Why does an olive branch mean peace?
The ancient origins of worldwide symbol of reconciliation
Along with white dove and the V-sign, an olive branch is one of our most enduring symbols for peace.
In fact, an Ancient Roman transported to the 21st century would instantly understand the meaning of the literal olive branch that Katy Perry recently sent fellow pop star Taylor Swift to offer an end to their much-publicised feud.
So what is the connection?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Like many traditional emblems, the association has classical roots. Olives held a wide array of meanings to the ancient peoples of the Mediterranean, where the trees can be seen on almost every hillside.
Winners at the Ancient Greek Olympic games were crowned with olive wreaths, and olive trees featured in several Greek myths. In one, the goddess Athena became the patron of the region of Attica after planting an olive tree there as a symbol of peace and prosperity.
Other Ancient Mediterranean cultures used the olive branch as a metaphor for peace. Pax, the Roman goddess of peace, was frequently depicted holding an olive branch, as was her Greek counterpart, Eirene.
The image has endured into modern times partly because of its use in the Bible, most notably in the tale of Noah, when a dove bearing a twig from an olive tree signals the end of the 40-day flood.
In Christian theology, the flood and the olive branch respectively represent “the judgement that must befall all rebels while also representing the salvation that can be theirs”, writes Christian author Tim Challies.
“During the 1600s, it became fashionable for poets and artists to use the olive branch,” says The New York Times. It later took on a political significance in the American independence movement as a symbol of the patriots’ desire for a peaceful separation from Great Britain.
A close-up look at the bald eagle on the Great Seal of the US, which appears on government documents and on the one-dollar bill, shows that the bird is clasping an olive branch in its right talon, while the more warlike left talon holds a brace of arrows.
In the modern era, the UN signals its commitment to peacekeeping on its blue and white flag, which shows a map of the world encircled by twin olive branches.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - papal ideas, high-powered debates, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 sleeper hit cartoons about Trump's struggles to stay awake in court
Cartoons Artists take on courtroom tranquility, war on wokeness, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The true story of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
In depth The writer's fall from grace with his high-flying socialite friends in 1960s Manhattan is captured in a new Disney+ series
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published