The term true lover's knot, also called true love knot or simply love-knot amongst others, is used for many distinct

knot A knot is an intentional complication in Rope, cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including List of hitch knots, hitches, List of bend knots, bends, List of loop knots, loop knots, ...

s. The association of knots with the

symbol A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...

ism of

love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

and

affection Affection or fondness is a "disposition or state of mind or body" commonly linked to a feeling or type of love. It has led to multiple branches in philosophy and psychology that discuss emotion, disease, influence, and state of being. Often, " ...

dates back to antiquity (although the term itself is attested from the late 1300s). Because of this, no single knot can be labeled the true "true love knot". In practical terms, these knots are generally shown as two interlocked

overhand knot The overhand knot is one of the most fundamental knots, and it forms the basis of many others, including the simple noose, overhand loop, angler's loop, reef knot, fisherman's knot, half hitch, and water knot. The overhand knot is a stoppe ...

s made in two parallel

rope A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...

s or cords. The variations are in the ways in which the overhand knots interweave and in the final arrangement of the knot or knots. The true lovers' knot is a motif in several British folk songs, including " Barbara Allen", "

Lord Thomas and Fair Annet "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet" (), also known as "Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor", is an English folk ballad. Synopsis Lord Thomas (or Sweet Willie) is in love with Fair Annet, or Annie, or Elinor, but she has little property. He asks for advice. ...

", " Lord Lovel", and " Fair Margaret and Sweet William". The knot, made of a rose growing from one lover's grave and a brier from the other's, is described at the end of the ballad. It symbolises their fidelity in love even after death. Modern Western knotting literature has the name for these related knots deriving from stories or legends in which the knots symbolize the connection between a couple in love. Many examples feature

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

s separated from their beloveds.

Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsċ'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

notes that it was once a common style in sailors' wedding rings, where gold wire was wrought to incorporate the "true lovers" knot, creating a ring containing two tori, inseparable, yet flexible and able to move about each other.

Examples in literature

*"A Love Knot"; a short story about

Bengali Hindus Bengali Hindus () are adherents of Hinduism who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. They make up the majority in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Assam's Barak Valle ...

featuring a goldsmithed love knot. * A “love-knotte” is mentioned in the prologue to the Canterbury Tales. * In

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' is a late 14th-century chivalric romance in Middle English alliterative verse. The author is unknown; the title was given centuries later. It is one of the best-known Arthurian stories, with its plot comb ...

(line 612), Gawain's neck-support is embroidered with "trueloves" * In The Highwayman, a poem by Alfred Noyes, Bess is “plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.”

References

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Examples in literature

See also

References