The meanings of the Olympic rings and their various interpretations

The symbolism of the Olympic Games is known to each of us. For example, everyone knows what the Olympic emblem, the flag looks like, or what the anthem sounds like. However, not everyone knows what exactly the rings symbolize, and therefore more on that below.

History of the Olympic emblem

Sports competitions were held between people thousands of years ago. One of the first and most famous are the Olympic Games, which took place in Ancient Greece and Rome. After the disappearance of the represented empires, the competition was suspended. They were resumed already at the end of the 19th century (or, more precisely, in 1896) by Pierre de Coubertin.

The same man designed the Olympic rings, otherwise known as the emblem, in 1913. They are placed in the center of the Olympic Movement flag and represent 5 intertwined rings.

What do the rings look like?

They are arranged in 2 consecutive rows. Wherein:

3 of them - blue, yellow and black are located at the top;
2 – green and red – located in the bottom row.

The rings are connected into a single chain, representing the letter W. In this case, the outermost hoops (blue and red) intersect with only 1 of the remaining rings. The rings placed in the center are each with 2 other symbols of the emblem.

All about symbolism

The rings represent the union, the unity of the 5 parts of the world, as well as the worldwide orientation of the Olympic Games. At the same time, contrary to one of the most common versions, each of the symbols does not belong to any specific continent or part of the world. More on this below.

Thus, each of the 6 colors (together with the white background on the panel) are combined in such a way as to represent the national shades of all countries of the world.

In accordance with the International Olympic Committee - IOC - the fundamental idea of the emblem should be considered to root the idea that the Olympic Movement is an international campaign that unites everyone “under its wing”. Each country in the world can participate in this international competition. Including the Olympic Charter itself (a set of legal norms) indicates that:

The Olympic rings are relevant because they symbolize the unity of the 5 continents;
an additional interpretation of the emblem is a symbol of the gathering of athletes from all countries to participate in the Olympic Games.

A strict code has been developed regarding the use of the symbol presented. It must be followed by all international organizations, athletes and government officials in all circumstances. One of the clearest examples is that even if Olympic hoops are depicted on a black or dark background, the ring of the presented shade cannot be replaced with an object of a different color. In the modern history of the Olympic Games, there has not yet been a single case of violation of this norm. In extreme cases, the shade of the emblem is not significantly changed.

In the words of de Coubertin himself: “5 rings of different shades are intertwined with each other - blue, yellow, black, green, red. They are placed on a solid white field, reminiscent of the background of a sheet of paper. These 5 symbols represent each of the parts of the world. It is they who are currently cultivating the desire for Olympism and are ready to accept healthy competition and wage a fair fight, conquering new heights.”

Interpretation of Carl Jung

Carl Jung, the most famous scientist of the 20th century, who lived at the same time as de Coubertin, proposed to perceive 5 rings as specific energies - earth, water, fire, wood and metal. It is they who are united in the symbol known today. In addition, in 1912, Jung proposed his own perception of the competition, which is also often called the pentathlon. According to him, an Olympian athlete had to be distinguished by his versatility. In this regard, he must be proficient in any of the 5 fundamental sports. We are talking about swimming, fencing, jumping, running and shooting.

As part of this:

swimming corresponds to a blue tint;
fencing – red;
jumping - green;
running – yellow;
shooting – black.

The presented interpretation of the emblem, however, does not focus attention on the international scale of the Olympic competitions. She focused her attention on the abilities and results of a certain individual who deserves to be called the winner of the Olympic Games.

Religious interpretations of the emblem

Deciphering the symbolism of rings from a Christian point of view is widely popular. It sounds like this:

The black color symbolizes sin, which separates man from God. In this regard, scandals and intrigues occur even at the Olympics;
red is the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross so that all sins would be forgiven;
blue is the Holy Spirit, who dwells in everyone after baptism. It will provide an opportunity to achieve high results not only in sports, but also in life in general;
green symbolizes spiritual growth in the process of knowing the Lord;
yellow is similar to a gold-plated Olympic medal and is a symbol of victory for peace and pacifism.

The most common inaccuracies in understanding the emblem

Until 1951, official sources claimed that the shades of the rings corresponded to different parts of the world. So, Europe is blue, Asia is yellow, Africa is black, Australia is green, and America is red. However, already at the end of the 50s, this certificate was deleted, since there was no evidence that de Coubertin intended such a distribution of shades.

In addition, another common misconception is that, as many believe, in the first years before the start of the competition, the rings were swapped with each other. Their location has remained unchanged since the creation of the emblem.

Thus, the presented symbolism of intertwined rings is a symbol of peace and unity of people in the name of a certain idea. It implies fair competition, partnership and striving forward to achieve new results.