History Re-Told
We are all surrounded by the buzz of the 2016 Rio Olympics. It’s all over the newspapers, television, radio and more. Every day, we witness proud moments of participants and winners being commemorated with trophies and medals for their achievements.
Trophies and medals are tangible and durable items given to recognize the invaluable contribution of people to many an industry, including sports, films, Olympics and others. From times immemorial, trophies and medals have been a way to commemorate victories.
However, from where did these “important” trophies originate?
The Origin
A class of historians believes that trophies originated in ancient Greece. It is said that when Greek soldiers won battles, they returned with a piece of the enemy’s armor or even a body part. They would hang it to a tree to mark their victory, which often had details of the battle inscribed on it. The idea of taking a “trophy” from the enemy was a way to prove their victory and supremacy in the land and the neighbors. In fact, the word “trophy” is also derived from the Latin word “trophaeum”, which refers to a monument dedicated to victory. In Spain, trophy referred to a reward given to a successful torero. This reward would mostly be one or two of the bull’s ears depending on how specifically the bull had been killed.
This tradition continued and found a way into sports events where the winners were rewarded with trophies with the name and event engraved on it. Trophies and medals then found a place in the Olympics, the reputed sporting event which began in 1896. Sports winners were rewarded with various items including laurel wreaths, amphoras and sometimes even money. Then, silver medals were also given to achievers as silver was a precious metal in those times. Since then, trophies and medals were specifically designed and made to commemorate a particular event date. Moreover, trophies designed in the shape of a cup were popularly used.
The Journey
However, what is the history behind the journey from the enemy’s armor to the “cup” shape? Some believe that the idea of a “cup” came from John Wesley’s “loving cup”. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist Church and one of the important rituals of this church was the “loving cup”.
Community gatherings known as “love feasts” included simple meals, mostly bread and water. This “loving cup” was given two handles so that the cup could easily be passed from one person to another to drink water. This seems to be the idea behind the cup shape of the trophy.
Trophies in the form of medals were also used to applaud war heroes in the UK and other parts of the world. The most notable of these are the Victoria Cross and the George Cross.
Since then, medals and trophies are popularly being used to commemorate students, achievers, employers, sports persons and more so. However, the shape and engraving have changed from the cup to many other customized shapes like the ball for cricket and the lady for the Oscars.
Whatever the shape, the significance of trophies and medals remains undeterred. It is the best way to applaud one’s contribution and recognize the efforts.
