Golden apple

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Golden apple refers to various fruits and mythological elements across different cultures and contexts. The term can denote specific types of apples, fruits from other species, or symbolic items in mythology.

Botanical Context

In the botanical context, the term "golden apple" can refer to several different fruits:

• Spondias dulcis, also known as the Ambarella, is a tropical fruit-bearing tree, also referred to as the golden apple in the Caribbean.
• Solanum muricatum, commonly known as the Pepino, is a fruit native to South America, sometimes called the golden apple.
• Quince (Cydonia oblonga), a fruit that turns golden-yellow when mature, is occasionally referred to as a golden apple.

Mythological Context

In mythology, the golden apple is a significant symbol in various stories and legends:

• In Greek mythology, the golden apples are associated with the Hesperides, nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world, where golden apples grant immortality.
• The Judgment of Paris is a famous myth where a golden apple inscribed "to the fairest" leads to the Trojan War. The apple was thrown by Eris, the goddess of discord, among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.
• In Norse mythology, golden apples are the source of the gods' immortality, tended by the goddess Iðunn.

Cultural References

The golden apple appears in various cultural references and literary works:

• In William Shakespeare's play Love's Labour's Lost, the golden apple is mentioned as a symbol of temptation and desire.
• The golden apple is a recurring motif in fairy tales, often representing a prize or a magical object.

See Also

• Apple (symbolism)
• Eris (mythology)
• Hesperides
• Judgment of Paris
• Iðunn

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