The Illustrated Book of Signs and Symbols_ 1000s of Signs and Symbols From Around the World ( PDFDrive )

Pi \\NTS I l \\\\ll Gourd Mistletoe Thistle Hyssop The national emblem of In old herbals, fennel 1 he gourd, with its In Europe tnisdetoe, This scented herb was abundance ol seeds. is once considered Scotland, this prickly used as a purgative d was thought to a widespread symbol magical, is now linked plant causes pain but and so represents improve eyesight and ol fertility. In China it to Christmas To stand al>o repels enemies, and purification and to cause snakes to shed is associated with long beneath the mistletoe so symbolizes both e\\ il their skin li was thus a life, while in Africa the and protection It also regained innocence. symbol ol clarit) . and gourd represents the is to nunc a kiss. The represents ChriM s ssop grows on custom may stem from ol renewal womb. suffering and may poor, stony ground, it and revival the idea that mistletoe s is a plant ol humility. appear in paintings at power lives people from restrictions. the foot of the cross. MBl III I The language of herbs • In southeast Asia the Although to many people herbs are simply plants to use in Ginger betel nut is associated cooking, they have long been an indispensable source of According to i hmese medicine. Their effects can be powerfully healing or harmful, so superstition, eating this many acquired magical or sacred powers, while others became fingerlike root whi associated with evil and suffering. Shapes and scents can be pregnant was harmful important factors in determining a plant's symbolic meaning. and could produce a Sage six fingered child with love and This popular garden herb was so highly prized for its healing powers that regular use was reputed to marriage Betel bestow immortality In medieval Christian paintings, sage is a symbol ol the Virgin Mar)'. shavings are Fungus traditionally In the Far East fungus is an important symbol chewed with lime ol longe> it) . and in the Taoist religion fungus doves, and other is the food ol the immortals h is mild therefore a sacred I plant, and caned sedative Fungus decorations can n on precious ts sikh as the antique |apani boxwood scepter shown above (||\\S| \\(, (i \\KI 1( Sm lisp his herb. ( iinseng's fori le ancient (.i\\si\\.. or Greeks garlic, fidelil like the mandral I t HING 111 P\\KM I > with its pungi ^ HlKI I included in bridal symbolizes the human tapping I his herb is so slow n> IVYH germinate that people body I 01 this reason ii smell I Other plantsi r with it woul imagined its iidered a life prote< lion Shammm I i membrance giving herb Ginseng's against evil spun- ol garlic wen went down to the n planted l hinese name means issroads foi the feared I devil Parsley w symbol \"I death lor the man androol it is .i the underworld In t entral European myth the andeni creeks, who masculine i lo\\. ward oil vampires In w: sprigs in re. litis reputed i fiina garlic is considered a luck) plant that <• unliiv will bless parents to-be with main children 47

Nature '%s%s%s±s%s%s%s**\\ Nature's Foods Porcelain dish, Qing DYNASTY Food gives us life and thus unity with all other living things. It grows through the interaction of the earth, the sun, and water. Foods that must be harvested, like corn and rice, are linked to the gods of abundance and fertility. Water is symbolic of life and purity, and milk represents the nourishment of mother earth. Food is part of life's cycle: all that lives must die and return to the earth, fertilizing it for new growth Peach, s\\mbol of immortality Peach The peach is a symbol of immortality. In China it brings joy and protects against evil. In the hand of the infant Christ it represents salvation. Fig Apple Orange Ll MO\\ Cherry Pomegranate The fruit of the fig tree, The apple, especially if with its many seeds, Sometimes shown in A symbol of purity and In Japan the cherry is Because of its color, red, symbolizes love the hand of the infant faithfulness, the lemon associated with self- the pomegranate represents the feminine and fertility and is an was traditionally symbolizes the sun, Chnst, the orange sacrifice, particularly life, and blood, while realm, fertility, and emblem of Venus as represents good thought to have fortune and fertility protective properties in relation to samurai its many seeds make it !)rospenty. A basket of love and desire. Its Like the apple, its shape that could counter igs symbolizes woman round shape indicates symbolizes eternity magic spells and warriors - the red flesh a symbol of fertility. In eternity and also the and immortality, and poison. In Judaism the ol the lam symbolizing as goddess or mother. due to its distinctive lemon represents the ancient Rome newly The fruit has erotic earth. In the Bible the their blood. In married women wore symbolism and was apple represents color it is associated human heart. Christianity cherries sacred to Bacchus, god temptation, although with the sun. are a fruit of paradise pomegranate wreaths, of wine and vegetation. as an attribute of the Plum and pomegranate juice and are sometimes was used as a remedy Adam and Eve covered Virgin Man-, it means In the Far East the depicted in the hands for infertility. their nakedness with redemption. plum is a symbol of of the infant Christ. leaves from the fig tree. ripening female Grapes Sweet Italian Pineapple GRa ; sexuality, and may be The pineapple is a life-giving fruit and a symbol Grapes produce wine and are a symbol of revelry viewed in the same of fertility In parts of America pineapples were a Bacchus, god of wine, way when it appears sign of hospitality, and sailors would place a and immortality, but also of blood and sacrifice. with his garland of pineapple on the Grapes brought back from the in dreams. In Promised Land symbolized vine leaves. Christianity the gatepost to tell neighbors that they the promise of a new plum represents were home from life to the Israelites. fidelity sea. In the late In Islam wine is 1800s, the Scottish the drink of the chosen in Lord Dunmore Paradise, and echoed this to Christians custom with it is the blood fruit -shaped of Christ. summer Red wine house to Overripe announce pomegranates. his return and apples to Scotland symbolize from excess America. Cara. Date Till , In the desert regions of Pineapple, North Africa, clusters of dates traditionally Scotland represent life and fruitfulness. Because of their shape and abundance, dates are seen as a symbol of male fertility % 48

Nature's Foods Sai i Briad Food of the gods Because ol its purity, salt represents Bread symbolizes The people ol Israel arc seen below gathering manna, food sent by spiritual nourishment immortality Named h is the lood ol the mGod from heaven to sustain the |c\\\\s the wilderness during their alter Salus. Roman body and ol the soul Bread is particularly long journey from I gypt In the Bible it is described as white, like goddess of health, salt important in i hristian was once used in symbolism, where coriander seed, and tasting ol waters made with hone) Manna is also ceremonies in her C hnst is seen as the mentioned in the Koran, and i- a symbol ol God s love honor A grain bread ol life \" Bread Nectar was the name used by 1 lomer lor the beverage ol the Greek gods, which conferred immortality and beaut) dissolving in the ocean at the communion symbolizes the union Amritsa is the elixir ol immortality that emerged during the churning service represents the ol the milky ocean and was consumed by the gods in Indian mythology of the human soul body of Christ and its Ambrosia was the lood ol the gods in Greek myth with the infinite In consumption represents Egg Chnstianity salt has oneness with c hnst. The ceremonial The egg as origin ol come to represent breaking ol bread may the universe is lound symbolize the death of in myths throughout suffering the world. The the sacrificial victim. Hie leek, contains the potential ymbcA oj for life and so represents Wales the womb, birth, and the universe It is also symbol of hope and of immortality, and in Christianity can represent the virgin birth Queen's Honey Leek Honey is the lood ol the O'ds and represents The leek represents victory and was thought to protect against wounds It appears on the British immortality, rebirth, pound coin as the emblem of Wales, and is also an attribute of St David, patron saint of Wales. and fertility. Ii is associated with the i moon and the lemn To ancient Greeks it represented wisdom. and to Christians il symbolized Christ's gentleness and compassion. Paradise was known as \"the land of milk and honey •%«V Ou\\i on Ol l\\l s oil from the olive An attribute ol Athena is own symbolism In |udaism, n is v> consider and is used as fuel for the lamp and foi Rk i the menorah in the ..il ol Hanukkah Rice is an cs^/mial Mil K <:nts Corn The lirsi and mosl immortality and In the Americas com is nutritious lood, milk Onion See a/ so -hment. both tnbol ol life, symbolizes spiritual The main layered nbol ol immortality ( MIKKl I nourishment and onion represents unit) spiritual and literal In especially when ii is and fruitfulness In intact as com on the Ii also symboli; many pari I it is immortality Ii is often ant ieni ( in I IC I and it i» ated with I he- i town ol wild olivi Foodoi mi GOD I motif in potters In oil the layers to re moon dui representing / the centei In round ancieni V urn and 'he lood shape symbolizes the worn by the victoi plant depicted with a o| the O'ds In Hindu nd N\\M Ml - I I <ual hummingbird nd Vishnu reclines immortalit) and. In tin- Bib ive rid symbolized the Sun . •-mil milky returned to the ark In th Her.* and new growth in from which the in olive tw the wondi ition smeli '.aid I his II the pailu ulai II the ud lo be i seni b) PlNI Mil I c- I repr- dawn ol time In the recedii o the ollVl the happir Bibli n is Ri< ill I their UH the mot! link- influences ol tl and reconciliation %%»«%«%%%%»% «%»»»«% 4

Nature Flowers Anemone Poppy An opiate, the poppy From earliest times and in even- culture flowers have held a special place From the Greek memos, in our hearts and lives. In ancient times certain flowers were viewed as meaning wind, this symbolizes the ultimate earthly forms of the gods. People treasured them, used them in worship, sleep ol death. Popular flower denotes the lore has it that the red and imbued them with magical powers. A flower in bud is symbolic of transitory nature of poppies that sprang up new life and potential, but flowers also accompany the dead to the grave. life. In Greek myth anemones sprang from after the Battle of Flower motifs adorn churches and temples, are incorporated into jewelry, the blood of Adonis and represent death Waterloo grew from and decorate even-thing from fabric to furniture. Flowers have even wound the blood of the dead. their way into our language - we view the world through \"rose-tinted In Christianity they are glasses\" or see life as \"no bed of roses.\" Many flowers have taken on the blood of the saints. particular meanings, but what a certain flower means can differ vastly from one culture to another. Iris FORGET-ME-NOT Violet Passion flower Pi ONY Carnation Named after the Greek European legend has it A Greek nymph was mOften used stained- In ancient nines this In Renaissance that a youth drowned goddess of the rainbow, in a river after picking spared Apollo's lusl glass windows, this flower was thought to portraits, this is a who transported this flower for his by becoming a violet. flowei is a t hristian have magical properties symbol ol betrothal, beloved. As he went I he Greeks used it to women's souls to the under, he shouted, In Christianity it is S) mbol. The Spanish keep evil spirits at bay. particularly when held underworld, irises were tied to humility believed it grew I he |apanese linked it placed on graves. Louis \"Forget me not'\", so the around the cross, m the sitters hand. In VII adopted the iris as Cyclamen to masculinity, riches, his emblem during the flower is a symbol of others saw in its form ( hina the tarnation is Crusades, and it Dedicated to the Virgin and good fortune, and evolved from the fleur- desperate love. Mary, the spot at its the wounds of Jesus, adopted it as the a common symbol of center symbolizes In i and some viewed us de-Louis to the flew -de- flowering as God Imperial flower. In marriage. lis, the three leaves bleeding heart. On symbolizing faith, calling foi converts t hina it was related to used in love potion marriage and fertility wisdom, and valor. is now- associated with voluptuousness. and much used as a motil on temple walls. Prj -Raphai i i i i ii o\\\\ i r imagery: Shakespeare's Ophelia 1\" Pansy Oh M 1852 The word stems from i I the French per Hyacinth (thoughts), and the D riven to madness by her beloved Hamlet's murder ol her lather. flower is poetically phelia drowns herself in a stream. The garlands in her hair and The Greek god Apollo linked to thoughts, the flowers that surround her are all charged with symbolic meaning thoughtfulness, and The willow represents forsaken love; the nettle growing in its branches created this flower from remembrance, as well Orchid represents pain; and the daisies near Ophelia s hand are symbolic ol as love. Placed over the blood of his beloved the eyes of someone In China the orchid is k ence The chain ol violets around her neck is assix iated with asleep, the pansy can a symbol of perfection faithfulness, chastity, and untimely death The poppy is also a symbol friend Hyacinthus, who impel the dreamer to In England the purple fall in love with the spots on an orchid's ath; other (lowers floating in the water are linked to sorrow; and murdered while first person to appear. the forget-me-nots on the bank are an entreaty not to forget Ophelia It is said to be sacred petals are said to throwing the discus to St Valentine, and is represent the blood with him. It is a a Christian emblem of of Christ Christ bol of the Tnn:i prude 50

