We'd like to use analytics cookies to understand which symbols people look up, so we know what to research next. They are not used for advertising and we set none of them unless you say yes. What we store.
A long feathered palm leaf carved on a monument.
Also known as: Palm branch, Martyr's palm, Long leaf on a grave
A palm branch. Genuinely ancient as a victory emblem — it is Roman before it is Christian — and adopted into Christian use for the martyr's victory over death, which is a documented transfer rather than a Victorian invention.
A palm frond carved on a monument, used in Roman practice as an emblem of victory and awarded to victors in games and in war.
Classical antiquity onward
Adopted into Christian iconography as the martyr's palm, denoting victory over death, a transfer of meaning documented in early Christian art rather than inferred later.
Frequently paired with a wreath or crown on monuments, the pair read together as victory and reward.
Contexts: History
A long curved central stem with many narrow leaflets arranged in a feather pattern along both sides, tapering to a point.
Palm and wreath are conventionally paired on monuments as victory and reward.