Laurel wreath

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A laurel wreath decorating a memorial at the Folketing, the national parliament of Denmark. LaurelwreathDK.JPG
A laurel wreath decorating a memorial at the Folketing, the national parliament of Denmark.

A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom ( Ruscus hypoglossum ) or cherry laurel ( Prunus laurocerasus ). It is worn as a chaplet around the head, or as a garland around the neck.

Contents

United Nations card, 1955. United Nations card, 1955.jpg
United Nations card, 1955.

Wreaths and crowns in antiquity, including the laurel wreath, trace back to Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology, the god Apollo, who is patron of lyrical poetry, musical performance [a] and skill-based athletics, is conventionally depicted wearing a laurel wreath on his head in all three roles.[ citation needed ] Wreaths were awarded to victors in athletic competitions, including the ancient Olympics; for victors in athletics they were made of wild olive tree known as "kotinos" (κότινος), [1] (sc. at Olympia) – and the same for winners of musical and poetic competitions. In Rome they were symbols of martial victory, crowning a successful commander during his triumph. Whereas ancient laurel wreaths are most often depicted as a horseshoe shape, modern versions are usually complete rings.[ citation needed ]

In common modern idiomatic usage, a laurel wreath or "crown" refers to a victory. The expression "resting on one's laurels" refers to someone relying entirely on long-past successes for continued fame or recognition, whereas to "look to one's laurels" means to be careful of losing rank to competition. [2]

Background

Apollo and Daphne Bockhorst Apollo und Daphne.jpg
Apollo and Daphne

Apollo, the patron of sport, is associated with the wearing of a laurel wreath. [3] This association arose from the ancient Greek mythology story of Apollo and Daphne . Apollo mocked the god of love, Eros (Cupid), for his use of bow and arrow, since Apollo is also patron of archery. The insulted Eros then prepared two arrows—one of gold and one of lead. He shot Apollo with the gold arrow, instilling in the god a passionate love for the river nymph Daphne. He shot Daphne with the lead arrow, instilling in her a hatred of Apollo. Apollo pursued Daphne until she begged to be free of him and was turned into a laurel tree. [3]

Apollo vowed to honor Daphne forever and used his powers of eternal youth and immortality to render the laurel tree evergreen. Apollo then crafted himself a wreath out of the laurel branches and turned Daphne into a cultural symbol for him and other poets and musicians. [3]

Academic use

An actress performing a play. She wears an ivy wreath and stands in front of a statue of a woman from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (room 21, The British Museum, London) An actress performing a play. She wears a laurel wreath and stands in front of a statue of a woman from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Room 21, The British Museum, London.jpg
An actress performing a play. She wears an ivy wreath and stands in front of a statue of a woman from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (room 21, The British Museum, London)

In some countries, the laurel wreath is used as a symbol of the master's degree. The wreath is given to young masters at the university graduation ceremony. The word "laureate" in 'poet laureate' refers to the laurel wreath. For example, the greatly admired medieval Florentine poet and philosopher Dante Alighieri is often represented in paintings and sculpture wearing a laurel wreath.

In Italy, the term laureato is used in academia to refer to any student who has graduated. Right after the graduation ceremony, or laurea in Italian, the student receives a laurel wreath to wear for the rest of the day. This tradition originated at the University of Padua and has spread in the last two centuries to all Italian universities.[ citation needed ]

Ovid with laurel wreath, common in poets Latin Poet Ovid.jpg
Ovid with laurel wreath, common in poets

At Connecticut College in the United States, members of the junior class carry a laurel chain, which the seniors pass through during commencement. It represents nature and the continuation of life from year to year. Immediately following commencement, the junior girls write out with the laurels their class year, symbolizing they have officially become seniors and the period will repeat itself the following spring. [4]

At Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA, laurel has been a fixture of commencement traditions since 1900, when graduating students carried or wore laurel wreaths. In 1902, the chain of mountain laurel was introduced; since then, tradition has been for seniors to parade around the campus, carrying and linked by the chain. The mountain laurel represents the bay laurel used by the Romans in wreaths and crowns of honor. [5]

At Reed College in Portland, Oregon, United States, members of the senior class receive laurel wreaths upon submitting their senior thesis in May. The tradition stems from the use of laurel wreaths in athletic competitions; the seniors have "crossed the finish line", so to speak. [6]

At St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, students who successfully complete three years of one classical language and two of the other earn the distinction of the Classics Diploma and the honor of wearing a laurel wreath on Prize Day.[ citation needed ]

In Sweden, those receiving a doctorate or an honorary doctorate in subjects traditionally falling within the Faculty of Philosophy (meaning philosophy, languages, arts, history and social sciences, as well as the natural sciences), receive a laurel wreath during the ceremony of conferral of the degree.[ citation needed ]

In Finland, in University of Helsinki a laurel wreath is given during the ceremony of conferral for master's degree. [7]

Architectural and decorative arts motif

Bronze monument to Francis II, the last Holy Roman emperor, wearing a corona triumphalis laurel wreath Franz II. (I.),Denkmal, Wien.jpg
Bronze monument to Francis II, the last Holy Roman emperor, wearing a corona triumphalis laurel wreath
Alexander Garden Grille Alexander Garden Grille fragment3.JPG
Alexander Garden Grille

The laurel wreath is a common motif in architecture, furniture, and textiles. [8] The laurel wreath is seen carved in the stone and decorative plaster works of Robert Adam, and in Federal, Regency, Directoire, and Beaux-Arts periods of architecture. In decorative arts, especially during the Empire period, the laurel wreath is seen woven in textiles, inlaid in marquetry, and applied to furniture in the form of gilded brass mounts.

