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A (Surprising) History of the Heart

The coyly pulsating emoji has many naughty secrets. 

It’s a Dil Da Mamla! AOI brings you an unexpected history of the heart….emoji!

From being an ivy leaf in Greek God Dionysius’s (grapes/wine emoji symbol) party outfit to being linked to booze, sex and genitals to becoming the masthead of Valentine’s, the heart has been very naughty before becoming the emoji we know it today. 

Bibliography:

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Cheever, David William. “The Gymnasium.” The Atlantic. May, 1859.

Discobulus of Myron. On Art and Aesthetics. April 12, 2016

Goldhill, Simon. Love, Sex & Tragedy: How the Ancient World Shapes Our Lives. New York: University of Chicago Press. 2004

J. Paul Getty Museum. In The Flesh: Body Fat in Ancient Art. Google Arts and Culture. 

Karoglou, Kiki. July 1, 2016 “Ancient and Modern Colossal Statues: From Athena Parthenos to the Statue of Liberty” Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Kirchhof, Mark, and Neil Kitson. "Trends in body hair removal as depicted through art." Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology 68, no. 4 (2013) : P6886

https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(12)01423-5/abstract

O’Mahony, Mike. “In the Shadow of Myron: The Impact of the Discobolus on Representations of Olympic Sport from Victorian Britain to Contemporary China.” The International Journal of the History of Sport 30, no. 7 (2012): 693–718

Papaioannou, Christina & Lykesas, Georgios. “The role and significance of dance in the Dionysian Mysteries.” Studies in Physical Culture and Tourism. No 19 (2012) 68-72. 

Scanlon, Thomas F. Eros and Greek Athletics. London: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Sooke, Alastaire. “The Discobolus: Greeks, Nazis and the body beautiful.” BBC. March 24, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150324-hitlers-idea-of-the-perfect-body

The Discobulus. Hidden History. March 28, 2017.

Vohra, Paromita. “Automatic Bodies.” The Indian Quarterly (Oct-Dec Issue, 2016)

A History of The Heart

“Aristotle’s Theory of the Heart Has Valentine’s Day Written All Over It.” Scientific Enquirer. February 14, 2023.

Crockett, Zachary. N.d. “Why Is The Heart Symbol So Anatomically Incorrect.” Priceonomics. Accessed June 28, 2024 https://priceonomics.com/why-is-the-heart-emoji-so-anatomically-incorrect/

Dave, Niyati. “Staining lips red for centuries: The heart-shaped betel leaf.” Garland Magazine. March 1, 2023.

Evans, Andrew. “What Is the Origin of the Heart Symbol?” History. February 8, 2016.

https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the-origin-of-the-heart-symbol

Gandolfo, Lindsay. “The Heart: A Love Story” Columbia Heart Surgery.

Heart in History. N.d. PBS. Accessed on June 17, 2024.

Jin, Vivian. “A Painted ❤ in Ancient Rome? A Brief Artistic History of the Heart Symbol.” Harvard Art Museum. February 7, 2024. 

Karakitsou, Mira. “The Plants: Ivy.” A Temple Wild. 

Kemp, Martin. Christ to Coke: How image becomes icon. Oxford: OUP Oxford. 2011.

Marcel, Florkin. N.d. “Andreas Vesalius: Biography.” Britannica. Accessed July 3, 2024. 

Mark, Joshua J. “Courtly Love” World History Encyclopedia. April 3, 2019.

Matters of the heart: Where does the ❤ symbol come from? BBC. February 13, 2019.  

McCarthy, Susan. “Don't worry, darling, I have giant fennel.” Salon. July 1, 1999. 

Robinson, Megan D. “History of The Heart Shape.” Art and Object. February 14, 2024.

Sampath, Pavitra. “Chew Paan (Betel Leaf) For Better Sex.” The Health Site. September 4, 2015.

https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/how-paan-or-betel-leaves-can-help-you-have-better-sex-p815-320378/#

Smallwood, Karl. “WHY DO DRAWN HEARTS LOOK NOTHING LIKE REAL HEARTS?” Today I Found Out. February 13, 2015. 

Yalom, Marilyn. The Amorous Heart: An Unconventional History Of Love. London: Hachette UK. 2018.

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