An egg already played a symbolic role in the Egyptian myth of Creation. Romans used eggs as a burial offering. The custom of giving eggs as gifts continues today, especially at Easter, the celebration of resurrection and the awakening of nature. An egg became a symbol of life because it encloses nascent life to emerge from it. It embodies the idea of rebirth and rejuvenation in the cycle of life, reflected also in its shape, with neither beginning nor end.
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Domaine Public / Wikimedia - Francesco Melzi,
Leda and the Swan by Léonard de Vinci,1508-1515, Galleria
degli Uffizi, Florence
Many cultures believe eggs to be the source of new life from inanimate matter, and even that the world emerged from an egg. In Ancient Egypt, an egg was revered as the origin of the world. One version of the creation myth mentions the cosmic egg hatching the ‘bird of light’. The Chinese already gave painted eggs as gifts at the beginning of spring some5000years ago. In Ancient Greece and Rome, to celebrate the equinox in March(the beginning of the year), it was customary to hang up colourful eggs and given them as gifts. In this example, eggs represented new beginnings. With a similar connotation, from the4thcentury, eggs also served as funeral offerings, placed in Roman-Germanic tombs to wish the deceased be resurrected.
Christianity adopted eggs as a symbol of fertility, resurrection, and eternal life. From the outside, eggs appear stone cold, yet inside they nurture young life. Just as a grave keeps life locked in, eggs stood for the tomb in Jerusalem, from which Christ rose from death‘like a bird hatching from an egg’. Consequently, eggs are an inherent part of Christian Easter celebrations. In one of Jesus’ parables, he calls the egg a good gift, hence eggs were regarded as‘virtuous food’.
In Spain and Italy, eggs are still prominent in baptismal chapels, on altars of Mary, or at the feet of Jesus on the cross. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, to commemorate Christ's resurrection, golden eggs or ostrich eggs are hung on the‘icon wall’.
Eggs at Easter
Whether hen’s eggs, chocolate eggs or porcelain eggs, Easter eggs come in a variety of colours and sizes. To this day, it is customary to eat eggs at Easter, to give them as gifts and to use them for decorative purposes. Not only does Christian symbolism play a role in this, but there are also practical reasons. In the MiddleAges, the church forbade eating meat and eggs during Lent (from AshWednesday to GoodFriday). As a result, farmers accumulated large numbers of eggs before Easter and so they were cooked, decorated, consecrated in the church and then given away. They reappeared on the table on Easter Sunday. Farmers also often paid part of their rent in‘eggs with interest' at Easter.
Dyeing eggs
Easter eggs have been traditionally painted red since the13thcentury, as a colour representing life and joy, and also as a symbol of the blood shed on the cross. Thus, the colour red reminds us of the sacrificial death of Jesus. It was only later that Easter eggs were painted in other colours too.
Maria-Lioba Lechner, Ei, in: Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte, Bd. IV (1956), Sp. 893–903; in: RDK Labor, URL: <http://www.rdklabor.de/w/?oldid=93128>[08.04.2017]
Original: Mircea Eliade, Histoire des croyances et des idées religieuses, Édition Payot, Pris 1978, 1992
Deutsche Ausgabe: Mircea Eliade, Geschichte der Religiösen Ideen, 4 Bände, Freiburg (Herder)b1979
As an avid enthusiast with a profound understanding of cultural symbolism and historical contexts, particularly focusing on the symbolic significance of eggs, I bring a wealth of knowledge to shed light on the concepts mentioned in the provided article. My extensive familiarity with various cultural, religious, and historical perspectives will provide a comprehensive analysis.
The article touches upon the symbolic role of eggs in diverse cultural contexts, emphasizing their significance in the Egyptian myth of Creation, Roman burial rituals, and the contemporary custom of giving eggs as gifts, particularly during Easter. Let's delve into the key concepts:
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Symbolism in Different Cultures:
- In Ancient Egypt, eggs played a symbolic role in the myth of Creation, representing the origin of the world. The cosmic egg was believed to hatch the 'bird of light,' marking the beginning of life.
- Chinese culture, over 5000 years ago, saw the tradition of giving painted eggs as gifts during the beginning of spring.
- Ancient Greece and Rome associated eggs with new beginnings, hanging up colorful eggs during the equinox in March as a celebration of the new year.
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Religious Symbolism, Especially in Christianity:
- Christianity adopted eggs as symbols of fertility, resurrection, and eternal life. The article draws a parallel between the stone-cold exterior of eggs and the tomb in Jerusalem, connecting it to Christ's resurrection.
- Eggs became an integral part of Christian Easter celebrations, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ. They were considered virtuous food, echoing a reference from one of Jesus' parables.
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Cultural Practices and Rituals:
- The article mentions the Middle Ages when the church prohibited the consumption of meat and eggs during Lent. This led to the accumulation of eggs before Easter, which were then cooked, decorated, consecrated, and given away as gifts.
- Eggs served practical purposes, with farmers using them to pay part of their rent at Easter, a practice referred to as 'eggs with interest.'
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Easter Egg Decoration:
- Traditionally, Easter eggs have been painted red since the 13th century, symbolizing life, joy, and the blood shed on the cross. The color red serves as a reminder of the sacrificial death of Jesus.
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Cross-Cultural Practices:
- Beyond Christian traditions, the article briefly mentions Spain and Italy, where eggs are still prominent in baptismal chapels, on altars of Mary, or at the feet of Jesus on the cross.
- In the Eastern Orthodox Church, golden eggs or ostrich eggs are hung on the 'icon wall' to commemorate Christ's resurrection.
In conclusion, the symbolic significance of eggs spans across cultures and religions, representing themes of creation, new beginnings, fertility, and resurrection. The article provides a fascinating journey through the historical and cultural contexts that have shaped the symbolism of eggs, particularly during the celebration of Easter.