Alfa Romeo added a laurel wreath to their logo after they won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925 with the P2 racing car. [9] [10]

As used in heraldry

A laurel wreath in the emblem of the Spanish anarcho-syndicalist labor union, the CNT. CNT Emblem.svg
A laurel wreath in the emblem of the Spanish anarcho-syndicalist labor union, the CNT.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Laurel wreaths in heraldry at Wikimedia Commons

Laurel wreaths are commonly used in heraldry. They may be used as a charge in the shield, around the shield, or on top of it like an annular form. [11] Wreaths are a form of headgear akin to circlets. [12]

In heraldry, a twisted band of cloth holds a mantling onto a helmet. This type of charge is called a "torse". A wreath is a circlet of foliage, usually with leaves, but sometimes with flowers. Wreaths may also be made from oak leaves, flowers, holly and rosemary; and are different from chaplets. While usually annular, they may also be penannular like a brooch. [12]

In the Society for Creative Anachronism, laurel wreaths are reserved for use in the arms of a territorial branch, which are required to include one or more. [12]

Wreath of service

Wreath of Service Olive wreath.svg
Wreath of Service

The "wreath of service" is located on all commissioner position patches in the Boy Scouts of America. This is a symbol for the service rendered to units and the continued partnership between volunteers and professional Scouter. The wreath of service represents commitment to program and unit service. [13]

Further reading

See also

Footnotes

  1. Specifically, Apollo was the patron of musical performance on the kithara, a professional, heavy-body member of the lyre family; the lyre itself was a folk-instrument. When so-engaged himself, he was called Apollo Citharoedus , roughly "Apollo the musician". Wind instruments were normally in the purview of other deities, such as Pan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne</span> Figure in Greek mythology

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown</span> Form of headwear, symbolizing the power of a ruler

A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, particularly in Commonwealth countries, as an abstract name for the monarchy itself as distinct from the individual who inhabits it. A specific type of crown is employed in heraldry under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical crown, just a heraldic representation, as in the constitutional kingdom of Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Holyoke College</span> Private womens college in Massachusetts, US

Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts historically women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of historically female colleges in the Northeastern United States. The college was founded in 1837 as the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary by Mary Lyon, a pioneer in education for women. Mount Holyoke is part of the Five College Consortium in Western Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wreath</span> Ring-shaped ornament used for decoration and commemoration

A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape.

<i>Laurus nobilis</i> Species of flowering plant in the laurel family Lauraceae

Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking. Its common names include bay tree, bay laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, Grecian laurel, or simply laurel. Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greco-Roman culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronet</span> Small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring

In British heraldry, a coronet is any crown whose bearer is less than sovereign or royal in rank, irrespective of the crown's appearance. In other languages, this distinction is not made, and usually the same word for crown is used irrespective of rank In this use, the English coronet is a purely technical term for all heraldic images of crowns not used by a sovereign, and implies nothing about the actual shape of the crown depicted. A Coronet is another type of crown, but is reserved for the lower ranks of nobility like Marquesses and Marchionesses, Earls and Countesses, Barons and Baronesses, and some Lords and Ladies. The specific design and attributes of the crown or coronet signifies the hierarchy and ranking of its owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of France</span>

The coat of arms of France is an unofficial emblem of the French Republic. It depicts a lictor's fasces upon branches of laurel and oak, as well as a ribbon bearing the national motto of Liberté, égalité, fraternité. The full achievement includes the star and grand collar of the Legion of Honour. This composition was created in 1905 by heraldic painter-engraver Maurice de Meyère, and it has been used at the Foreign Ministry during state visits and for presidential inaugurations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cap badge</span> Badge worn on uniform headgear

A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy Scouts, civil defence organisations, ambulance services, customs services, fire services etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Zimbabwe</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Sunderland</span>

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The Naval Crown was a gold crown surmounted with small replicas of the prows of ships. It was a Roman military award, given to the first man who boarded an enemy ship during a naval engagement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mural crown</span> Heraldic crown resembling a wall

A mural crown is a crown or headpiece representing city walls, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the Romans a military decoration. Later the mural crown developed into a symbol of European heraldry, mostly for cities and towns, and in the 19th and 20th centuries was used in some republican heraldry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo and Daphne</span> Story from ancient Greek mythology