OF R1 S V, i *^s%--%*+>*s%s%s%s%s%s±^>* The language of the rose More than an) other How or. the rose and its symbolism have Pi ials entered the human consciousness. In different cultures it has in Roman times come to represent youth, purity, perfection, earthly love, and rose petaU were a valuable rebirth. It is the flower ol courtship, ol marriage, and even of death. Its essence has been distilled into love potions, rency I ad them perfumes, cosmetics, teas, and medicinal remedies In the West to make face packs in the there was a custom that a rose suspended over the dinner table meant that all confidences were to be held sacred, hence the central ceiling rose ol Victorian architecture, ami the white rose as a symbol oi secrecy. The rose is also intricately linked to Catholieism - the rosar) was originally made of rose hips strung together. hope ol banishing wrinkles; Rl D ROSl -is ai banquets dropped ^H^ Keel roses sacred to petals into (hen wine to stave W^^ Venus and were - like the off drunkenness, and .less - archetypal symbols ol love victorious armies return and beaut) I veil today these associari streets strewn with petals. continue, roses being considered the messengers ol love In Christian tradition the red rose grew from drops ol Christ's blood and the Madonna is sometimes deputed with a red rose in her hand. Also associated with war. the red rose was adopted by the .! point oj the Lancastrians in the English Madonna and Wars of the Roses. The L Virgin Mary. \\\\ Fr.\\ White rose sidered the flower ol the moon or ol the light, the white rose symbolizes punty. virginity, charm, and secrecy. It r in contrast to the lire ol the red rose It was the emblem ol the House of York in the Wars ol the Roses. ROSl WINDOW The rose window, so named because ol its adorn this >m hei petallike shapes ol glass, represents both the Tht carnation hat to the behind (Ins human aspii wholeness and coherence on hei thai and the realization ol those same desires Rose , IS ihed mwindows, which lust appeaietl 1 Jth-centi Fram be s\\ mbols ol etemit) I he) have been likened to mandalas - Eastern objects ol meditation - for then perfection ol geometry and ol form I he main paths thai lead to the < eniet are like the paths that lead to enlightenment I I DOR ROSl rhis mi i embroidered with a K I he I udoi rose With Us red outer petals and white inm mbolized the union ol the Vl I IOW ROM two royal hou he white rose I and infidelity In 1\" the yell l ancastei (the red rose Henr) I ud ited with l i ind adopted tin his standard when he Ideti married I lizabeth \"I V<rk in 1485 mainly foi -> I

X ATT RE 4k '&J The lotus Fertility symbol Chrysanthemum Flower of perfection One of the most ancient symbols to appear in Asian art. This 3rd-century Indian In China and Japan the chrysanthemum is an The lotus emerges the lotus symbolizes both creation and punt}'. Its long figurine represents a emblem of fall and unsullied from swamps and lakes. For this reason, stem is the umbilical cord that holds Man to his origins, mother goddess, shown long life, oi and because its petals open scholarship and and close with the passing while its perfect flower represents enlightenment and the here squatting in contentment. It was thought to hold the of the day, it is highly purit\\ to which the human soul aspires. The thousand- childbirth. She has a symbolic in the East. lotus - a symbol of key to eternal life. The petaled lotus represents the sun emerging from the fertility - for a head. Japanese have adopted cosmic ocean, the sun and the waters being \\ ual to it as a national emblem growth. The lotus symbolizes divine birth, since the god and as the badge of the Brahma emerges from Vishnu's navel sealed on a lotus, and then creates the universe. It also symbolizes the sun Imperial family. and the cycle of birth and rebirth, since its petals open at dawn and close at sunset. *^* Floral inlaj iind mold ©if@) stand lotuses First flower of Egypt Often appearing in decoration, the lotus embodies royal power. It is associated with the god Nefertem and the sun god, Re, who is sometimes depicted as a child lying on a lotus. Capitals of Egyptian columns are often carved to resemble lotuses, either in bud or full flowei Protective loius In (his typically I Marigold round imple, ihc Buddha In Chinese belief the the Buddha's halo namcnled mangold is the with jewels emblem ol long life - Hl-lll GODS \"the flower ol ten thousand years In China the lotus represents purity. Mexicans claim the perfection, and spiritual gra< e flowei s color is tinted by the blood ol the combined with fertility and the ripeness of summer I [ere, both ol the Aztecs, who were I li he twin gods ol prosperit) , can a massacred by the i- in a jai I he garment worn b) Spaniards in their quest for gold the god on the lelt is also decorated with a lotus | he 1 [e-he themselves symbolize i on< ord and harmony between married couples Bl DDHISl [EWE1 IN IIII LOTUS # iddhisl cosmolog) the lotus Sunflower symbolizes both purity and the primordial waters from which all life is In Greek myth, t lytic ueated. Because the beautiful flower is turned into this sun- worshiping flower as a grows out of mud and water, it is consequence ol her associated with human aspiration and blind love lor the sun god, Apollo, hence the ntial. The Buddha is oft< n flower s assot iation •ented as the jewel in the lot lis. with blind infatuation seated on a lotus throne, the pinn Nome environmentalists ol perfection. have adopted the sunflowei as their The li symbol because ii nslhcBuddhi absorbs air pollutants. ml A Tibe : 52

Flowers ?3 Magnoi i\\ This IL Chinese symbol ol feminine beauts' and leness. In ancient LllY China, the plant w A white lily is the most Lin Ol llll VALLEY the exclusive prop of the emperoi A widely accepted This is the flowei ol symbol ol puntv and Ostara, Norse goddess of a magnolia plan perfection in the West of springtime. Narcissls in Greek myth Echo • tail), It is also a symbol of a subject was then peace, divinity, and Throughout Europe it \\\\ \\\\ innocence In Greco- represents spring and a sign i 'I new life, and so al I Roman mythology the S) mbolizes the advent lily was believed to ol Christ. In France, it HistoncalK n is al have come from the is the workers' flowei In Greek mythology the youth Narcissus spurned the love of the milk of the goddess traditionally given to associated with a I lera/Juno. To the Jew s beautiful nymph Echo who could only repeat the last words spoken to employees on Labor celebrated heroine it is the emblem of the her. and she wasted away until only her voice remained As punishment, 1st. who shares her Chi tribe of Judah. the gods condemned the vain Narcissus to fall in love with his own image. name, Mu-lan, with When he saw his reflection in a pool of water he was unahle to tear that of the flower Mu- himselt away and died He was changed into the narcissus flower which lan disguised he is, grows at the waters edge. a man in i ink- on behall ol her lather M : and Lippo MEMMl, 1333 Narcissi s Crocus HONI YSt ( Kl 1 The sweet, intoxicating People once believed Given by the French to the narcissus that wearing garlands their loved ones to >nce believed to of crocuses would symbolize then union, ward off drunkenness. the honeysuckle cause mad: The species saffron was highly prized in represents mo \"Narcissism mi vanity, and the flower medieval times when broadl) generous love. symbolizes the dan li was once used its pigment dyed medicinal!) to charm Christians, the flower garments a brilliant away boils symbol ol divine yellow, a symh In China its light and nobility fortune •I* winI iii i in VND ( HRIST1 The lily is associated with tl ntings ( HRVSANTHEMI I PRIMKOM \\s\\ll\\l I)\\|S1 its whiteness re] Iris i untainted by sin It is ofti assov J represents inn nLily ol the Annum iation eithei held by ti lined flov and is sometii is prized in India It is i iabriel or ii attribute ol the \\ il ilds ludgment, tin sI ( > I I I| i It is ,m emblem ol the innocence and guih : an end ied in Hindu I hi with iani( mother chastii r .d is Peoni R i i purity In china jasmine emblem in R.'M WINDOW i will find c hi. ibol neni the lilies \"I th to by I hidden ti of heavenly happtl i hn bol ol sunplu n\\ and ol purity 51

