Every four years undergo summer and winter Olympics. On the eve of the competition on the streets and in social networks, traditional symbolism is found - five rings twisted with each other. However, not all sports fans know how to explain this sign. The editorial office 24cmi found out what the Olympic rings mean.
Revival of the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games were held at the time of ancient Greece, but the competition was gone along with the era of antiquity. Competitions were religious in nature - this sports holiday was dedicated to God Zeus. There was also a tradition, according to which military conflicts were prohibited during the Games. The competition helped to establish relations between the warring peoples.In 394 n. NS. Olympic Greece has ceased to exist. The competition forbade the Emperor Feodosius I, who hated the pagans. For hundreds of years, the games have been riveted in non-existence, although the Greeks have repeatedly tried to revive them. In 1859, Major of the Greek Army Evangelis Zapapat became the initiator of the Pangree Olympic Games, which by tradition passed at the Stadium in Athens.
After 40 years, the idea of the revival of the competition and the transformation of them to the World Format came to the French Baron, Pierre de Kuberthu, who in 1894 organized the International Athletic Congress in Paris - at the same time the International Olympic Committee appeared. The sports figure is called the founder of the modern Olympic movement.
Where did the twisted rings come from
The symbol of the Olympic Games is invariably in the flag and emblem of the competition - five twisted rings. The author of this logo, like the Sport Movement, became Pierre de Cuberret. After the first competition, the Baron realized that the competitions need not only loud music and spectacular performances, but also a symbolism that would create the necessary atmosphere.
At first, the anthem appeared, which was already on the first opening ceremony, and in 1913 Pierre de Cubebert introduced the official flag with the coat of arms, on which five rings were depicted, intertwined in a certain order, forming the letter W. This sign still remains the main symbol of sports Holiday. There is a version that the prototype of the coat of arms was the USFSA logo (union of sports societies of France), which appeared after connecting two clubs. In honor of this event, the organization came up with their emblem consisting of two intersecting rings. And Pierre de Cuberret, based on his own considerations, stopped at five. On the Olympic flag depicted rings of the following colors: blue (blue), black, yellow, red and green.
By the way, in 1913, the original drawing of the coat of arms with autograph baron de Couberten in July 2020 left the auction for a colossal amount. The French National Sport Museum wanted to get a valuable rare exponent, but it turned out that it was destined to get into the private collection. Collector from Brazil gave for a small piece of paper with a hand-drawn rings of 100 thousand euros.
What personifies the main symbol of the Olympics
The most popular explanation of the value of the logo is an idea according to which the sport combines among themselves the inhabitants of the whole world. Such a concept was laid by the author of the coat of arms. It is believed that the Olympic rings symbolize the unity of five continents, although in reality it is about the sides of the light: North and South America are two mainland, but one part of the world, and one ring is assigned to them.All five rings are painted with different colors. Europe - Blue, Africa - Black, North and South America - Red, Asia - Yellow, Australia - Green. However, in the middle of the twentieth century, such a interpretation decided to refuse. The reason was the struggle against racial inequality. Then they began to explain that the combination of shades is selected so that it represents colors on national flags of the countries of the world. At least one of the shades of the rings is found in the symbolism of states.
The color of the planesties of the Olympic flag also has a certain meaning. Multicolored rings are bangible on a white background, primarily symbolizing the world, which is installed during the competition. Also, this tint means unity in the sports gun and the will to victory.
The misfortunes of the Olympic Flag
Baron Pierre de Cubebert suggested the symbolism of the Olympiad in 1913, but she appeared in the stadiums not immediately. The flag with the logo was approved in 1914 when they were preparing for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the resumption of the Olympic Games, which was to pass in Paris, in the Congress of the National Olympic Committees. The first official raising of the banner took place on June 15 at the entrance to Sorbonne. The symbol of the sports holiday should have been submitted in 1916 on Games in Berlin, but the plans have changed.
Already a few days after the first Olympic flag was raised in Paris, Erzgertzog Ferdinand was killed in Sarajevo, and the First World War began, because of which the contests in Berlin were canceled. As a result, the debut of the Olympic flag with the rings took place only 7 years after the appearance - in 1920 at the opening of Games in Belgium, at the Stadium of the Flemish city of Antwerp. The banner was concerned up to the closing ceremony.
Since then, the tradition of raising a white flag with colored rings has survived and reached modernity. It remained unchanged at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, and at the 2020 Olympics in Japan, a banner with intertwined rings trembled over stadiums, where competitions were held.
At the Olympics of different years, the design of the symbolism was modified. For example, you can see archival photos of 1980, when the competition took place in Moscow, then all Olympic rings were painted in a dark red color. And in 1988, a flag with rings appeared in the competitions in Seoul, which was located at the emblem. At the same time, the old banner was sent to the Olympic Games Museum in Lausanne.
alternative history
Some experts attribute the creation of a symbolism to the Swiss psychologist, one of the founders of Psychoanalysis Karl Yung. Supporters of this theory believe that the scientist came up with the famous rings before Pierre de Couberten - in 1912. The doctor is believed to be based on the principles of Chinese philosophy, according to which the world is managed by life energies - metal, wood, earth, fire and water. The colors of the Olympic rings mean these elements.
According to this hypothesis, the Olympic rings also associate with sports disciplines. The value of colors correlate with sports. Blue symbolizes swimming, red - fencing, yellow - light athletics, green - jumping and black - shooting. Jung believed that every athlete is obliged to perfectly own these disciplines. Despite the different interpretation of the value and origin of symbols, everything converges to the idea that sport is an honest way to identify the strongest without hatred, war and deaths.