A laurel wreath is a ring of interlocking branches and leaves of bay laurel (Laurus nobilis). It has been associated with victory and achievement for well over two thousand years, in ancient Greece and later in Rome.
Laurel in ancient Greece
In Greek mythology the laurel was sacred to Apollo, god of music, poetry and prophecy. In the best-known story, the nymph Daphne escapes Apollo by being transformed into a laurel tree, and he takes the laurel as his emblem from then on.
Because of that link, laurel wreaths were awarded to the winners of the Pythian Games, held at Delphi in Apollo’s honour, and became a mark of distinction for poets and musicians.
Laurel in Rome
The Romans adopted the laurel as a symbol of military victory. Generals celebrating a triumph wore a laurel wreath, and it later became an emblem of the emperors. Laurel wreaths still appear on coins, medals and military insignia today.
Laurels in our language
The wreath lives on in everyday English. A poet laureate or Nobel laureate is someone “crowned with laurel” for their achievements. To win your laurels is to earn recognition, and to rest on your laurels is to stop trying once you have it.
Making a laurel wreath
A bay or laurel hedge gives you plenty of material for a festive door wreath or table decoration.
- Make or buy a ring of wire, willow or vine as a base.
- Cut short sprigs of bay, Portuguese laurel or cherry laurel, 10 to 15cm long.
- Lay the sprigs in overlapping bunches around the ring, all pointing the same way, and bind each bunch on with florist’s wire.
- Keep going until the base is hidden, tucking the last stems under the first bunch.
Bay leaves dry well and stay fragrant. Remember that cherry and Portuguese laurel leaves are poisonous, so keep those wreaths away from food and from children and pets who might chew them.