wreath

Wreath of rowan berries

Tremissis of the Eastern Roman emperor Zenon with “ wreath ” and “globe”; 5th century

Depiction of a man with a laurel wreath

Metal wreath

Advent wreath

A wreath , derived from the Old High German word "krenzen" ("to wind around"), is, in contrast to the arrangement, a ring-shaped combination of materials, in the narrower sense mostly a combination of leaves , flowers and branches .

Significance and historical use

Since the 5th century BC at the latest The " wreath " is considered to be the symbol of victory .

In ancient Greece , wreaths or branches of certain plants and trees formed the prize in sporting and artistic competitions , for example the laurel wreath at the Pythian Games in Delphi or the oak branch at the Olympic Games in Olympia .

In the Roman Empire , wreaths were also awarded as awards, for example made of oak leaves as " corona civica " for the rescue of a Roman citizen from danger to life or in the form of battlements as " corona muralis " for the first ascent of enemy city walls during a siege .

Wreaths were also modeled in metal; from them the crown developed .