Sea Creatures Grapevines, aUrxbuu s oj Dionysus, god oj wine One of the most important symbols in world myth, the fish represents fertility, life, and death, and is generally auspicious. It is associated with the mother goddess, the moon, and the primeval waters from which all life grew It is one of the earliest symbols in Christianity, signifying both Christ and the faithful, swimming in the sea of life. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, and similar stories abound in other cultures. In Hinduism the god Vishnu's first 1PORARY incarnation was in the form of a great fish Chinese that saved mankind from the flood. carp *£fe£ PlIcKt's turned into dolphins DOIPHIN In Gre( o-Roman myth this noble fish < onducts souls to the world beyond, saws the shipwrecked, and symbolizes safety and speed. It is associated with the sun god, Apollo, and is linked to Dionysus, god ol wine. The dolphin is a widespread symbol ol virtue. Symbol oj t^CF I II courage and goodjorlune The eel plays a part in Polynesian flood myths Sea horse and also has erotic I IRVING The delicate sea horse i is the mount of associations. In Tahiti Carp WllAI I Poseidon/Neptune, the n is an ancestor figure This is an important symbol in the Far East In Greco-Roman god In China it is a symbol In the Bible, [onah was swallowed by a great China it represents perseverance and success the sea. It also appears owing to its ability to leap formidable rapids. nnal love, while in fish, probably .1 whale, and disgorged alive onto In general, the carp symbolizes patience, in heraldry, often to mi the term determination, and long life. Its armorlike scales signify bravery at sea, slippcr\\ as an eel drj land three days later. A similar legend exists are linked to valor; in Japan it is a symbol of the Samurai and of courage. and as a civic emblem signifies a person who among the Inuits I he whale has thus come to to show overseas trade. ^\\»Oi wriggles out ol trouble. ignify death and rebirth, and darkness before the light. In Arctic Slav, and Russian myth the . earth rests on the back of a great whale. When the whale moves, there is an earthc|uake. Salmon Like the carp, the salmon swims determinedly upstream in search of its birthplace and so symbolizes perseverance and courage. It is associated with the moon, and is a symbol of death and rebirth. SWORDFISH imiliai 1400 bc In the Sepik region of New sij^ii in Guinea the swordfish is I art a totem figure, and Shark swordfish-shaped masks Octopus One of the most potent symbols of terror, the are worn during sacred dances. The Ainu of Japan Because ol its spiraling tentacles, the octopus is shark is revered as an ancestor figure in the worship a sea divinity that related to the symbolism ol the spiral - air, Pacific regions of Polynesia, Melanesia, and the takes the form u.tui and rolling thunder and lightning Ills also a symbol ol fickleness and changeabilit) Solomon Islands. In Hawaii, as in parts of V of a swordfish. since it alters color when under threat Africa, sharks are also held sacred. -%^»^< 34

C- \\ REA 1 U The language of shells Crab STARI lsll Shells share water's symbolic associations and are linked Because ol its as a tive shell, the to the moon and to the feminine, yin principle. is associated with Venus, goddess of love, was born in the waters and transported to land on a scallop shell. In China shells the womb and w ith symbolize a successful journey and good Fortune, and in Christianity they represent the baptismal waters, motherhood li is the perhaps because shells were sometimes fourth sign ol the used to earr\\ water. Those shells that consist ot two halves fused together are zodiac, which is ruled symbolic ot secrec) or sexual passion, and shellfish such as oysters are thought In the moon Due to to be aphrodisiacs its habit ol walking sideways the crab also powi the has associations ol evasiveness and de sh in Christiai In Buddhism it is linked to the periods repn - \\ of cosmic nighl between the ages of the faithful through the Brahma, or the sleep SCALtOP SHI 1 1 ol death between one storms ol love The scallop shell is an emblem ol incarnation and the W Venus, and also represents the female nexi In Africa sexual organ In Christianity a often is considered a symbol signifies pilgrimage, particularly to the shrine ot Si |ames in the Spanish city ol ol evil. Santiago de c ompostela, where pilgrims wore the scallop on their clothing The she was jU>> adopted a- an emblem in Siena. Chs[ER Ceri MONLAI ( ON( II m\\Si \\ t R( The conch shares the Possibly because the tk lore ihe sea oyster nurtures the symbolism ol the spiral pearl, u represents the owing to in convoluted in is known as the \\ eminine realm - the shape In Mayan culture it represents the waters It is serp and in womb, the fertility ol the emblem ol Neptune, jk the waters, and the as well as ol the . ^ moon. With its tightly \\ ishnu as l ord ol the \\\\ alers. sealed shell. 11 is also a symbol ol seen plis viewed as a s) mbol ol the world li is The K EGYPT! \\\\ I I ( KN GIRDLE iughi to be abl believed thai the cowrie shell had foretell the approach rve powers because h resembled the female ol a storm when it this reason n was deemed attaches itsell I rock, using n as an particular!) effective as a fertility charm, anchor. Blind and nanc) when worn low . largel) defenseless, it is down on a woman S body LOBSII K ibol ol all In the Easi the lobstei weak creatures in God s is view eood omen and is often nt; Uf< without Si i \\/so Jaws in ancieni ( Ui I ft e ii was simil ( I REMON1AI CON valued and was fa i I I — ' > COWRII sill I I s i red In se small shells we t hinese an it is used as a torn n ai the \\ eurrei umber ( KM l DOI nus i n< lent cultures Kuan Yin, and it symbol i -_ In ( lima the dill and OVSTI K I | i 'I the shell irital LOPs SMI I I became the harmon V| In |apan n I , bol ol appeals on m r ney in the Sea Creatures i ( writ: hei I then in* : with itulation in and. i irittle fom Sl \\ HORSI i mblem ol long life

> Nature &rInsects Others Insects, snails, and spiders differ biologically but are commonly referred to Fly Dragonfly as \"creepy crawlies\" - lowly animals usually shunned and even feared. In In many cultures the ancient times, however, they were the focus of much interest. The Egyptians fly is seen as evil and Probably so-named corrupt, and sometimes because of its long, singled out the beetle as a creature to be revered, incorporating it in the represents weakness or sinuous body, this form of a scarab in their art and their jewelry, and even in funerary offerings. insignificance, but in beautiful insect shares For other cultures the spider is particularly important, due in part to its Earts of Africa there is a remarkable weaving abilities, and the bee often has powerful associations the symbolism of the both because of its poisonous sting and its life-giving honey y god, and among the butterfly, representing Egyptian scarab Navajo ol America the immortality and The scarab, which take i from the humble dung beetle, was the most Big Fly is a heroic figure. regeneration. It is the popular good-luck charm in ancient Egypt. The beetle was deemed sacred The ancient Egyptians wore fly amulets to national emblem of because it mimicked th n across the heavens in us own heroic keep real flies away Japan, which is known struggle to roll balls ol dung containing its r long distances. The young Ladyblg as the \"Island of the Named alter Our Lady Dragonfly.\" It also hatched from these balls, representing new life emerging from the earth. Scarab represents unreliability ithe Virgin Mai) I, amulets were commonly buried with the di aeration. becau.se ol its good and instability, works in ridding perhaps due to its pi. mis of pests, the hovering and darting ladybug is a symbol of movements. In China good luck the dragonfly is symbolic of summer, but also of weakness. To Native Americans the dragonfly symbolizes change and illusion, and also speed, a whirlwind. and activity. The significance of bees Butterfly OJ H'\\ Bees evoke feelings both of fear and admiration. The bee is widely seen as a symbol of immortality and rebirth, as well as of diligence and social organization. It is an emblem of several Greco-Roman and Indian gods, including Cupid and Kama, both gods of love. Kama is sometimes depicted with a line of bees following him, representing the sweet pain of love. Bees in Christianity In Christian allegory a queen bee sometimes represents the Virgin Mary. As Mar, birth to Chnst, so the queen bee prodru ^^honey. The hive *^YBEE is then a symbol SM, of the Church. Bi RiI 1 1 i Pope Urban Mil's \\k\\is metamorphosis from a caterpillar, The coat of arms of Pope Urban VIII the butterfly is seen as a symbol of rebirth and features the keys to the kingdom resurrection. As it emerges from its chrysalis il of heaven, plus the Barbenni bees, represents the soul leaving the body. To ancieni symbols of his family. These same Greeks the butterfly represents the soul, and to the bees grace a 1 7th-century fountain Chinese and Ja] ol both immortality in Rome, Fontana delk Api, designed and joy In Chinese art, butterflu - combined with ; by Bernini to honor the Pope. plum bli mbolize li and two i ! butterflies together indu. i!< . i happ) man: ' 56

O[NSEC 1 HERS - Osr I The transitory nail re of lih: Snail emerges from a withdraws into its shell, the snail is associated with the waxing and waning i and s) mbolizes : rebirth. It is general 1\\ viewed as luck) and folklon i il a girl places a snail on a piece ol slate mwwii ill rite the ot her husband-to-be. Spider spider myths occur in main cultures. In China der sliding down a id symbolizes good fortune des I rom heaven. In get the spider repn sun, or a Great Mother as weavei \"1 destin spidei controls its web the center just as the sun generates i from in fierj i enti Worms Spidei wormI listork all) the i reatoi -da the I A It 1 sun, appears in the the de\\ il, and it myths ol Native continues to have d in i sinisti mis. |apan a sii dei In the Bible it unwat radation and humiliation M generall) this legless The insects in Dutch flower painting? often enhance the symbolisi the earth oi lowl) rblown roses peonies tulips, and a variety ol the flowi rom other blooms illustrate the transitor) nature ol worldl) thful bul also ess beaul inguishes and fades love loses its innocence richescannol be taken toth lived fly crawl the white rose in the center bol ol transience; the centipede and bugs amid the Butterflies hour ommon symb ifler signs ol hope and renewal i i M ITH \\f W the I Am \\\\ VSP MLo< i S( ORPION truth \\\\ asps repres ;ii is 'I lis \\\\ idi tted with Si i ILSO within a communil il is mbol ol thrift hard However, an< vora< ious eating habits evil, destruclii VNII1 . .1 s. \\U - I . ah mi 1 linked the rid diligent a-, did ,uu\\ to strip death, th inity I symbolizi ind 1 : in and USI Spidi i * i t tried i is widi ated + turned in) Sii.mii. \\s. 1 Ol BEESI Chinese thi with calan Ancient repn rshiped vim. desti kel in the Ii> Mind lion Mie In the Bible tl pion is an instru proteel 1 Ml IHANSITOM v Ml HI punishmi tes 01 III! ' 1 plag 1 1\" the ' life

1 Nature k-%--v%- &Reptiles Amphibians Amphibious creatures, animals that live both on land and in the water, Crocodile The newt is generally thought ol as an evil, take on the symbolic associations of water, the source of all life. Reptiles The crocodile has long harmful creature. Such been both feared and was its reputation that are mostly associated with the earth and therefore assume the fertility revered. Living on land in Macbeth, Shakespeare and in water it carries listed \"eye ol newt as symbolism of the earth, although their appearance often inspires fear and the symbolism ol each, one ol the ingredients and is thus very in the witches' brew * disgust. Reptiles that hold a special place in the popular imagination are powerful ( rocodile designed to conjure up \\ dinosaurs, ancient inhabitants of the evil spirits that would are false tears, earth. Their symbolism is mixed reveal the future. from the beliel that they are both giant monsters, odiles weep while Japanese symbol terrifying to behold, and among devouring their victims. the most fascinating of all the creatures known to us. Tyrannosaurus Kl \\ A formidable 47ft t. 1 5rr0 high. T rex is certainly the best known and most feared of the dinosaurs. It has been popularized in films, fiction. and children's cartoons, and although a symbol of extinction, is far from extinct in people's minds. Frogs and toads ONwil( II Tortoise or turtle ll Linked to the moon Frogs and toads are both associated with water and the Ql\\(. I ROG The chameleon's and water, the tortoise moon, and therefore with fertility and the feminine realm. and turtle symbolize Both undergo the process of metamorphosis, from tadpole to In China the frog represents changing color fertility and long life. frog, and so are symbolic of resurrection. The frog was an Various world myths the lunar yin principle speak ol a tortoise emblem ol Aphrodite, and and the frog spirit is supporting the world, evered a and in I linduism a Heket. Egyptian goddc man-tortoise was the birth, took the form ol a and bring ancestOT ol mankind. In Ac-op- Fables the id, howc k rit) tortoise represents ated with -teach determination. witchcraft and with a more -mister symbolism. symbolizes inconstancy Zuni bowl and changing fortunes. It-- eyes, which can see Maid Frog bow i in different directions, The frogs modeled see into both the past around this Southwestern and future. In parts of bowl indicate the high Africa it is viewed as regard given to frogs in magical and hung- rain the Americas. They are esteemed as harbingers of rain, and for their cleansing and purifying powers. \\\\\\SAZI FROG The widespread association of the frog with fertility v particularly strong among Native American peoples I 1/ \\RD See also The lizard's sun-seeking The ancient Anasazi habit symbolizes the I KlK.s VM> rOAD I people who lived on the soul's search fi Rod i>i \\ist i I u-n S 1 borci : ma and awareness. The Romans i and believed that the lizard ornan hibernated, and so it Ss\\ki S i impor represented death and g the resurrection oI Native Americans, lizards have magic pow I! MlI III I t- I 58

