. The male dove is known to be extremely caring of its partner.
9. Maple leaves
I have lost count of the number of movies where maple leaves are scattered and sometimes shown flying in the breezy air as a metaphorical and symbolic way of saying love is about to bloom between two people. The maple leaves have been linked with fertility and the joy of giving birth to a child. It is one of the most beautiful and widely used beautiful symbols of love in Japan and China. Like the sweet sap from its tree, which essentially produces maple syrup, maple leaves are considered to bring the sweetness and wonders of love in one’s life.
10. Infinity
Let’s all thank The Fault In Our Stars for bringing infinity to our attention. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities, right? And how many of us have used the phrase “to infinity and beyond” without knowing what it means? The infinity symbol is one of the pleasing and artistic symbols of love which represents forever, endless and always kind of love. The symbol of infinity is associated with eternal love and an everlasting commitment. Thanks to its elegant and beautiful design, it has become a trending choice for jewelry design and tattoos.
11. Shell
I always try to impress people on dates by saying my first name means heaven and my second name means seashell. And then I would go on to say that their experience of loving me would be nothing short of heavenly and precious. Now getting back to this stunning symbol of love in the world, shells were used to convey emotions. In Greek mythology, you will always see Aphrodite holding a seashell. As the hard casing of the shell protects the pearl, the lovers tend to be protective of each other. It signifies the protective nature of love.
12. Jasmine
This beautiful white flower is very famous in the Hindu religion as a symbol of love. It is widely believed that the Jasmine flower comes from the foothills of the Himalayas, which is considered sacred ground in India. Jasmine is one of the divine symbols of love, warmth, positivity and sensuality. There are many depictions of Hindu goddesses wearing Jasmine garlands around their necks. The white petals of the flower represent love, peace and purity.
13. Love knot
Love knot or the lover’s knot is a recurring theme in jewelry designs. The symbolism behind it is that of binding. When you tie a knot, you are bound with them forever. It is a metaphor of a person’s commitment toward love. That’s why when two people are getting married we say, “they are tying the knot”. It is one of the Celtic symbols of love. And also one of the important symbols of love in Hindu wedding rituals. Knots in themselves represent an unbreakable pledge.
14. Kokopelli
The Kokopelli symbolizes healing, courtship, fertility, love and music. Kokopelli is the fertility God of the Hopi tribe. Its symbol resembles an insect-like spirit. It’s a hunchbacked grasshopper playing a wooden flute. The Kokopelli plays a part in Hopi rituals by playing the love flute and attracting a maiden. This unique symbol for unconditional love is mostly seen in pottery, cave art and folklore originating from a thousand years ago.
15. Rose quartz
Crystals have been used in many cultures all over the world. Rose quartz is best known for being the stone of unconditional love. It is known to emit a strong vibration of love, joy and emotional healing. It is also known as the Love Stone. Due to its relevance in Greek Mythology’s Aphrodite, it is to this date commonly referred to as an aphrodisiac. Some believe it has healing properties. If you are single and looking for love, then get rose quartz as it draws the love you seek.
16. Heart
Do you know what’s one of the most frequently used emojis in my keypad? No surprise there. It’s the red heart. The most common and these days deemed as one of the most sincere symbols of love, the red heart is used everywhere, from text messages to cakes, and even clothing. The heart symbol looks like two scallops on top with a V-shaped pointer at the bottom. Some say that the shape of the heart is a stylized portrayal of human anatomy. The curved shape of breasts, buttocks or female genitalia. Over time, its shape has remained intact. It’s the ultimate eternal symbol of love. Love and affection have been depicted in various ways and with many beautiful symbols of love in different cultures. Love is complex and sometimes it gets messy. But let’s never twist how love is supposed to make us feel – secure, valued and revered. Love abundantly and love with every fiber of your being as that’s the only thing in the world that can bring a sense of calmness to your being.