Apollo and Daphne is an Ancient Greek transformation or metamorphosis myth. No written or artistic versions survive from ancient Greek mythology, so it is likely Hellenistic in origin. It was retold by Roman authors in the form of an amorous vignette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laureate</span> Winner of an award or competition

In English, the word laureate has come to signify eminence or association with literary awards or military glory. It is also used for recipients of the Nobel Prize, the Gandhi Peace Award, the Student Peace Prize, and for former music directors of orchestras who retain some level of involvement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wreath (attire)</span> Headdress made of leaves, grasses, flowers or branches

A wreath worn for purpose of attire, is a headdress or headband made of leaves, grasses, flowers or branches. It is typically worn on celebrations, festive occasions and holy days, having a long history and association with ancient pageants and ceremonies. Outside occasional use, the wreath can also be used as a crown or a mark of honour. The wreath most often has an annular geometric construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cupid</span> Ancient Roman god of desire, affection and erotic love

In classical mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor. His Greek counterpart is Eros. Although Eros is generally portrayed as a slender winged youth in Classical Greek art, during the Hellenistic period, he was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. During this time, his iconography acquired the bow and arrow that represent his source of power: a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid's arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. In myths, Cupid is a minor character who serves mostly to set the plot in motion. He is a main character only in the tale of Cupid and Psyche, when wounded by his own weapons, he experiences the ordeal of love. Although other extended stories are not told about him, his tradition is rich in poetic themes and visual scenarios, such as "Love conquers all" and the retaliatory punishment or torture of Cupid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephane (headdress)</span>

A stephane was a decorative headband or circlet made of metal, often seen on depictions of high-status ancient Roman and Greek women, as well as goddesses. The stephane often consisted of a metal arc that was higher in the center than along the sides. It was set atop a woman's hair, with or without a veil. It resembled a crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the London Borough of Hillingdon</span>

The coat of arms of the London Borough of Hillingdon is the official symbol of the London Borough of Hillingdon. They use elements from the coats of arms of the four previous districts. It is described as:

Arms: Per pale Gules and Vert an Eagle displayed per pale Or and Argent in the dexter claw a Fleur-de-lis Or and in the sinister claw a Cog-Wheel Argent on a Chief Or four Civic Crowns Vert.

Crest: On a Wreath of the Colours issuant from a Circlet of Brushwood Sable a demi-Lion Gules with wings Argent the underside of each wing charged with a Cross Gules and holding between the paws a Bezant thereon a Mullet Azure.

Supporters: On the dexter side an Heraldic Tiger Or gorged with an Astral Crown Azure and charged on the shoulder with a Rose Gules charged with another Argent barbed and seeded proper and on the sinister side a Stag proper attired and gorged with a Circlet of Brushwood and charged on the shoulder with two Ears of Rye slipped in saltire Or.

Motto: Forward.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wreaths and crowns in antiquity</span> Aspect of history

In classical and late antiquity wreaths or crowns usually made of vegetation or precious metals were worn on ceremonial occasions and were awarded for various achievements. The symbolism of these different types of wreaths depended on their composition; different crowns were worn and awarded for different purposes. Such wreaths or crowns were represented in classical architecture, in ancient Greek art and sculpture, and in Roman art and sculpture. As well as being awarded for merit and military conduct, they were worn by orators, priests performing sacrifices, by the chorus in ancient Greek drama, and by attendees of a symposium.

References

  1. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1843). "κότἲνος". A Greek-English Lexicon (1 ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-864226-8 . Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. "Look to one's laurels (sense 1)". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 November 2012.[ dead link ]
  3. 1 2 3 Paulson, Ronald; Eisenman, Peter (2007). Sin and Evil: Moral values in literature . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN   978-0300120141.
  4. "Commencement Traditions". Connecticut College. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. Loomer, Jennifer; Underwood, Katherine (2003). "Traditions: Laurel Parade". Mount Holyoke Historical Atlas: Traditions of Mount Holyoke College. South Hadley, Massachusetts: Mount Holyoke College. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  6. Hernadez, Romel (7 May 2013). "The Turning of the Thesis". Reed Magazine. Portland, Oregon: Reed College . Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  7. "What is the Conferment Ceremony? – The conferment ceremony of the Faculty of Philosophy" . Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  8. Brown, Richard (1841). Domestic Architecture: Containing a history of the science, and the principles of designing public edifices, private dwelling-houses. G. Virtue. p.  200.
  9. Autocar & Motor. Haymarket, Pub., Limited. August 1990.
  10. Fusi, Luigi (1978). Alfa Romeo—Tutte le vetture dal 1910—All cars from 1910 (in Italian) (3rd ed.). Milan: Emmeti Grafica editrice.
  11. "Heraldic meanings". American College of Heraldry. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 Baron Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, Batonvert [S.C.A. pseudonym] (8 June 2014). "Wreath". Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry. Mistholme. Retrieved 17 September 2019. The name "Baron Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, Batonvert" is the author's pseudonym in the Society for Creative Anachronism.
  13. "The History of Commissioner Service". Sacramento, California: Golden Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2006.