Rett r1 1 - & Amphibians Sn \\ke stick Snakes Among the Pueblo The snake, or serpent, is probably the most \\\\ idel) peoples ol America, the snake is associated with revered of all creatures because it embodies so many thunder and lightning Snake sticks such as the forces. Its underground lair allies it with the underworld one above were used and it is associated with the primal waters from which in annual rituals to all life was created. The serpent symbol was widespread in agricultural societies where it was used to represent call down the rain the fertility of the soil. that ensured a good harvest The snake 19TH-i ENTURY sticks were themselves Sri L symbols ol &Snakes ladders lightning This childhood game ifces that banish e\\ il spirits represents lile's journey. Ladders are Egypt positive S) mbols of In ancient Egypt the success and serpent was feared achievement, and worshiped Several deities are kes depicted in the form of represenl the slip] a snake - in this tomb misfortune. painting a worshiper is SNAKl MON1)1 \\l \\SK seen kneeling betore the serpent goddess Meretseger I his Sri 1 ankan mask ol the guardian of the Valley ol a Naga Rassa, or snake the k m, is worn in spirits causn \\agas, or sacred snakes, have the powei ti both pn mil destructive Tin Fall The fall from grace ol \\il.iiu and Eve is inextricablj linked with the serpent. It was a serpent, here in female form, thai tempted Eve to tasi forbidden fruil ol the tree I he serpent is then loir viewed .is .1 symbol ol smooth-tongued evil and deceitfulness, and as the embodimi ptation and sin Rod mOl \\i i i M'li s ind a rod was Mi Di s\\ • mblem and symb With ol writhing o| hideous thai all who I tumid ai I ii- 1 ion with stone In addition to being healw she she. ng il embodied enchantment and cunnii ind 19 •ion In alchemy a serpi the 1

Nature t. •*s%s^*s%^>^%s%s^%. Egyptian cat Mammals In ancient Egypt cats were revered, and the male cat was an emblem of the sun Because of their complex and often intimate relationships with god. Cats were also sacred to the humans, animals have always played a prominent part in our imagination and in our mythology, literature, and art. Manx; goddess Bastet who had the head of a especially predatory species, have been worshiped and credited cat and who represented the power with protective powers. Names of animals were given to the constellations, and people even claimed descent from these of the sun to ripen crops. powerful creatures. Certain animals have been traditionally So valued were eats that paired in conflict - the lion and the unicorn, for instance, which thousands were mummified after they died and buried in ^^ are associated with the sun and the moon. This may represent a balance , between the opposing forces in nature. special graveyards in honor Hari Moi 51 of Basic A nocturnal animal, the hare is widely In Western mythology, Black cat associated with the moon, and also with lust and the ii iated Being largely nocturnal. the cat is associated fertility. To Name Americans the Great Hare re- with the powers ol with the moon. It is also credited with supernatural powers, both good and evil, and is the companion of witches. In Norse legend, U a black cat crossed your path it was a sign that Satan was thinking about you In America, a black cat crossing your path brings bad luck. but in England and |apan this is omen presents opposing characters: part clown and darkness The Bible pattern o\\ part god. creator and transformer of our animal considers u unclean nature. In China it is yin, symbol ol the feminine and devilish Elsewl principle. The hart. ation with lemhty however, ihe mous probably accounts for the Easter Bunny. viewed as orderly and representing spring and the growth ol new life. methodical Ass OR DONKEY lurden the ass, or donkey, is a symbol of Fox poverty ol stupidity, and also ol lemhty Creek The fox universally represents cunning writers used the ass , ni loolishness, and and deception. In some traditions it has lly a I \"i the an< ieni the powei to transform its shape in order to us, the wild ass ol the desert bolized loneliness and isolation de< eive, lor instance in In Christianit) the humble ass the I ast, the fox can is blessed it bore Mat \\ to I\" ililehem and be< ome a beautiful maiden who creates Jesus into trouble Also, like the lerusalem. woll in little Red Riding Edwin I most ill-stai //(>0(/, a fox sometimes dresses in the clothes DOG, PROTECTOR VNDLOYA1 FRIEND quadrupeds, pitiful and ol a trustworthy person irberus was the three-headed dog that guarded the \" m ordfii to eaten unwary he dead and acted as a spirit guide. In Judaic and mpre) s,, e Native rable considered unclean, while in Zoroastnanism .Americans have fox symbol of Romai tribes and ( lans. dience. The dog is Brayp. l the Chinese zodiac ^%^%^%^ 60

\\\\ ^MMALS % % »-%-*. -%.-%-% %^%s-%.-< Hedgehog Rwi Horses In antiquity the The ram embodies virility and creative energy. It is The horse represents speed, grace and lilit) It is both a solar and lunar hedgehog was reputed associated with many gods and is a common s) mbol: the heavenly ( hariots oi Apollo and the Indian sun god Surya were drawn lect grap'. s sacrificial animal, its blood symbolically by lier\\ or white horses, as was Neptune's returning fertility to the ocean chanot. rolling over them and soil The Hebrew ritual itching them on us horn, the shojar, blown BlCKINC. BRONCO at the feast of Rosh In parts ol the IIS and Canada men Hashanah, is made compete at riding untrained horses, the goal being to complete a round from a ram's horn without being thrown This challenge emphasizes the horse's reputation as iped a wild and noble creature. herald the Jubilee spikes Christianity ciates it with the Devil and with evil, as this practice was likened to stealing Hands feepl ' draw bow while people - souls. The hedgehog sometimes symbolizes witchcraft, as witches were thought to assume the form ol 1 - to dnnk milk from cows \"ibol of MONGOl IAN HORsi \\| \\\\ Baccl drunken revelry In Mongolia herdsmen had expert cavalr) skills they raced without harness and reins. This custom probably originated when their warlike ancestors rode horses into battle and had to keep their hands tree to tight L,0\\[ The symbolism ol the ox has much in common with Because ol us agility and urge to climb, the thai ol the bull and the buffalo While clearl) symbolizing male power and strength, all three symbol ol the animals, because ol their S seeking quest for crescent-shaped horns, also truth However, the have lunai hence feminine, attributes The bull is the urwli rue mount ol the Hindu god Shiva and in 1 .101-111 the sage Lao Tzu is now- ind shown 1 iding an ox to represent the femlir Acre laming oi th< half human, h and the devil is often depicted with the horns and how 'K. and d in '. ilh er and ir. umals. v-w^».'%.-%• is link. itv it ** %^%^%.-v--%-^

. Nature Lion, king of beasts The lion is the king of the beasts in most parts of the world. Its 1 N FAMILY, golden color, fiery mane, and great strength associate it with the sun 13th-century Arab manuscript although the lioness may also be linked with the moon and great mother goddess figures. Lions have often been r ,-C/j TW\\ .^H carved into thrones and are also * sculpted at entrances, where they act as guardians. Oriental lions 5mSI Ik. IK. 1 CENTURY In antiquity lions were tound HERA! DIC 1 ION Tiger not just in Africa, but also in the Middle East and India. ion is the mosi importanl Like the lion, the tiger They were kept by kings as animal in heraldii symbolizes royalty, a symbol of royal power ibabl) because and were used in nobility wished to be courage, and strength. hunting. The lion is also a associated with its valor It is particularly symbol of the wisdom of and strength. It important in the Far the Buddha. is shown * \"ramp East, where it replaces draining m standing on the lion as king ol Cil \\RDl\\\\ l ION us hind tegs, beasts In i hina, A lion's image is often placed on bulk or sejant, where il is the emblem seated perhaps to add protection. As a gargoyle it ol the West, il a tiger carries water away from the roof, its solar jant\" devours a man. thai nature combining with water as a symbol position, seated with man's soul becomes the tigers slaw and of fertility. one pa* raised preys upon other men St. Jeromi and i hi i ion Jackal There are several stones of a fierce lion The head ol the Egyptian god Anubis is that of helped by a devout man whom it then a jackal |ackals were thought to haunt befriends. Like Androcles in Aesop's Fables, graveyards and were reputed to see both by day St. Jerome is said to have extracted a thorn and night. Clear-sighted Anubis was a from a lion's paw. In return the lion renounced its fierce nature and lived pathfinder, guiding spirits to the next world. peaceably with him. This symbolizes ( anopic jars, which contained embalmed man's mastery of his own animal nature. organs, had Anubis-shaped stoppers. horn AlKR AN MASK. Leopard symbol ol \"fj age cruelt) and untamed instincts, the leopard is greatl) revered in ' where it also represents the light ol the ing sun I eopard skins denote royalty and are worn to ward oil (.Linger Because its markings reseml i the leopard is times known as the ( ,ivat Watchei f>2

