this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2025
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51
What part of the human heart is “the cockles?” (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 3 weeks ago by gigastasio@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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[–] ReedReads@lemmy.zip 25 points 3 weeks 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 20 points 3 weeks 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 weeks ago (1 children)

I assumed that is what prompted OP to ask!

"Maybe in the sub cockle area."

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

Maybe in the kidneys, maybe even in the colon.

[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 weeks 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 weeks ago (2 children)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just shutup and read the post pal.

[–] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 3 weeks ago

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

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks 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 weeks 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 weeks 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 weeks ago

Crush no longer speaking to me.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 15 points 3 weeks 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 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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 weeks 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 weeks 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 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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 weeks ago

The pointy bit