SeaSpray
Disney World fan since 1976
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2001
- Messages
- 15,143
After all the opinions regarding that 5th ring not opening during the opening ceremonies, I got curious as to whether all of the conspiracy theorists were on to something or not, so I decided to Google. Bolding mine.
Reading the below, I'm come to my own conclusion; others may disagree.
From wikipedia.com:
The symbol of the Olympic Games is composed of five interlocking rings, colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field, known as the "Olympic rings". The symbol was originally designed in 1912 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, co-founder of the modern Olympic Games. According to Coubertin, the ring colours with the white background stand for those colors that appeared on all the national flags that competed in the Olympic games at that time. Upon its initial introduction, Coubertin stated the following in the August, 1912 edition of Olympique:[full citation needed]
"...the six colors [including the flags white background] thus combined reproduce the colors of all the nations, with no exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tri- colors of France, England and America, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, the yellow and red of Spain next to the novelties of Brazil or Australia, with old Japan and new China. Here is truly an international symbol."
In his article published in the Olympic Revue, the official magazine of the International Olympic Committee in November 1992, the American historian Robert Barney explains that the idea of the interlaced rings came to Pierre de Coubertin when he was in charge of the USFSA, an association founded by the union of two French sports associations and until 1925, responsible for representing the International Olympic Committee in France: The emblem of the union was two interlaced rings (like the vesica piscis typical interlaced marriage rings) and originally the idea of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung: for him, the ring symbolized continuity and the human being.[4]
The 1914 Congress had to be suspended because of the outbreak of World War I, but the symbol and flag were later adopted. They would first officially debut at the Games of the VII Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920.[5]
The symbol's popularity and widespread use began during the lead-up to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Carl Diem, president of the Organizing Committee of the 1936 Summer Olympics, wanted to hold a torchbearers' ceremony in the stadium at Delphi, site of the famous oracle, where the Pythian Games were also held. For this reason he ordered construction of a milestone with the Olympic rings carved in the sides, and that a torchbearer should carry the flame along with an escort of three others from there to Berlin. The ceremony was celebrated but the stone was never removed. Later, two British authors Lynn and Gray Poole when visiting Delphi in the late 1950s saw the stone and reported in their "History of the Ancient Games" that the Olympic rings design came from ancient Greece. This has become known as "Carl Diem's Stone".[6] This created a myth that the symbol had an ancient Greek origin. The rings would subsequently be featured prominently in Nazi images in 1936 as part of an effort to glorify the Third Reich.[7]
The current view of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is that the symbol "reinforces the idea" that the Olympic Movement is international and welcomes all countries of the world to join.[8] As can be read in the Olympic Charter, the Olympic symbol represents the union of the five regions of the world and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. However, no continent is represented by any specific ring. Prior to 1951, the official handbook stated that each color corresponded to a particular continent: blue for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Australia and Oceania and red for America (North and South considered as a single continent); this was removed because there was no evidence that Coubertin had intended it (the quote above was probably an afterthought).[9]
From olympic.org:
The five rings represent the five continents. They are interlaced to show the universality of Olympism and the meeting of the athletes of the world during the Olympic Games.
On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background. Combined in this way, the six colours of the flag (blue, yellow, black, green, red and white) represent all nations. It is a misconception, therefore, to believe that each of the colours corresponds to a certain continent.
Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, explains the meaning of the flag :
The Olympic flag [ ] has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red [ ]. This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while
the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time. (1931)
Textes choisis, vol. II, p.470.
History
Even though Pierre de Coubertin intended the Olympic Games to be an international event from the time of their reestablishment
in 1896 in Athens (Greece), it was only at the
1912 Games in Stockholm (Sweden) that, for the first time,
the participants came from all five continents. One year later,
in 1913, the five rings appeared at the top of a letter written
by Pierre de Coubertin. He drew the rings and coloured them
in by hand.
It was also Coubertin who had the idea for the Olympic flag.
He presented the rings and flag in June 1914 in Paris at the
Olympic Congress.
The First World War prevented the Games from being celebrated in 1916 in Berlin
(Germany) as planned. It was not until 1920 in Antwerp (Belgium) that the flag and its
five rings could be seen flying in an Olympic stadium.