M.wi \\i »»»**»%....,, •%^»^i Si u. Gazelle \\lo\\ki i ociated with rhe swift-running The monke) is sacred to some West Al hunting, the stag is .i gazelle is a symbol ol ar animal and an beaut) and ol the soul. whom- foi it is ai n figure, particularl) in Arabic enemy ol the serpent. literature It can also rally it represents mischiel and The shape ol its antlers be used as a metaphoi lor the beloved In inquisitiveness, but the monke) - recalls the Tree ol Life, and because the Christianity, when the Hanuman is highl) regarded in Hinduism antlers are renewed gazelle is shown fleeing each year, the stag is a I rom ll-known motil >l from an animal ol kjI ol regeneration. prey such as a panther the three Mystic Monkeys, which see no evil, In European and Asian , hear no evil, and speak no evil. mythology stag hunts or lion, it represents often lead to a super- the soul fleeing from natural encounter earthly passions Bl \\R In northern - the bear replaces the lion as king .'I the beasts It was an ancestor ol the I apps, andfathei Because n hibernates, and then wakes in the spring, it symbolizes KANGAROO resurrection. The bear also represents -jw»^- 'V power, and to the Celts, warfare It is Amcx Australian the national emblem ^fi^_J~ ' =3* Aboriginals the ol Russia kangaroo is an ana - spirit that protects and guides them and plays a major part in their myths fia^h Aboriginal Eleph wi use ol its bulk and strength, the elephant animal ancestor and nerally a symbol ol power It also signifies i kinship with that patience, wisdom, and chastity - probabl) species 1 he kangaroo because, according to Aristotle, a bull elephant •or left man) Bl \\\\ I K remained celibate during the two-year long umey at According to Native American myth, the gestation period ol his mate The Hindu god the tin ition, beaver brought mud Ganesha has an elephant's head and. with his today in featui Irom the ocean bed to iresents p and create land There are landscape man\\ beaver clans and benevolence The white elephant is a symbol the beaver is - ol royalty and is associated with the Buddha. In * €. «*-> Watei /'/.nil denoting <*' habitat <% f symbol ol ^g and Camel Sm use indusi ship *JP J& !> ol the desert, is highly BEAI i M valued in Middle Hi I Eastern cultures In Arabia ii IH - the I PHANTI Bats prophet Mohammed Horsi I The b |un: i id is aIr-ic Ins can Lion i with said in have I I the flighi < the 114 Hippopoi \\mi s holiesi spoi in Islam MONKI i l ind lural now animal, the camel OTHI K \\\\l\\t\\l s I .' the well as earth, the ana. mi with fertilit) It was known to tl and iid J I.) lile, and it played a particularly temp Rw i mbol ol Ih. i I i

n Birds There is a widespread and ancient belief that after death, the soul leaves the body in the form of a bird. Consequently the bird is a symbol of the spirit. Birds can be mediators between gods and men, and can act as vehicles for the gods. Many religions have heavenly beings or spirits with wings: angels, cherubs, and seraphim for example. Birds are seen in myths involving a Tree of Life, and are sometimes depicted fighting with or carrying a serpent, symbolizing the uneasy balance between the sun (as bird) and the waters (as serpent). In Chnstian an this symbolizes the struggle between good and evil In general, the falcon is Cuckoo a symbol oi the sun and Because of its habit of Sparrow Sw \\| io\\\\ the mas< uline powers in laying us eggs in other birds' nests, the cuckoo In the Old Testament Returning nori Pelican nature 11 is particularly is sometimes regarded the sparrow is view as evil. It is a symbol of as a symbol of solitude its summer habitat The peli< an stands important in Egyptian unfaithfulness in and loneliness, while self-sac rifice and marriage and, in Japan, only with the arrival of mythology where il was of unrequited love. But in the New Testament it also has positive warmer weal I ital devol a. n d to Re, Egyptian goc associations, linked to this small bird swallow symbol According to earl) ol the sun It was also a spring, renewed life, aid rain. The lowliness and fertility. Because end popul.it form ol the god song of the first cuckoo the swallow is almosl and insignificance. eithi nale Moms Like the eagle, the heralds the arrival of However, it is also always airborne, in pelican 01 a serpent falcon, with its strength spring and the sowing associated wuh parts of A of crops. If it is heard as a symbol ol purity - killed the newbi n and high flight, represents too early, it is taken as fertility, and in Creek a sign of frosts and a mythology it is linked it does not soil its chick- CI fi male domfn i ol the spirit, poor harvest. to Aphrodite, goddess leathers by walkm. of love. In Japan the the ground. In Chi then mourned thi m w In. h perhaps explains its sparrow is traditionally two swallows II a symbol of loyalty, together reprc foi till popularity as a sporting bird perhaps because of its marital happiness. which she stabbed her in Renaissance Europe In sociable nature. u i to i hina the falcon has both :m with Hi. li> aline power oi the her blood. Thus foi sun .\\iu\\ the X destructive : nans, the pelican powei ol wai represents Christ, who blood-In. il his fi 'i ind and was Roosters and hens raised from the dead Roosters and hens have long been u threi days I he .ritual. In some places roosters are sat bird is i ifti n carved i so that their blood returns fertility to the soil, on i huri h lei terns and seers foretell the future from the entrails of the hen. SAIC, Rooster Crane The rooster is associated ill N In ( hina, as with courage and battle, The hen is widely elsewhere, the with masculinity and the seen as a symbol of crane is seen as a sun. Its crow heralds maternal care and the dawn and good omen, a protectiveness. In messenger ol the symbolizes the Christianity thi gods, and a bearer with its chicks 01 maternal love mk\\ victor)' of light represents Christ Raven happiness It bungs over darkness. It is equated w ith and his believers. Although often seen as an evil omen and a sign high status, longevit) and its sacrifice forms .md immortality, mm.\\ ol war, Him ;s ..I death, the ravi n was viewed in \\ mbolizes spiritual part of many harvest rites, enlightenment, in md Pel ia as a messenger ol the p. hi i .'I Africa and North America the anity the rooster is gods and as a symbol of the sun in Noi • i pane was associated ' on, -\\ i idin is ai companied by two with wisdom lervane it raven and; rding to Native Amei ii an myth in reated b) a raven thai dropped pebb ake i lands in the sea 64

Birds Talon holds the Crow Doves of love and peace \"shenu The black crow is The dove is a symbol of the nitv widely regarded as a soul, and ol peace, innocence, bird of ill omen and to gentleness, and puntv Two many Native Americans, doves together are considered a a crow's black feather sign of marital love and fidelity spells death to an Doves are held sacred in many enemy To the Chinese countries. In Creek legend the the black crow paired dove was linked to Aphrodite, with the white heron the infant Zeus, the Fates, and represents the yin/yang, the Furies male/female principle, Seven gifts of the Spirit and in Japanese Shintoism the crow In Chnstianuv the while dove is a is a messenger of symbol of the Holv Spirit and the gods. sometimes of martyrdom. Seven doves encircling a cross represent the seven gilts of the 1 Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, know ledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Greenpeace dove Greenpeace, the international movement lor protecting the en\\ ironment, has adopted a i bearing an olive branch as its emblem. It is symbolic of peace and also ol hope Parrot Kingfisher Condor The parrot symbolized In the East the To the Incas condors were revered and were thought to spring and fertility, as kingfisher denotes be the embodiment ol the gods ol the air Con. well as imitation and mockery due to it^ gift married bliss and its leal hers were prized and used in of mimicry It is held feathers are prized for religious ornaments. sacred by the Hopi their color and are Kiwi peoples of North thought to be magi America In Hinduism .Wording to medieval rid, legend, after the Flood the bird is associated the kiwi, which is the kingfisher flew flightless and without with Kama, god ol and also with close to the ^un and ited trom scorched its breast red prophecy and ra while its back took on ne, a making the color of the sky Polynesian anc< Sv\\ \\\\ Duck It is the emblem In Name American caland CoosE k myth Zeus myth the mediator between the V The goose is a bird of i sk\\ and the water, and the sun II was n was ,me ol the took on the form ol a associated with many swan lo seduce the itures that helped ( ireek and Roman gods beautiful I eda The swan is also asscu i.ileil and was kept to guard with Venus/Aphrodite renew the earth aitet temples h thus came her chariot is sometimes the I lood According borne through the an to Hebrew tradition mbolize b) swans in Native American lore the watchfulness and love the due k symbolizes mbswan is a s\\ In Hinduism the goose immortalitv. while in trust and submission is the mount ol the C lima and |apan it I he song ol the dying M \\(,l>ll god Brahma and in repn tentment, The magpie ( lima and lap marital bliss, and bird ol ill omen in ,iss,h i. iled with the tall Rdelil m world Pi tCOCK A- + moon and the prospect i the This royal bird with SlOKk bean \"I o! the sun. Us afterlife In ancient I gypi and in thi But circular tail represents the vauh ol heaven and the young sti Buddhism the mat weie believed to treat irticularly then elders kindh and .•lit lo be unlu rm ol the . the moum so they symbolized filial :i pride that it has dut) In 1 mope the stork is •ui\\ d with the spnng and with bmh babies aie said lo brought by tl i

Nature symboisof £B|cfe-VKv Universally viewed as the king of birds. power and ihe eagle is a symbol oi the sun. royalty, and the gods, especially sky gods. It represents authority, strength, victory, Jay Although and pride, and in China the male yang \\ iewed as a chatterer principle, keen vision, and fearlessness. The eagle is often identified as the mythical and a sign oi bad luck, to Native Americans Indian garuda, seen in deadly combat with the serpent. Like the hawk, the eagle is Bird of paradise reputed to gaze straight at the sun as it flies upward and so. in medieval Europe, it the |.i\\ is a creator bird that helped recreate I he leathers of this came to be associated with prayer ascending to God, and with the ascension of Christ. the world alter the Flood It is a guardian magnificent bird. In Australian lore the sea eagle carries the souls oi the dead hack to Dreamtime. spirit of some tribes found in New Guinea, Napoleonic eagle and warns of the Perhaps inspired by the Roman practice, i approach ol an enem) are so beautiful thai it French regiment in Napoleon's army carried a was thought in Europe bronze standard in the form oi an eagle The that the bird came example shown here was the emblem ol the from paradise. The 105th regiment, and was captured by the bud achieved mythical status - people British at Waterloo. In us right talon the believed that it lived eagle holds Jupiter's emblem of a thunderbolt on dew chops and US BAl D I \\GLE would moan in pain il In 1782 the United captured Its leathers s adopted the were prized and were bald eagle as a once wom as a national emblem It fashion item. appears both on I s GOl Ol INCH Hi mmingbird coins and paper I ssentially a ( hristian I he hummingbird is money and is symbolic se< n as a symbol oi ol power and strength symbol, the goldfinch The eagle's outstretched wings demonstrate represents both the |o\\ giving pleasure ngth, and it rests above an olive soul ,\\\\x.\\ ilic passion ol , ( hrisl ( ioldfinches branch of peace. through its loveliness. like to eat thistles a\\h\\ In Native American others myth a is a truthful thorns, and so the bird bird that represents hunting and war has become associated beauty, harmony, w nh ( hrist's suffering and enjoyment. on the t loss l he red I he Azte< war god, spoi on in throal is 1 luitzilopochtli, and Quetzalcoatl, the said to represenl the Mayan god, both wore us leathers, which were drop oi blood thai lell w tdely thought to have .is the goldfint h drew magical properties. a thorn from (. hrist's brow Lip orwmi m [\"o thi ' he eagl bi ilized '.In rising sun and cele er. It was associated with tin ..II ii' n i I. ins, and this eagle head was i protective jewelry Eagle fi aiiii ks I ii the Sioux the spotted eagle ;ents the il all lifi iri rded a ra; of thi ;un and the eagle-feathered In ancienl Egypl the ibis was a symbol ol the >oul 1 1 was sacred to the lunai denies [sis and : ' mbol ol [hoth, and represented the moon (with the hawk as the sun I I lowevei the ibis also had a solar nderbird ersal Spiril B) significance when seen in battle with serpents, i emblems ol the watei In ( In i nan an the ibis . mbolizes devotion and perseveram i putting the I ire battle the warrii »i tdi ruined himsell with thi power and strength i 'I n1 1 eagl god. 66

