Myths about Diamonds
Myths about Diamonds
While diamonds represent number of significant characteristics of eternal commitment and everlasting love for thousands of years, diamond was walled with different legends and myths throughout history. From the earliest of times diamond was considered as an enchanted and magical intermediary between man and the unseen forces of nature which ruled his luck.
With their alluring shine and supernatural beliefs, diamonds seemed to have captivated mankind since their discovery ages ago around 25000 BC. Diamonds have been the heart of lots of legends and myths by different cultures and religious beliefs around the world and have been associated with virtues like wealth, strength, power and love.
Diamonds are precious stones and have been considered precious even before mankind had gained the knowledge of cutting them into shimmering treasures and jewelry pieces. The ideal configuration of rough diamond an octahedron comprised of 6 sharp points with 12 straight sharp ridges and 8 flat planes.
Following are few of the folklore myths that are related with diamonds:
The Pharaohs:
In ancient Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs dating to 3000BC, a diamond was placed in the middle of ankh - a cross with a loop on too. An ankh was considered as cipher of life in Egyptian. Diamonds stood for symbol of war courage, truth and the sun.
Ancient Romans and Greeks:
According to ancient Roman and Greek mythology, both Roman and Greek people had powerful beliefs regarding diamonds which also included the ideas that diamonds were tears of the gods of even possibly the splinters that had broken off falling of stars.
Roman literature first mentioned diamonds in the first century A.D furthermore it stated that Cupid’s arrows that are considered irresistible were tipped with diamonds. The classical Greek philosopher Plato explained about diamonds by stating this idea that diamonds were living beings embodying celestial spirits.
Ancient India:
Diamonds were used in the statues of Hindu gods and Hindus were of the faith that diamonds were created when lightning bolts struck rocks. Diamonds were also known to attract lightning bolts. Mythology states that the Indian deity Krishna gave a diamond to his lady, Radha, which is believed to be Koh-i-Noor by some, for reflecting her.
Moreover, an ancient saying used in ancient India stated th
at who wears a diamond will see danger turn away. The brilliance and purity of diamond along with the ability of light refraction also boosted the belief that diamonds were symbol of invincibility and clarity.
Judge of Guilt and Innocence:
At one time in history, Jewish high priests used the precious diamonds for determining whether the accused person of a crime was guilty or innocent. According to their belief, before a guilty person, a diamond would darken and become dull. Whereas when a diamond was held before an innocent, it would sparkle with sheer brilliance. The more truthful someone was, the more the diamond would sparkle when held before them.
Have you heard of any legends and myths about diamonds? Share in the comments!