Named the king of fruit, pomegranate from ancient times amazed people with its useful properties. As befits the king, the amazing fruit is shrouded in numerous myths and legends. Its name comes from the Latin granatus, which translates as "granular". True, in botany the fruits of this plant are called pomegranate.
From this article you will find out what pomegranate is a symbol of in different nations and in different religions, what useful properties it is endowed with, and in the treatment of which diseases it is used.
Pomegranate as a symbol: meaning
Pomegranate, or the fruit of a pomegranate tree, is endowed with a very rich and positive symbolism, which is due to its shape, color, internal structure. The latter is the embodiment of the unity of the diverse and the plural: a large number of grains, which are hidden under a common shell, have inspired philosophers to associate with an inseparable Universe. For a long time, researchers argued, figuring out whose symbol the fruit of pomegranate is. As a result, they came to the conclusion that among different peoples and religions it has its own symbolic meaning:
- fertility;
- immortality;
- land renewal;
- spring return;
- hope for resurrection, rebirth;
- is an attribute of the goddesses of motherhood, love and agriculture;
- love, large families;
- happy future;
- spiritual fertility of the church.
Symbol of health and longevity
Nature has generously endowed pomegranate with healing properties. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Byzantines worshiped a wonderful fruit: its images are found in Egyptian pyramids, embroidery of magnificent Byzantine fabrics, on Greek ornaments.
Every day, the pharaohs drank pomegranate juice, firmly believing in its healing properties. The Prophet Muhammad recognized pomegranate as an amazing gift of nature and urged him to eat it, believing that pomegranate juice can cleanse a person of hatred and envy.
A symbol of what garnet is considered in the myths of ancient Greece? It follows from them that this fruit is capable of giving immortality to a person. For this reason, he was a favorite food of the gods of Olympus. According to one myth, the god Hades once visited the world of people and met a beautiful girl Persephone, who was the daughter of the fertility goddess Demeter.
Hades fell in love with her, barely glancing at the beauty. He abducted the girl, taking him to his underground kingdom. The mother was very homesick for her daughter: the land became barren, trees died in the gardens, fields were empty. And then Zeus intervened in this situation, demanding that Hades be returned to Persephone. Hades was forced to obey, but before returning the girl, he gave her a taste of pomegranate seeds. Due to their unusual taste, Persephone began to return to the kingdom of Hades every winter.
Modern doctors confirm that pomegranate, as a symbol, fully justifies its value. Its use is justified in complex therapy for:
- low vision;
- hypertension
- weakened immunity;
- sore throat;
- normalization of the hormonal background;
- anemia.
Every year, many countries of the world deliver to the markets not only the fruits themselves, but also products from them, for example pomegranate juice. The popularity of wonderful fruits, no doubt, is due to their many beneficial properties that have a beneficial effect on the body. So, pomegranate contains:
- Sahara;
- tannins;
- a large amount of vitamin C;
- fiber;
- trace elements and minerals.
Pomegranate juice contains:
- anthocyanins;
- fructose and glucose;
- malic, oxalic and citric acids;
- chloride salt;
- tannin.
Thanks to this rich composition, doctors strongly recommend drinking it with anemia, and use a decoction of the peel for burns and various gastrointestinal diseases.
Pomegranate in world religions
The pomegranate fruit left a bright mark in the culture of different peoples and in the main world religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism. It is mentioned in the Qur'an, the Babylonian Talmud, the Old Testament.
A symbol of what pomegranate is in religion? In Buddhism, pomegranate is one of three blessed fruits along with peach and citrus. In China, it symbolizes fertility, abundance, a happy future.
The symbol of pomegranate in Christianity
In Christian culture, pomegranate is a symbol of eternal life, Easter joy. It is among the first Christian symbols. According to Christian interpretations, a generously seed-filled fruit means the suffering of Christ. Pomegranate is often used in religious jewelry. Often his images are woven into vestments, liturgical veils, and forged metal structures.
Pomegranates are used in many religious subjects, for example, in the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli: pomegranates can be seen in the hands of the baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Moreover, in Christianity, pomegranate is a symbol of resurrection. A similar meaning applies to the crowned grenade in the hand of St. John.
Judaism
In Judaism, it is believed that this wonderful fruit contains 613 seeds. It is precisely the commandments that are contained in the Old Testament. In Jewish culture, pomegranate symbolizes rebirth and fertility. Grenades with bells on the clothes of the clergy symbolize thunder and lightning, bringing fertility.
Symbol of wealth
Most peoples consider pomegranate fruits and flowers a symbol of wealth. The Qur'an, the holy book of Muslims, refers to pomegranate trees growing in a garden of Eden. In addition, there is a version that in the biblical traditions associated with the Garden of Eden, the forbidden fruit that Eve was seduced was not an apple, but a pomegranate.
The wonderful fruit has long been a symbol of wealth and financial well-being. His image was often applied to talismans, which awarded their owners prosperity and success in life.
Fertility symbol
Pomegranate is mentioned among seven species of plants that are symbols of the fertility of Israel. The pomegranate was presented to Moses by scouts who returned from Canaan. With this offering, they wanted to confirm the fertility of these places.
It should be emphasized that pomegranate is considered a symbol of fertility by chance. Up to 60 kg of fruits can be collected from only one tree, which reaches 6 meters in height, and the fruits themselves reach quite impressive sizes: there are specimens with a diameter of up to 18 centimeters.
Symbol of eternal love
We’ll tell you another legend from which it will become clear to you, a symbol of which pomegranate has been since ancient times. Once upon a time there lived a young man and a girl who loved each other very much. Young people decided to get married, but on the wedding day an evil spirit appeared that caused a hurricane that caught the lovers and carried them away from their native land.
Finding themselves in a deserted place from which it was impossible to get out, young people wandered for a long time in search of a road. Weakened, they collapsed to the ground and did not forget in a restless dream. In him, the young man heard a voice that said: “You cannot be saved together. Kill your beloved and I will bring you out. ” But the young man decided in his own way: if one of them is destined to die, then it will be him, and he will save his beloved. The young man pierced his chest with a dagger, saying before his death: "Be happy, get married and have children."
The young man died, and his lifeless body immediately became a pomegranate. As soon as the girl, sobbing, plucked the fruit from the tree, the evil spell dissipated, and she found the way to the house. After some time she got married and, as her lover bequeathed, gave birth to many children. Her life was long and happy, and when the time came to leave this land, she bequeathed to her grandchildren to grow pomegranate trees. Her descendants scattered around the world, and many pomegranate trees appeared on the ground. You guessed what the pomegranate has become a symbol of since long ago? A symbol of timeless, endless love.
Probably the right time to tell, the symbol of which according to Feng Shui pomegranate is. Pomegranate seeds symbolize the successful course of pregnancy and the birth of a strong and healthy baby. In addition, Feng Shui pomegranate is a symbol of a strong family.
If you expect replenishment in the family and want the baby to be born without problems, place the juicy fruit, cut into two parts, in the northern part of the apartment. Hang a ceramic plate or a picture with a picture of a pomegranate opposite the window in the children's room.