Birds »%» » PB Ow LS Bl ACKB1RD NtGHIlNt.M 1 Dodo In ancient Greece the owl was sacred to The much-lowd blackbird was sacred to I he song ol the The dodo, which was Athena, goddess ol wisdom and night. nightingale, both sweel hunted to extinction in and came to symbolize the city named alter the i.rcck- Fot us sweet and plaintive, was her, as well as wisdom. The owl was then song, but because thi> particularly meaningful the 17th century, has incorporated into the design ol Creek c i in Persia, where u was and was so popular that countries such as alluring the seen a?- a symbol of become a symbol of tal) I gypt, and Turkey issued similar coil love, longing, and final death, hence the bird is also a symbol of pain Because its song phrase dead as a do Bird Ol mi NIGHT the temptations ol ihe heralds the dawn, it is flesh In some Christian said by Christians to Because of its association with the writings the black night, the owl is widely seen as a plumage makes the sent the soul's blackbird a symbol yearning lor Christ. bird of ill omen with a cry that heralds death and misfortune. To of evil the Celts the owl was a night h linked to corpses In parts ol Africa it was associated with magic, and its head was used in preparing spells 30 Robin Wri n Hawk Albatross Ostrich The robin is a symbol Although killing a wren This predatory bird is Because of its ability to In medieval limes the •mpassion. Its red is considered unlucky, one of the great solar fly great distances over -aid to be the it was not always so. In birds, with similar water, the albatross is Woodpecker ostrich was reputed to England and France it associations to the eagle a symbol of the sea result of scorching and long ocean The woodpecker was ince a pan of and the falcon. To when it carried water Greeks and Romans it journeys. When it widely believed to have Christmas ntes to hunt was the messenger of magical powers and to to the parched souls in and kill wrens, burying Apollo. The god Horus circles a ship it is hell Alternatively, the them in the churchyard was also depicted with thought to herald the bring good luck. It was as a symbol of the the head ol a hawk In robin was pricked when ending of the old year. Native American myth advent of a storm and Mars, Roman trying to remove nails the hawk helped fire mbolic of rough the sun and recreate god of war, and was from Christ's cross. weather. In the West the world after the there is an ancient seen as a symfo lightning and lire by leave its eggs to hatch Flood. The eagle hawk belief that the albatross Germanic peoples. The is a deity and totem for Ainu of Japan viewed in the heat ol the sun. embodied the soul of a it as evil, but also Australian Aboriginals. dead sailor and so it In some cultures this was considered believed that the Ql \\n extremely unlucky to was seen as a sign ol woodpecker was sent In Russian lore the kill one, as reflected in bj ( iod to show them crueltv to its young; in quail symbolizes the Colendge's Rim. qj the sun. with ihe hare as how to hollow out tree others as a symbol of the mi ion The quail ii nt Marinei trunks to make boats. belie! in the power of was also a symbol ol the heavens The the izars. To the ostrich ai nis Chinese, as to the mbol those who hide Irom M« i)POE in battle, although when the truth, owing to its The hoopoe ii symbolized . it ion for burying »ul imprisoned in - conflicting the b its head in the -and symbolism In ** ited with . An ostri< h . i luck and ihe spring, and symbol ol rebirth nown as MI tO tor bird, and in Arab literature it is amorous nam: ribed as a messenger of love However, it alive associations It is said to betr.n and in Europe it is a symbol of the devil and of witchcraft Ml RON The heron, like the stork and the Down t* H presents both 1 the sun and water and IN _ht to predict Vl I It Kl Peuc< i mat eather In gyptian d< the vultun Rvu i 'he hen m was maternal instinct, as vultures were supposed to ROOSTEBI il and Iced then young with their own blood ' aVulture H the annual return ol I! ite purifiers ^%- nrdahi' left are is appetite



People ncient societies believed that our very \\ bodies were microcosms of the universe, A- and that our actions, particularly in ritual, reflected our relationship with nature. Still today, much oj our behavior can be seen as symbolic, from donning ceremonial gowns and dressing baby girls in pink to participating in the complex lituals surrounding birth and marriage.

&Sex Fertility \\ranat Brazilian 'A US] qj (ruitjulness For many people nowadays, especially city dwellers, the fertility of soil is a rather remote concept. But for thousands of years the fertility of the earth, along with human fertility and thus the continuation of the species, was the greatest preoccupation of humankind. All societies have had fertility gods and goddesses. And there are countless images imbued with sexual Fishoj symbolism, which thus essentially have to do with fertility. Many arc fertility ft straightforward sex symbols and I relate to the union ol man and Silver charms KV\\ I.) ^ woman; others have to do with This richly decorated womanhood Three stripes qj the earth's bounty. waist ornament includes many items connected with fertility and mav have been a gift to a young bride. Hanging from lis garland ol flowers are silver keys, a fish, pomegranates, grapes, and a festive tambourine. LlNGA AND YONI Fl Rill 11V DOLLS Dolls siuh as these were worn by women and The linga is the most commonly worshiped form young girls in Angola to enhance their fertility. I he) are made variously ol com cubs or forked of Shiva, its phallus-shaped pillar representing the sin. ks and beeswax - the corn cob being Usell a god as the male creative principle. Here it is set into the voni, the vulva-shaped feminine element. symbol ol fertility Together they represent fertility and creation. Sex symbols PlNl APPLE QUI I The symbolism \"I sex \\ itl) from < ulture to This American bridal quilt ;oi ial etiquette, and is ornamented with culti i irding to lifest) u pineapples, symbols of life and fertility, and also ios In the Western world classic sex symbols tend with meadow lilies ind glamorous, and are often him stars or and tulips, which music ians < )bjec is that symbolize male sexuality lend nbolize love. Quilts to be assoc iated with a phallic shape and with powei are traditionally whereas female sexuality is related to rounded shapes. made as part of a nd abundance bride's trousseau Elvis Marilyn when she marries, and are often Known as Elvis the Idolized by millions, pelvis,\" the kmgol roc k designed to Marilyn Monroe was promote n roll was revered as muc b for his gyrating 1 i Lassie I lollywood \"fruitfulness.\" hips and simmei ing j. good looks as his voice 1 sex symbol, doomed to die young. Roc ki I Stiletto shoe \"the roi kei is a < lassie I he high-heeled shoe operates on two levels il elongates phallic shape and an i ibjec 1 the leg, thereby accentuating a i il gn ai powei and thrusl Western symbol ol femininit) In addition il • \"'he and its spiky heel suggests oi what is essentially a domination male urge to conquei man-the-hunter sets oui to trate the ultimate new in mtiei - space 70

&Sex Fi rtilitv Sprout-.- Birth nty Giving birth is the ultimate symbol ol creation, and as such is mythologized throughout the world- In the West babies often appear as tl b\\ miracle, snatched by storks from the cosmic waters In other parts ol the world the process is more dire - resulting From the blessed union of man and woman Birth plate In this commemorative plate a stork delivers a baby to us crib. In folklore storks became asscx iated with birth because of then renowned devotion to their young. .Mill Peruvian childbirth A single act of creation Grej\\ m w CATHEDRA: I mirroring the whole ol creation, The foliate head has continued to be a symbol ol hie and tertihtv from pre childbirth is seen as a moment Christian times well into this century In church architecture it stands toi ol spiritual vulnerability and is the regenerative force of Christ More recently it has been adopted as an often accompanied by ritual The umbilical cord is treated ecological symbol for preserving and protecting nature with respect as a link between *!•> worlds and sometimes, as m Peru, may be preserved by the family Pl\\l ( ONI Wheat sheaf CORM ( OP1 \\ Goddess 01 - The bi This vast bronze pinecone is pan of an A sheaf of wheat or The cornucopia i> the fertility ; pubu ancient Roman fountain horn of plenty, spilling This gold As the fruit of the pine corn is a well-known S/( WSi> symbol ol the fertility over with fruit. It is a figure Km Hi i tree it is a powerful of the earth and ol symbol ol fertility and -cnts symbol ol life and growth and abundance an attribute ol the gods «I I u III I It SYMBOLS Astarte, the u fertility The Romans It represents the ol vegetation Its shape, fruitful union of the Canaanue I'M Mil! s* Villi 'i I associated it with Venus, - a hollow horn - is goddess ol goddess ol love and it sun and the soil both female and male Icmlity. and dates from the rie of her emblems loth century bc. Although highly stylized, with a pubic triangle set within a largei one, the sexual organs an clearly defined I >-\\i ks This Japanese print is an illustration from an lMth-ccntury \"pill rolic paint i ting the union ol male and female The union >..m a purely the male and principle combined mholk j cnil men ig their pleasure highlv popular at the time 1

People Human Body The human body is seen by many people as a microcosm of the universe In some parts of the world buildings are laid out with this symbolism in mind. A Southeast Asian house, for example, has sections that correspond to the human head, body, and feet, the head area being the most sacred. In other parts of the world the body is referred to as the \"temple of the soul.\" Composed metaphorically of the four elements, it can be seen as representing life, and linking gods and humans. Gods, in fact, frequently appear in human form, and the Bible tells us that \"God made man in his own image.\" Eyes Skull The eye symbolizes the sun, the all-seeing eye ol God, and In this famous scene from Shakespeare's play. eternal watchfulness, as well as the power of evil. It is the the prince holds the skull of Yonck, a former window oi the soul and the light of the body. The eyes on servant The scene stresses the impermanence of life and the pointless vanity of worldly matters, Buddhist shrines symbolize wisdom and omniscience, both symbolized by the skull. mwhereas the widespread belief an e\\ il eye\" - and the Sklll-and- crossbones consequent need for a \"luck\\ eye' - reflect the tear that curses can be transmitted with a single glance. In the L600s, variations of the Lunar eyi skull-and-crossbones In ancient Egypt the emblem were right eye of Horus, the adopted by pirates as a sinister warning sky god. was his solar ol their evil intentions eye, and the left eye his 1 he emblem hlled sailors with dread, and wadjel f e. of signaled death lo all who saw it. the moon. This wadjet . mbolizes the powi light and was one of the most sacred and powerful protective amulets in Eg) ptian magic All-seeing shrim Eyi 01 wisdom Four pairs of eyes mark this Buddhist This 15th-century eye is an Islamic illustration stupa in Nepal. These represent the eyes of the all-seeing Buddha, gazing out in based on an almond-shaped mandahi li all directions. The question-mark-like nose is a symbol of unity, and slightly represents the spiritual thai leads to above each pair of eyes is a third which represents the Buddha's the soul and to ultima' ind wisdom. clairvoyant powers. Within the soul- outei ( in le Eye oj sea monster wards off evil smaller, hum i which stands foi a prison's Prow of boat Eyi idoi I ON(,l 1 This alabastei fi The tongue is likened to a flame because ol its The prow of this ized eyes color and qui< k movements li can be a fertility Portuguese fishing '0-3000 BC) is i symbol and also represents the voice ol the deity ol thousands ol similar In some churches, devotees speak in tongues boat is painted with such idols found at Here the Indian goddess Kalis protuding tongue is a symbol ol her i reative and aestru< tive energy oculi, or great eyes, the Eye Temple ai which see the dangers Tell Brak, in pre i ni that lie ahead and ward off evil. The eyes cause the boat to day Syria. The look like a great sea monster, thus temple derived its deceiving the dangerous spirits of the name from its cat he ocean into keeping away. ol visionary figures. 72

