this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2025
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50
What part of the human heart is “the cockles?” (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 4 days ago by gigastasio@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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[–] ReedReads@lemmy.zip 24 points 4 days ago

There are two parts to this. The first is the word "cockles" and the second is using the word within the specific context of "the heart".

AFAI remember, this is from medieval times. Cockle was a term given to any part of the body that was sensitive or easily affected. It was pretty widely used at the time.

Medieval doctors didn't really view the heart as a single organ but the source of all of human emotions and the place where our soul resides. So emotions like love joy and grief lived in a specific, sensitive part of the heart called the cockles. And so the cockles was a small delicate region of the "heart", and the phrase cockles of the heart referred to this emotional center.

[–] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I take it from the comments that no one here, but OP and me, have heard the Denis Leary song?

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I assumed that is what prompted OP to ask!

"Maybe in the sub cockle area."

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 8 points 3 days ago

Maybe in the kidneys, maybe even in the colon.

[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I think that may be true? I only know Leary from that Asshole song, and alive alive oh from Molly Malone.

[–] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The Asshole song contains a line "cockles of the heart"

[–] WhyIHateTheInternet@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

I'm with you. First thing I thought of was this.

[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago

So it does! Honestly I kinda tuned it out because I thought it was stupid.

[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Just shutup and read the post pal.

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago (1 children)

A cockle is a type of shellfish. I don’t know how the association with the heart was formed, but it must be old—the Latin name for the order is “Cardiida”.

[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Cockles are literally heart shaped when viewed side on. The cardioid in mathematics gets its name from the same thing and that's bulbous by comparison.

Wiktionary also suggests that "cockles" may be a corruption of cochlea(e) which is one of at least a couple of names for the heart's ventricles.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I will tell my crush that looking at her makes my cockles bulbous and report back what happens.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 1 points 3 days ago

Crush no longer speaking to me.

[–] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 4 days ago

As I understand it, they're next to the muscles, and are alive alive - oh

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 15 points 3 days ago

Not sure but I got kicked in the cockles once and it hurt like a dickens. I mean not as much as being kicked in the dickens of course.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

It's referring to the ventricles, which look similar to a cockle shell (a type of shellfish).

[–] kelpie_returns@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

After seeing conflicting answers itt, I did some searching of my own and this seems to be the right answer

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 6 points 3 days ago

https://wordhistories.net/2017/09/27/cockles-of-heart-origin/

TL;dr we don't know but here's some guesses!

[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

There right next to the muscels, according to this pretty lady from Dublin. I hear they are pretty fresh as she's really emphasizing the fact that they are still alive-o.

[–] Doubleohdonut@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago

The pointy bit