The universality conveyed by the symbol and the flag was a new idea at the beginning
of the 20th century. Nationalism was very strong and tension between certain countries
was high. It was in this climate, however, that Coubertin proposed the symbol of the
rings which aimed to encourage world unity.
Reading the below, I'm come to my own conclusion; others may disagree.
From wikipedia.com:
The symbol of the Olympic Games is composed of five interlocking rings, colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field, known as the "Olympic rings". The symbol was originally designed in 1912 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, co-founder of the modern Olympic Games. According to Coubertin, the ring colours with the white background stand for those colors that appeared on all the national flags that competed in the Olympic games at that time. Upon its initial introduction, Coubertin stated the following in the August, 1912 edition of Olympique:[full citation needed]
"...the six colors [including the flags white background] thus combined reproduce the colors of all the nations, with no exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tri- colors of France, England and America, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, the yellow and red of Spain next to the novelties of Brazil or Australia, with old Japan and new China. Here is truly an international symbol."
In his article published in the Olympic Revue, the official magazine of the International Olympic Committee in November 1992, the American historian Robert Barney explains that the idea of the interlaced rings came to Pierre de Coubertin when he was in charge of the USFSA, an association founded by the union of two French sports associations and until 1925, responsible for representing the International Olympic Committee in France: The emblem of the union was two interlaced rings (like the vesica piscis typical interlaced marriage rings) and originally the idea of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung: for him, the ring symbolized continuity and the human being.[4]
The 1914 Congress had to be suspended because of the outbreak of World War I, but the symbol and flag were later adopted. They would first officially debut at the Games of the VII Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920.[5]
The symbol's popularity and widespread use began during the lead-up to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Carl Diem, president of the Organizing Committee of the 1936 Summer Olympics, wanted to hold a torchbearers' ceremony in the stadium at Delphi, site of the famous oracle, where the Pythian Games were also held. For this reason he ordered construction of a milestone with the Olympic rings carved in the sides, and that a torchbearer should carry the flame along with an escort of three others from there to Berlin. The ceremony was celebrated but the stone was never removed. Later, two British authors Lynn and Gray Poole when visiting Delphi in the late 1950s saw the stone and reported in their "History of the Ancient Games" that the Olympic rings design came from ancient Greece. This has become known as "Carl Diem's Stone".[6] This created a myth that the symbol had an ancient Greek origin. The rings would subsequently be featured prominently in Nazi images in 1936 as part of an effort to glorify the Third Reich.[7]
The current view of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is that the symbol "reinforces the idea" that the Olympic Movement is international and welcomes all countries of the world to join.[8] As can be read in the Olympic Charter, the Olympic symbol represents the union of the five regions of the world and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. However, no continent is represented by any specific ring. Prior to 1951, the official handbook stated that each color corresponded to a particular continent: blue for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Australia and Oceania and red for America (North and South considered as a single continent); this was removed because there was no evidence that Coubertin had intended it (the quote above was probably an afterthought).[9]
From olympic.org:
The five rings represent the five continents. They are interlaced to show the universality of Olympism and the meeting of the athletes of the world during the Olympic Games.
On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background. Combined in this way, the six colours of the flag (blue, yellow, black, green, red and white) represent all nations. It is a misconception, therefore, to believe that each of the colours corresponds to a certain continent.
Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, explains the meaning of the flag :
The Olympic flag [ ] has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red [ ]. This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while
the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time. (1931)
Textes choisis, vol. II, p.470.
History
Even though Pierre de Coubertin intended the Olympic Games to be an international event from the time of their reestablishment
in 1896 in Athens (Greece), it was only at the
1912 Games in Stockholm (Sweden) that, for the first time,
the participants came from all five continents. One year later,
in 1913, the five rings appeared at the top of a letter written
by Pierre de Coubertin. He drew the rings and coloured them
in by hand.
It was also Coubertin who had the idea for the Olympic flag.
He presented the rings and flag in June 1914 in Paris at the
Olympic Congress.
The First World War prevented the Games from being celebrated in 1916 in Berlin
(Germany) as planned. It was not until 1920 in Antwerp (Belgium) that the flag and its
five rings could be seen flying in an Olympic stadium.
The universality conveyed by the symbol and the flag was a new idea at the beginning
of the 20th century. Nationalism was very strong and tension between certain countries
was high. It was in this climate, however, that Coubertin proposed the symbol of the
rings which aimed to encourage world unity.
