Banana Fruit Symbolism Facts & Literature: Astrology, Omens, Dreams, and Legends
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Banana Fruit Symbolism & Meaning
The Banana Fruit is typically associated with the symbolic meaning of offerings, growth, generosity, and abundance. It is also closely linked with sensuality, femininity, prosperity, and sustenance. These symbolic meanings has been an inspiration in the formation of emblems across multiple organizations.
The Greek branding and web design agency based in Athens, Banana Creative Studios, has a simple graphic of a half-peeled Banana as their logo with a light grey background.
Chiquita, formerly known as United Fruit, is a well-known Banana distributor in the United States. They are best recognized with their iconic emblem of Chiquita, the fruit lady, wearing a fruit hat, including Banana Fruits, with a blue background.
Banana Culture Music is a Chinese entertainment company that primarily operates as an esports management and marketing company but also operates as a record label and talent agency. The Banana Fruit is prominently featured above a graphic of the company name as their emblem.
Banana Backpacks have a minimalist lineart of the Banana Fruit’s leaves as their emblem. They ethically manufacture and sell travel backpacks in support of children’s education.
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Banana Fruit Positive & Negative Symbolism
The Banana Fruit has many positive symbolism, mainly they are seen as an offering to deities, abundance, prosperity, optimism, happiness, generosity, and sustenance.
On the other hand, they are negatively associated to be symbols of male genitalia, often used euphemistically.
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Banana Fruit Origin
The very first Banana Fruits were believed to have evolved in the tropical countries of Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea some 10,000 years ago. It is also believed to be the first-ever fruit in the world.
It was the Papua New Guineans who are said to be the people who cultivated the Banana Fruit from the archeological evidence found in the Kuk Swamp. This newly cultivated fruit was then traded to nearby regions of Southeast Asia, Polynesia, India, and eventually Africa.
It was in Africa that the crossbreeding of Banana species most likely began and formed the seedless variants of the fruit. It is theorized that these variants evolved into the modern Banana that we now know and love.
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Banana Fruit Cultural Symbolism
In India, the Banana Fruit plays a significant role in the Hindu religion, being a staple fruit to serve as an offering to the Hindu gods, especially during festivals and special occasions.
In Hindu astrology, the Banana Fruit is believed to be a representation of Brihspati, or the planet Jupiter. The Banana Fruit is also believed to be the reincarnation of the Hindu goddesses Parvati and Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty.
In Tamil weddings, Banana trees are traditionally tied to form an arch for wedding ceremonies as a blessing for a long marriage.
In Malay folklore, the Pontianak, a vengeful woman spirit, is believed to live inside Banana trees.
Similarly in Thailand, the spirit Nang Tani who takes the form of a young woman, is believed to haunt Banana trees or is the manifestation of the spirit of the fruit trees. Thais will tie a satin cloth to the Banana tree to indicate that Nang Tani is present.
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Banana Fruit in Art and Literature
Matsuo Bashō, a Japanese poet from the Edo period, is recognized as the greatest haiku master and the most famous poet of his time. Bashō’s students gifted him a Banana tree they planted in his garden. This Banana tree served as an inspiration to Bashō, creating several haikus featuring the Banana, notably On Transplanting the Banana Tree in 1691.
The song “Yes! We Have No Banana” by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn was released in 1923 and became the best-selling sheet in history for decades. The song has inspired many renditions and reemerges in popularity during Banana shortages in the United States.
Bunches of the Banana Fruit were featured as a subject in several prominent traditional painters over the centuries, notably Paul Gauguin’s 1819 painting The Meal (also known as The Banana) and Giorgio de Chirico’s The Uncertainty of the Poet in 1913.
Andy Warhol also created a Banana album art for the debut album of rock band The Velvet Underground in 1996.
In modern times, the artist Maurizio Cattelan created a concept art piece in 2019 called The Comedian where he duct-taped a Banana Fruit to a wall in a gallery. David Datuna, a New York artist, later ate the Banana without permission in an artistic stunt he called Hungry Artist.
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Banana Favorite Fruit: Traits and Personality
If the Banana Fruit is your favorite fruit, this could indicate that you have a fun and charismatic personality. Banana lovers are optimists who find it natural to connect with others. You often find yourself in the center of attention because of your sunny personality and people would typically describe you as loving and gentle.
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Banana Fruit in Astrology or Zodiac
The Banana Fruits are connected to those under the zodiac sign of Sagittarius. Sagittarius are happy-go-lucky philosophers, easily linking their prominent traits to the Banana Fruit that is often associated with happiness and abundance.
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Banana Fruit in Dreams
Dreaming of the Banana Fruit can mean many things. It can be a sign of fertility, abundance, or rewards. It can also indicate that masculinity will play an important role in your life but it could also mean that you require balance and harmony of the mind and body.
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Banana Fruit Omens and Superstitions
There is a long-standing superstition that the Banana Fruit is bad luck to sailors, fishermen, or any maritime vessel out at sea. As early as the 1700s, stories of shipwrecks, unsuccessful fishing expeditions, and malfunctioning boat engines were blamed on the Banana Fruits on board.
An occurring story of Banana bunches floating on the site of shipwrecks when they are discovered by passing ships just adds credence to the superstition.
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Banana Fruit Legends, Mythology, and Folklore
A folk legend in the Philippines tells the story of the origin of the Banana Fruit. Prince Aging is the mysterious lover of Princess Mariang Maganda. During one of their late-night trysts, Prince Aging told the Princess that he needed to leave, not sure if he would come back. But the princess held firm her lover’s hands, only for the prince to disappear, leaving behind his hands in the princess’s grip.
In despair, Princess Mariang Maganda buried Prince Aging’s hands in her garden and came back later to discover trees growing in his grave bearing the Banana Fruit, a fruit that grows similar to her prince’s hands.
