Common apples are among the most popular fruits in the world. And this is not surprising, because they are very tasty and have many useful properties. Without such a fruit, it is difficult to imagine the cuisine of European nations. In addition, the apple is a symbol that is closely related to the cultural traditions, art and folklore of many peoples.
Apple is a universal symbol
Oddly enough, such a simple fruit - an apple - has a lot of meanings in the mythology and culture of different countries. For some peoples, it means spring rebirth and joyful love, while for others it means discord and forbidden fruit. The dual nature of love between a woman and a man is also symbolized by this stone fruit.
An example is the apple of the ancient Roman goddess Ceres, which plunges people into passionate madness. It is opposed by another symbol - a romantic and delicate "apple tree in bloom".
In folklore, an apple means hope for a very successful marriage and strong family ties. A lot of winged "apple" expressions were included in the cultural fund of the Russian language.
Apple is the forbidden fruit
There is a famous saying that the forbidden fruit is always sweet. According to the Bible, the apple gave people knowledge, the ability to distinguish between good and evil. But it also led the first people on earth to fall into sin.
Eve not only dared to pick and taste this fruit, but also to transfer it to Adam. The consequence turned out to be terrible - expulsion to earth from paradise. Nevertheless, the apple also personifies heavenly bliss. Many researchers believe that the name of the legendary island of Avalon, translated from the Welsh (Welsh, Kimr) language, means "apple".
Apple is a symbol of eternal youth
The apple is often mentioned in the legends and myths of various peoples as a symbol of unfading youth and beauty.
Many Russian folk tales also tell about the ability of such fruits to return and maintain youth.
The ancient Greek hero Hercules got these magical fruits from the nymph sisters of the Hesperides, which promised eternal youth to their owner. In addition, the Scandinavian god Loki also did not want to grow old. And to prevent this process, he simply stole the rejuvenating apples.
"Apple" symbolism in the culture of the Slavs
Among the ancient Slavs, the apple symbolized not only health, happy marriage, fertility and prosperity, but also the secret of life and death. It was believed that this particular fruit helps to keep the image of the departed in the memory of the living. In this regard, the ancient Slavs always brought an apple to the grave of their ancestors.
The stone fruit was not spared by the wedding celebrations either. They used not only the fruit itself, but also the branches of the apple tree. Accepting an apple as a gift meant for the girl consent to the marriage. Apple tree branches were often used to decorate the wedding festive table.