Human Body Ears Nosi Ti i in I he nose may signif) n the East, large In many parts ol the earrings were once arrogance it it is raised or wrinkled In world teeth are ritually worn b) kings and filed at puberty as a princes. The Buddha is literature it is often sign of beauty. In the usually shown with animal world baring long ears, perhaps linked to the phallus - the teeth is a sign of stretched by such its size used as a \\ < defence oi threal but earrings during his reference to male youth as a prince prowess. In the story in the well-kni Long ear lobes thus story ol Dracula the big nose signify both royalty symbolizes dishonest) fangs of the vampire and spiritual authorit) since the puppet s nose draw blood from grew with every lie innocent victims. that he told Brain The brain is equated with the intellect and its location in the skull gives the head its \\\\ cstern connotation as being the seat ol the intelligence. ^P Head Mm III The head is widely seen as the seat ol the life Force I he mouth gives judgment and so symbolizes within us and so as the most sacred part ol the body Head the word It can represent the all-devourii hunters sought to capture this life force, which was equated earth n into the realm ol the with fertility and power. People in authorit) are known as the head of an organization, and in Japan heads are bowed unconscious. The demon above, from a Baroque in greeting as a sign of respect. This golden head is thai ol an Italian garden, unites passers-b) into his in Ashanti king killed in battle. cavernous mouth Hair Hair is often seen as holding the strength and energ) ol the both DR] \\m ot ks as it grows from the head, seat ol spiritual powei In popular >rn stones, hair worn loose denotes a Iree spirit, even wantonness \\utl\\ to show although in Christianity it represents p» rgin hip in the Rastafa saints ( Uten when hair is covered n is a sign \"I respeel foi i communit) which, ( hristian nuns cut their hair short to symbolize th« ii though ni. renunciation ol worldl) vanity Swiso\\ \\\\|) |)| I || Ml to the ancient culture ol I thii In the Bible, Samson performs teats ol ng hair long trength Delilah dis< ovi nid mai that his powei lies in his long hail and the norms s him to his enemies by ( lilting it oil .ion . SlIWI N III M>s In many Buddhist sects monks and while he sleeps, thus en head; rendering turn as weak and vulnerabl othei is long hail when he ll nhiaicd a lik ism \\ f \\ 75

1 Nature *-*--%--V*-»-1 The heart Spleen , In European and Arab countries the spleen is To Christians the heart is the source of love, joy, sorrow, Early < halk man, England the seat of the humors: laughter, anger. and compassion. Many Christian saints hold a heart as an ill-humor, and Phallus melancholy. To attribute, sometimes pierced by arrowvs or crowned be \"splenetic'' As symbol of fertility is to be the male sexual organ with thorns. In ancient Greece, the heart was the A melancholy. represents the generative center of thought, feeling, and will, Liver In China the forces of nature and while in Islam, it is the spiritual center. liver is linked the Creator An erect ^ Sacred heart *- v Love to courage and phallus is depicted in ^, This French This is the classic symbol filial duty greeting card of love: Cupid's arrow Elsewhere, to be the art of many pierces a heart and his depicts the victim is struck by the \"lily-livered\" is to countries as a powerful unexpected pleasure and symbol of regeneration sacred heart ot pain of desire. be cowardly. and renewal. This English chalk figure Jesus within a Intestines from Cerne Abbas is The twisting 180ft (55m) high. stylized crucifix. nature ol the It combines a intestines gives ihein the ii . flaming heart symbolic relationship £* surrounded by with the labyrinth ol life In : own of some places the intestines are thoms with other associated with compassion Christian imagery Playing cards Skeleton Hearts are one of the four suits in a The personification ol Death, standard pack of playing cards. 1 the skeleton is often shown represent warmth and the heart of the carrying a scythe or an world. The queen of hearts stands for hourglass as a reminder of love. The king is more powerful than the speedy passing of time. her, but the ace is generally even more so, and to be \"ace\" is thus to be best. Ribs Coco-di -\\ur. South India Him \\\\ sacrifice n the Bible, after God Vulva In Mesoamerica, human sacrifice created .Adam, he This strange palm nut, known as a double was ntually practiced as a form of de< ided thai Adam coconut or coco-de- communion with the gods; the deities mer, is seen as a needed a companion, symbol of the female re periodically fed to maintain le therefore caused genitalia and so of cosmic order. For the Aztecs fertility and creation. nm to fall into a deep In India it was the heart was the center of worshiped as a the life force, and it was sleep and, according this that had to to Genesis, took out manifestation of the vulva of the earth be offered to the one of Adam's nbs gods to ensure and fashioned it goddess, and thus of the fertility and the into a woman - all creative energy. renewal of crops. eI \\ The rib is thus a symbol of wife, born from the body ol man. Navel Breasts Nowadays breasts are The ancient Greeks placed this huge stone carving in often seen as simply- the sacred city of Delphi to mark the center of the erotic. However, in world They believed the past, and still in that two birds flying from opposite ends of many cultures, they the earth would meet here, and so erected the have primarily symbolized omphalos, or navel, to motherhood and physically represent the abundant i center of the world, Fertility goddesses from which all creation thousands of years old arc depicted as originated. Its rounded top was a symbol of the Large-breasted women. point of connection sometimes in the acl between the realms of giving birth, making the the gods, of humans, and of the dead. link with treat ion <. fear 74 KIA I

Hi MAN BOPY Hands Hands, b) their gestures, can signify blessing, protection, justice, and authority. Healers often work through the \"laying on of hands,\" and we speak of giving a \"helping hand\" when we assist someone Two people holding hands is a sign oi love and affection. Hand oi mi 1 1 rum ^Tjy\\ o^s%'^ Joim 1IWDS This Roman hand was used 9-14-29 \"• In h>7 ) a special fifty-pence piece in divination It bears Handprints of the stars was minted to symbols such as a roost* head and a pinecone, which In Hollywood film stars leave then handprints commemorate Britain were linked to the cult of in wet cement as a lasting testament to then- joining the European tame Thousands ol tans tr\\ out the impressions Economic Community Bacchus and the visions ol lo see how they match up to their idols h features a series of the future that arose out of hands clasped in a drunken revelry continuous circle of friendship. H \\nd of God This Jewish symbol of strength and power is worn as a good-luck charm. 1 (,S I The three-legged Arms symbol has various It raised, the arms ma) meanings U represents signify supplication or the swift-footed sun as prayer The) may be it rises, sets, and ebbs raised in battle each da) It is a symbol (bearing weapon- 1 or i 'I z,ood luck, like the in surrendei (open- swastika, symbolizing palmed). Generally, the ferulit) and regeneration arm symbolizes action. The arm ol justice with its continuous SlMNI common metaphoi as cycle ol footsteps, and I hi- I g) pnan djed- is the strong arm ol it is also the chosen pillar i - the emblem ol Sicil) and the law In [astern backbone ol c >siris and the Isle ol Man The religious iconography symbolizes stability Me Manmi 'ii' .inn- r< presi rtt power the stability ol the \\ i Thus a man) -armed \"I the ol Pharaoh - rule and that ol the heaven-, which is Quocunque /• deity represents the Stabit - whichevei way it is thrown, man I nature the pillar supported it will stand ol tin I he spinal column the central support the I' symbol ol thi Sn w..so Eyi i fill ,>! humihts and p is pilgrims 1 ING1 KN \\ll S inl i In the YA I) part ol the in In the l^th centir ol Hani i wealth in In the pointing at anolhi implied .\\n M f*S\\ i auspii ious symbols \"I the Mean e lib i tin- belief, although Leosi II sc II III III 1 often restricting the practice to the hide linger

People Dance & Theater War dance Dancing is movement, energy, excitement. It is a part of even-day life as a Native American symbol of pleasure and as a ritual of courtship. In different cultures it is tnbes of the plains, associated with initiation ceremonies, fertility rites, ram. war, and death. It such as the is used in harvest festivals to improve the crop and in war rituals to induce Hidatsa. were lormed into a state of frenzy. Many of today's dances have developed from earlier military \"Dog rituals; the maypole dance, for example, has its roots in Greek and Roman Societies.\" The rites of spring. Drama, with its more controlled actions and gestures, Dog dancer, provides us with a symbolic representation of the world we live in. Pehriska-Ruhpa ^Stofe^t (Two Ravens), Lord of the d \\nc i enacts a war dance to enlist Encircled by a ring ol lire and on the back ol the dwarl ol ignorance, the Hindu god Shiva dances the aid of out the end ol one age and the start ol another. He enacts death and rebirth in one spirits and frenzied dance. With his drum. ^ to prepare the warrnors for battle. Shiva beats out the pulse of Vjfee&fe the universe and the Whirling dervishes pounding of the heart In their ecstatic dances the whirling dervishes The Ganges River (holy men) of Turkey pace out the turning of the earth on its axis as it orbits the sun. Through the in (hi- hair dance, a dervish symbolically brings the o) Shiva spiraling of the universe into being. Puppets - hand drum Puppets are scaled- \\l\\RIOM LIES Sword dan< i down versions of In Burma string Dances involving men and women, puppets are used to swords occur all over act out epic stories the world They were or the gods they involving princes and probably originally believe in, and their used t performances often deeds of valor. spirits and to These moral fables strengthen the power concern human of the sword in batik- leave their behavior. The design audiences with Some sword dances food for thought. end with a motion of the puppets, their clothing, and their symbolic r. cutting off of a head, actions are all suggesting a link with ancient rites symbolic. of sacrifice. The ribbons form a pai: around the pole Shadow pi ppet M VYPOLE DANCE The famous shadow- The dance around the maypole has been puppets of Java and performed since Greek and Roman times Bali enact the great epics of Hinduism. to celebrate spnng. It is often associated The flickering with May Day celebrations. The shadows, projected maypole represents the earth's axis onto a white and also acts as a phallic symbol, screen, create a representing male fertility world of mystery in which the stones of the gods and heroes are filled with olic meaning. •^»--v-%--*^»^-m-« s%s%s%s%s%s%* v+s\\s±^^s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\\s%s±^s%s*+ 76

