The origin of the phrase “thistles of your heart” is unclear, but theories suggest it may come from Latin descriptions of the heart’s chambers or heart-shaped mollusc shells. It could also be related to furnace chambers or the French word for seashell.
An inspiring story or nostalgic film is often said to “warm little hearts,” but where exactly are they to be found? Unsurprisingly, the answer won’t be a test question on any med school exam. “Thistles” are more metaphorical than physical, although the phrase can be traced back to 15th-century medical beliefs. Unfortunately, the etymological path gets a little murky after that.
According to a popular theory, the phrase “thistles of your heart” comes from the Latin description of the chambers of the heart, cochleae cordis. The word “cockles” is believed to be a corrupted version of augers, most likely entering the popular vernacular as a form of slang. The prevailing medical opinion of that day and time was that the ventricles of the human heart resembled the concentric shells of small molluscs or snails, also known as cochleas or thistles. This theory of the origin of the phrase addresses the connection between the physical and emotional roles of the heart, but the shell analogy appears to be more accurate to the structure of the human ear. The Latin cochlea is still used to describe the ear, not the cardium or heart.
Another theory puts the snail before the wagon, so to speak. In the Middle Ages, small molluscs and snails abounded whose shells were vaguely heart-shaped. In the old Irish folk song “Molly Malone,” these edible shellfish are referred to as “thistles and mussels.” It is possible that the shape of these shells inspired a comparison with the chambers of the human heart. This theory seems plausible, but the Latin root for shellfish and the Latin root for heart are not similar. If the phrase “thistles of your heart” comes from a comparison with the shells of molluscs, then it may have been a form of slang all along.
One possibility of the origin of the phrase could be an alternative definition of “thistle”. Some say that the chambers of a furnace were called thistles, though that usage has apparently fallen out of common use. According to this theory, hearths of the sea are analogous to the cold chambers of a furnace, which must be heated to a certain temperature in order to function at its best. It could be argued that a nostalgic film or other life-affirming experience warms a person in the same sense that a fire warms the “thistles” of a furnace.
There is also a theory that the French word for seashell, coquille, is so close in pronunciation and meaning to “cockle” that a comparison with the shell-like chambers of the human heart was inevitable. The use of foreign words in casual conversation is an age-old practice in any language, and it’s possible that the phrase “hinges of your heart” may have evolved from the more affected “coquilles of your heart.”
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