Ancient Pine Cone Symbolism: Why it is important in Mythology?

What is the ancient pine cone symbolism? Why is the pine cone used in so many ancient sculptures and paintings? Like this, there are many more questions that create curiosity and attract attention.

Introduction

Ancient Pine Cone Symbolism

The study of mythology provides a vast range of stories and information regarding many things, such as tales of Greek heroes like Perseus with his sword and monsters like Hydra and Medusa, how Hindu mythology defines the divine tree Kalpavriksha, and many others. Some of these stories seem very realistic, and some contain a mixture of exaggeration.

In the same way, there are many ancient examples where pine cone has been used in many mythologies, such as Dionysus, the god of wine making, who is usually seen with pine cone-like structures in pictures; a sculpture of a four-winged genie can be seen with a bucket and pine cone while performing rituals of purification and fertilization; and numerous temples from India, Mesopotamia, Greece, etc. where structures like pine can be seen.

How Science Define The Concept

Now, why is this structure important in these ancient times? And what is important in it, due to which this plays an important part in much literature? In terms of science, there are several specifications that explain these questions. In this article, I will explain all those aspects and why, in ancient stories and sculptures, pine possessed this much importance.

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Mythology and Pine Cone

Pine has attracted people for a very long time due to its spiral scales and hidden seeds. In numerous mythologies, it is considered the symbol of immortality, fertility, wisdom, and renewal. Let’s see what mythological views say about pine cones.

Mesopotamia

In Mesopotamian culture, pine cones have been used to adorn the hands of many deities, like Inanna, which symbolize abundance and fertility. On the contrary, it also connected with the caduceus, the staff of healing, representing the renewal nature of life.

Egypt

In Egyptian tales, it is defined by its connection with the god of resurrection and the underworld, Osiris. And it has also been mentioned that pine cones were used to decorate the tomb of Osiris as a sign or proof of the promise of rebirth and also as a symbol of the cyclical nature of existence.

Norse Mythology

In the Norse folk stories, it was sacred to Freya, who was the god of love, beauty, and magic, and was depicted as a symbol of fertility or abundance. It has also been adorned in her sacred groves and printed on her clothes.

Slavic cultures

Like the above-mentioned folklore, in Slavic mythology it is also a symbol of the spark of life and represents the renewable potential of mother earth and nature. It also has an association with the god of fire and creation, Svarog.

Indian

On the other hand India folk tales defines the power of pine cone with other perception. It presented as the “Ajna chakra” the third eye like Lord Shiva have on his forehead which is associated with spiritual awakening and enlightenment. Even the temples of of lord Shiva and other deities has been adorned with same symbol as the presentation of inner vision and cosmic awareness.

Buddhism

In the same way, like Indian tales, Buddhism also uses the same kind of depiction for pine cones. It has been incorporated with the “Bodhi Tree,” the divinity tree under which Lord Buddha acquired knowledge and enlightenment. And represented as the power of shedding ignorance and helping in identifying the true potential of a person.

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Science and Pine Cone

Now the question is, why is it important? Is there something that we should know about this that ancient people had no idea about? Why do these old stories connect this with immortality, fertility, abundance, and wisdom? There are a number of explanations for this concept in terms of science; let’s see some of them.

Golden Ratio

The olden ratio is like a secret of nature for creation, which gives the look of balanced and beautiful features. This concept of creation can be seen in many productions of nature, like sunflowers, seashels, modern and ancient buildings, and also in pine cones, etc. Actually, the golden ratio is a ration of golden numbers with a resultant of 1.618.

According to the golden ratio, take a square (0) and attach another square (1) of the same size to it, making it a rectangle (1).
Step 2. Now add the rectagle (1) of the same size to the rectangle (1), making it another square of the bigger size (2).

Step 3. Now in the last bigger square (2), add another rectangle (1), which creates another bigger rectangle (3).

Step 4: Now in the rectangle (3), add block (2), which results in (5), and so on. Like this golden ration, it expands itself and maintains a balance of beauty.

Renewal and Rebirth

Pine, while releasing its seed, expands its scale, which seems like it is revealing the treasure that it was holding and going back. This ritual of Pine shows how life starts and revolves around situations, showing that everything turns sometimes good and sometimes bad. The closed cone represents stillness and death, like everything has an end, and also represents that this cycle of nature will repeat itself.

Pineal Gland

Pine cone and pineal gland have an unexplained resemblance. Due to this resemblance, the pine cone has been represented as a symbol of wisdom and enlightenment. Like a pine cone reveals its seed and gives birth to a new life, enlightenment and spiritual knowledge give birth to a new life of peace and self-awareness and also connect with divine powers, leaving all the problems and negativity behind.

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Conclusion

The ancient pine cone symbolism in different mythologies shows that the ancient peoples were very well aware of nature and their surroundings. They used everything very wisely and also tried to convey each and every knowledge and attainment to future generations through sculptures and stories. The pine cone symbol in different folklore shows that they observed the nature of pine very deeply and also connected it with life, death, and cyclic nature.

Through the Golden Ratio, it is also clear that old people not only observed the nature of pine but also analyzed its physical appearance, and its resemblance to the pineal gland shows that they were also self-aware that they knew about the parts of the brain and their importance. I think this is why people say, Old is Gold. These kinds of ancient facts prove that they were all incredible.