Charms, talisman, amulets and symbolic pendants date back to the beginning of adornment’s history and have been a way to wear your beliefs, hopes and dreams close to your heart, turn away evil and bring love, luck, guidance and protection into your life.
In Greek mythology an olive branch is a symbol of peace and friendship. In ancient times, Zeus held a contest between Poseidon and Athena for control over Athens, asking both to make an offering. Poseidon smashed his trident against a rock, producing a spring, while Athena called forth an olive tree with soft, silver-green leaves and an abundance of fruit. Zeus declared Athena the winner, and the olive tree has been an important Greek mythological symbol ever since. The Roman poet Virgil uses the olive branch as a signifier of peace in the Latin epic poem Aeneid, and Roman envoys used olive branches as tokens of peace during the Pax Romana within the Roman Empire. While Mars was the Roman god of war, he was also known as Mars Pacifer, or Mars the bringer of peace. Some Roman coins depicted Mars Pacifer as holding an olive branch, demonstrating its symbolic connotations of peace. In Genesis 8:1 Noah sent a dove to see if the great flood had ended. The dove returned with an olive branch in its beak. This signified that the flood had ended, and the olive tree had been able to withstand the torrential conditions. Today, the Great Seal of the United States features the bald eagle, holding a clutch of arrows in one talon, symbolizing war, and an olive branch in the other, symbolizing peace.
