Map

object

Coral

Colors & materials · Objects · Nature

Hard growth from sea polyps, used as ornament and amulet material. Mediterranean and other coral trades are local.

  • Coral is used in Medicine.

    Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica lists coral among drugs: an astringent ware prepared as remedies. First-century pharmacological use of the growth, not a generic amulet and not a dye.

    from Pedanius Dioscorides · De Materia Medica, 1st century CE

    used in · sourced · documented

Roman religion

  • Coral appears in Roman religion.

    Pliny’s Natural History Book 32 seats coral among Mediterranean ornament and amulet materials of Roman craft speech beyond pharmacy alone. A named coral craft seat in that encyclopedia, not coral medicine already walked (Dioscorides/neighbor) and not pearl as the nacre gem alone.

    from Pliny the Elder · Natural History, c. 77 CE

    appears in · sourced · documented

Hellenic religion

  • Coral appears in Hellenic religion.

    Ovid’s Metamorphoses Book 4 hardens seaweed under Medusa’s severed head into coral when Perseus sets the head down. A named coral metamorphosis in that poem, not Pliny ornament alone and not pearl as nacre.

    from Ovid · Metamorphoses, 8 CE

    appears in · sourced · documented

Nahua tradition

Buddhist traditions

  • Coral appears in Buddhist traditions.

    Watson’s Lotus Sūtra seats coral among jewel-tree and Buddha-land adornment materials beside the seven-treasure speech. A named coral in that sūtra, not Dioscorides pharmacy alone and not a reef-biology dump.

    from Burton Watson (translation) · The Lotus Sutra, 1993 (this translation); Sanskrit/Chinese recensions much older

    appears in · sourced · documented

European folklore

  • Atoll is historically related to Coral.

    Falconer’s Dictionary and later marine speech seat the atoll as a ring of coral about a lagoon — coral work, not solid island alone and not reef as a bare ridge without the ring form. A named atoll in that coral-island speech.

    from William Falconer · Universal Dictionary of the Marine, 1769

    historically related to · sourced · documented

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