Why do we draw hearts the way we do? Where did the idea come from and start?

Question

Realistically, hearts are sort of in the shape of a balled up fist. But whats the story behind the way we draw hearts for love letters, valentines day cards, etc. nowadays?

Answer 1

Perhaps the first known use of the heart shape comes from the 7th century BC, in Cyrene. In that city, at that time, Silphium was a plant so highly prized for it's use as birth control that it became extinct. The seeds of Silphium were shaped like hearts, however, making historians believe that the heart shape we know today was based
upon this early form of birth control.

Much later, the Catholic Church claimed the symbol of the heart originated with St. Margaret Marie Alacoque, who had a vision in the 17th century where she saw a heart shape surrounded by a crown of thorns.

For more on the history of the heart symbol, check out "Silphium" at The Fact Index: http://www.fact-index.com/s/si/silphium.html and "A
History of the Heart" at HeartSmith:
http://www.heartsmith.com/heartHistory.html

Answer 2

Cool Ways To Draw Hearts