Guild Wars 2

I found this while watching youtube and realized it was very similar to Laurel icon. What mean?

Laurels are a plant.

Laurels were used in events and competitions in places like Greece to symbolize victory in these events. Think of a very leafy crown.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_wreath

Something to do with Phoebus/Apollo, a snake/dragon, killing it and the creation of the Olympics. But that’s only the prequel. Laurels came from a tree that used to be a nymph (forgot name). The god was obsessed with said nymph and chased her all over the place. To escape him her pops turned her into a laurel tree.

Dunno if that was what you were looking for or not. I’m missing some details from the story but it’s based on greek mythos.

wow had no idea it was “real”

more or less what the above posters said (i’d know, being greek and all)

the nymph’s name was most likely Daphne (which is the greek word for the plant) but i can’t say i actually remember off hand

additionally: “resting on your laurels” means growing complacent and (sometimes) abusing rewards and favour for past achievements

Now you know. And knowing is the half of the battle that doesn’t include red and blue lasers.

JJBigs.8456:

wow had no idea it was “real”

Sheltered life? Any movie or documentary on Ancient Greeks should have had Laurel wreaths in them.

smekras.8203:

more or less what the above posters said (i’d know, being greek and all)

the nymph’s name was most likely Daphne (which is the greek word for the plant) but i can’t say i actually remember off hand

additionally: “resting on your laurels” means growing complacent and (sometimes) abusing rewards and favour for past achievements

I bet many people are sitting on their laurels. :P

Yeah summation of what the others said. It is a plant, the origin of the plant according to Greek mythology was Apollo falling for the Nymph Daphne and chasing her all around the earth. In order to escape being “taken” by Apollo she prays to her father (a river god) and he transforms her into a Laurel tree. Apollo is still in love with her and takes the Laurel leaves (the symbol) to be his sacred tree and from there people start to use Laurel’s in all sorts of Greek rituals.

A lot of Western culture comes down to us from the Greeks, so the prevalence of the Laurel is still alive and well. You will see it often on country/patriotic/religious symbols.

Source: Ancient Greek minor (included Greek culture/mythology classes). If you want to see the original source you can read the Ovid’s Metomorpheses which has the myth in it from the Latin tradition.

My maiden name was DesLauriers, French for “of the laurel”. It’s not even a proper last name; sometime in the mists of history one of my ancestors was rewarded for something and just kept the title as their name from then on.

Like if you changed your last name to “Omnomnomnivore”.

bluestocking.6148:

My maiden name was DesLauriers, French for “of the laurel”. It’s not even a proper last name; sometime in the mists of history one of my ancestors was rewarded for something and just kept the title as their name from then on.

Like if you changed your last name to “Omnomnomnivore”.

Wouldn’t it be DesOmnomnomnivore? ^^

The laurel wreath was also used to crown victorious Roman generals, including Julius Caesar, in a ceremonial parade known as the triumph. Later, the Roman emperors reserved both the wreath and the triumph for their own use, and their crowns were shaped like laurel wreaths.

It is still used figuratively as a title – for example “Poet Laureate”.

Laurels (or wreaths) were even used for winning events such as car races and the like up until the mid-90’s, from what I remember. Maybe some people still do it, but now it’s seen as very old-fashioned. I kind of miss seeing the fake wreath (oversized laurel) being thrown over the driver’s heads on the podium. Now they’re just presented with a trophy and celebratory bottle of plonk, which leads to everyone on the podium being sprayed.

Well that explains why all the items (laurel related) are past related items