What are the "cockles of your heart" and why do they need warming?

February 12, 2005

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Big-Questions/What-are-the-cockles-of-your-heart-and-why-do-they-need-warming/2005/02/11/1108061860808.html

One of the meanings of "cockle" is the chamber of a kiln: in reference to the heart, it refers to the chambers, of which there are four (two atria and two ventricles). The heart has always been associated with emotions, especially love, excitement and fear, probably because when we feel a strong emotion we feel our heart thumping and beating faster. So when something "warms the cockles of our heart", it is a reference to something pleasant that makes our heart beat faster and makes us feel good. It is probably also the origin of the saying that something gives us that "warm and fuzzy feeling".
John Frith, Paddington
The cockles of the heart are its ventricles, named by some in Latin as "cochleae cordis", from "cochlea" (snail), alluding to their shape. The saying means to warm and gratify one's deepest feelings.
Patricia McPhee, Booker Bay