The myth tells of a Greek maiden named Phyllis, the daughter of the King of Thrace, and her tragic love for Demophon. While returning from the Trojan War, the hero stopped in the land and promised to marry her as soon as he had finished his chores in Athens. However, many years passed and Demophon still did not return, so Phyllis, overwhelmed with grief, took her own life1. Seized with great pity, the goddess Athena turned her into a leafless almond tree. When Demophon returned to Thrace, he saw the dry tree and overcome with emotion embraced it. At that exact moment, the tree sprouted leaves.
This myth captures elements of reality and attempts to explain the unknown and unusual. The almond tree buds bloom first in late February. This is an extraordinary and unexpected sight during one of the coldest months of winter. Through the myth of Phyllis, the ancients sought to explain the tree’s extraordinary flowering, as if it regenerated itself from nothing. Then, as now, the almond tree’s blossom heralds the arrival of spring, anticipating nature’s awakening. Therefore, in ancient times, the almond, the fruit of this miracle, symbolised rebirth.
The almond in Christianity: the vesica piscis
In Christianity, Christ is the one who rises from the dead. Therefore, it was only natural to associate the image of the Saviour with the almond from the earliest centuries. In traditional iconography, the risen Christ is inscribed in a mystical almond shape, which is similar to the vesica piscis, the swim bladder that allows fish to stay afloat2.
The reference to the fish is no coincidence. In fact, the almond’s shape was very similar to that of the Ichthys, a secret symbol used by early Christians to identify each other during periods of persecution. Ichthys, in Greek ΙΧΘΥΣ, meant fish but more importantly it was the acrostic of the words Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr, meaning Jesus Christ Son of God the Savior.
The sacred geometry of vesica piscis
The almond was drawn through the intersection of two circles, a metaphor for the meeting of what is physical and what is spiritual.
“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Gospel of Matthew 16,15
Christ is the mediator between these two dimensions. As the Son of God, he possesses both divine and human attributes, uniting the earthly and heavenly realms. Just as an almond shell encloses a precious seed, so Christ’s body houses life.
Samuele Corrente Naso