Greek tragedy Masks In ancieni Greece Because the) present ol L drama presented tii HW * a powerfully masks .is where in l^ -\\mbolu dance and drama in mam sacred w portrayal ol rituals the) aic wot human behavior gods 01 ancestors In lapanese Noh and emotions. By theatei the actors are masked ami tl I danct th moments ol greatest intensit) l he resolving huge M [Ml masks an lized and issues such as Mime is a symbolic types, or moods su< h as rag gefulness. isy, love, form oi drama that is i and incest, such enacted without words performances It uses onh expressions enabled the audience and gestures to convey to identify with the meaning, and so can characters and overcome anxieties he read' universally in the process Thus drama often had a healing effect. Fltirr. Thai dancers . mboliZC The costumes of purification ami Thai dancers make them look destruction oj like heavenly .ill'- creatures. Their stylized dance movements reinforce this impression. Classical Indian dance gestures Hand gestures used in classical Indian dance are also used in modified Form in Southeast Asia. They represent moods, anions, and objects or creatures. Every movement ol the dancer is symbolic and has meaning. NOH MASK lit SK M \\sK Japanese Noh theatei Nativ in is distnn i ts use Iroquois dancers ol paii ' ! iden i n.isks The masks im husks nidwinter repn sent i ra) when groups mali the) call on spirits deities, and monsters harvest - as w< II a motions W'%^V%^%^V%- J *%•*.•%» i SM WM> Bum ll\\M> i.lsll HI - I i I ORD \"I im DANl ' I ike othei \\t\\SK- I dance forms, ballet costume and gestun MAYPOI I DANl i » i onvej meaning \\ ballerina fluttering in white lulle, foi example ! com ii SWORD DAN( i i 77 »wan

h People Magic & Charms Through fairy tales we become aware of the world of magic and ritual at Feng Shui compass '' - Serpent an early age. As adults, many things in life remain mysterious to us - \\ Feng Shui is an ancient armed with what we cannot explain by rational means we may try to explain by Chinese art based on • magic. Similarly, when we find ourselves powerless to living m harmony with \\ control the forces that affect us, we may look to 1J one's surroundings. magic. Many people still use spells to cure illness, Using this compass, Feng Shui diviners to harm enemies, or to ensnare a lover. Even the locate the right skeptical among us may wear lucky charms, avoid combinations ol walking under ladders, and consult fortune tellers. Magic elements, such as time, wind, and water, whi< and ritual, though disparaged by some as superstition, are still determine the best sites for homes, temples, or practiced by many people throughout the world. burial grounds Witch According to folklore, witches could fly on broomsticks, brew magic potions, and cast spells. Once they were thought to be in league with the devil and thus were symbols of evil. Women healers were often branded as witches. By 1700 more than 200,000 had been put to death. FlVE-POINTED SI AR 5E COIN - An upside-down five- SWORD pointed star was a Egyptian knife symbol of evil. Right- strung Ibis curved knife of side up, as her covei sword animal bone was used symbolized light and shape in ancient Egypt to spirituality, and was Money strengthen the weak painted on houses to parts of a house It ward off witches. CURES would have been Money is a drawn against the ,/ Mirror of symbol of relevant area to create power, and so a magical protective by extension it lias tome to be barrier. The various imbued with animals and patterns depicted on it endow spiritual, as well as practical, properties. tlie knife with their collective power. In China a sword made of coins was hung over the bed ol a sick person to dispel the demons or evil spirits that might be causing the illness. Mirror M Love dolls The mirror symbolizes POTJON i i, 1903 I hese male (right) and divine truth and the wisdom of the When all else fails, unsuccessful lovers often reson female (left* dolls are universe. This \"vision\" to magic to beguile the object of their desires traditional Native is shattered if a mirror is broken, and it is a in literature. This could take the form of love American medicine popular superstition potions, usually made from phallic-shaped ingredients such as the mandrake root, ginseng, oi ginger, plus charms In the n years' bad an appropriate spell. Many foods are reputed to be Menominee tribe, the dolls were given the will follow. aphrodisiacs or love enhancers, and are used in namt uple and tied fac ing ea< h other to much the same way as the age-old love potion make sure they remained laithlul to one other In the Potawatomi tribe they were used as love charms to draw two people togethei 78

&\\1 u, IC Charms ~^%S%S%^^^%s-%S%S%S%S%^%S^^%, Magic carpet 1 fiO^1 Magic eye Riding on a magic carpet is the stufl ol many Fot/R-LEAF CLOVER Horseshoe Dice A belief in the Evil dreams. Flying symbolizes release ol the spirit Finding a clover with The horseshoe is made Dice represent Eye is widespread in and the overcoming ol all physical limitations. our raihcr than three of iron, which has king Solomon had a flying carpel that eaves is so rare that a power over the Evil chance - the random the Mediterranean bur-leaved clover has pairing ol numbers and the Near East. d him, his throne, and both jecome a widespread Eye It brings luck it hi- armies wherever he wished. symbol ol good luck symbolizing life's Charms that look like The lour leaves u is hung on a door unpredictability Thus In I he 1,001 represent fame, with the open end the phrase the die is eyes are thought to wealth, a faithful uppermost, because u turn a wax the Evil I ye Nights, lover, and good health will then catch good cast\" means that one's or deflect the look of - all important luck and hold it safely. fate has been decided anyone with evil Aladdin also component.- ol If it is hung upside intentions such lieu on a happiness down, it is considered Dice are also a charms are often unlucky - the luck nan symbol: carpet made of glass to make will run out. after the c rucifixion, them seem lifelike. soldiers threw dice for Christ's cloak. Power to protect Light cure i A crystal xxill Manx people wear charms to protect H \\IRY themselves from illness and danger. refract light Certain objects and images are also used in healing the sick and are thought in main to be able to absorb illness, thus ridding directions. It is a sick person of disease. Other objects arc thought to give off energy, repel thought that evil, or instill powers. when a crystal is placed on the body, its energj will be absorbed and have a healing effect. \\>MIVE LEG TOO UR>I II 1 Gifts are often Fairies people children's stones as well as their promised to gods imaginations Mux in return t favor, such as have magical powers curing an illness .md are generally This bronze votive symbols ol good - leg, dedicated by a godmothers can Roman named right the wrongs ol the world I leie a tooth Caledus, was probably fairy guards a lost a symbol of his gratitude for having and colli been cured ol a money foi u rm infection GOODI ok III \\l III See \\lso The Nte'va people ol the I ppei ( ongo in Wesi Africa ( loxik i use little figures, such as this one made up ol i POWI RTO PKOTEl bone, leather, nuts, and wood, to watch oxer \\^k\\\\ providing protection from illness . mProtei ii\\i <.\\kmf W IK Ms I Will l\\k \\i i;k \\\\ c i ri This Burmese undershin spiders, i hex in ting the Starh red with charms, spells, (nought to be able to small: ymbolizi aWitch • and h mad' repel evil and poisonous sell \\\\ hen iic Ktk In th. ihim oad with spells and incantations b) rular mar> n included in witch doctors, the ligui. the illnes :<)

People Musical Instruments/ Music represents the ordered pattern of the Electric guitar universe, and musical instruments symbolize harmony and oneness with Since the 1950s the nature. They bring pleasure but electric guitar has come to symbolize youth and may spell danger, pipes in rebellion, with groups vying with each other particular having the power to to create the loudest lure listeners to their doom. sounds. The guitar itself has male associations, ^Burv :rcle Stringed instruments represent with certain musicians using it in performance the sounds of the heavens, while percussion as an exaggerated instruments are associated with divine phallic symbol. truth, revelation, and ecstasv symbolize Drums ilestial powei Gong The drum symbolizes the first u The gong is traditionally used in Buddhist sounds, divine truih. and temples to mark the stages ol the sen-ice and to speech. It is associated with ward oil evil spirits It is a valued religious object in the East and is often highly ornate, the symbolism of thunder and as in i his example found in Borneo. In secular lightning and to Native Americans it use, sounding the gong signals a call to dinner. particularly in a formal setting. represents the heart of the universe. Drums were traditionally used to accompany dance throughout the world and were a vital component ol ecstatic dance. The \" audax\" * and cv C YMBALS MU-YL These ancient Mu-vn mean- wooden |\\ rcussion instruments hsh in Chinese. These tlate back to 3000 K instruments are played in temples and are and are still widely S) mbolic of ceaseless used today In worship prayer because, like they symbolize contact with the heavens, and they never seem in Tibetan temples the\\- are sounded in to rest. the worship ol \\i kit \\\\ DRI M Buddhist deities. In Africa the drum is Bin highly symbolic and Military Dri \\i forms an essential part The bell symbolizes Once used to accompany soldiers of ritual dance It contact between heaven into battle, the rousing, regular beat represents the beat of and earth out Hcaddi of the drum became associated with the human heart and is Buddhist warfare Nowadays this military played to summon up the voice of the divine rhythm is an integral part of the monk magic pov. and the harmony of the brass or marching band. cosmos. In the Western Tibetan world the church bell is a BELL Chinese zither A Chinese scholar call to prayer, but can also should be accomplished Indian i \\bi is inded as a warning. in the four arts - The sanctus bell at the altar announces the literature, painting, coming of ChriM In chess, and music - and the zither, 01 cfin, was The tabla, or drum, Buddhist coun' the symbol ol music According to t hinese is an attribute of the it is rung or struck lore, a zither played b) Indian god Shiva, who alter devotions, a sage had the powei beats out the pulse of while small bells to reveal to him the the universe on it as he tiding in the essential truth the mother-of-pearl disks danc at dance wind repri mark fingei positions and title purification. ds ol en. 80

Musicai Instrumen %S%s^%S%S%S%>i%S%S*S%S%S%S*?%S%'*S%S%S+a Trumpets The Last Judgment The trumpet or bugle \\vas blown as a call to Both the Bible and the Koran slate that the trumpet will be sounded arms in Roman times and has been associated on the Last Day, when the dead with battle or lame ever since traditionally, a trumpet fanfare heralds the arrival of shall be raised. royalty or important persons. Fame persomhed is often shown holding a trumpet. ORPHEl S'S LYRE Lute Bugle TheL M\\i (pftaii V 1536-41 Orpheus, musician to Popular in Europe The bugle is a valveless Ceremonial trumpet the gods, enchanted all from the mid- 15th animals through his century, the hue is an trumpet. In military The trumpet, with its masculine and playing o! the lyre and attribute of music h is Lamps ii is sounded to authoritative associations, is used at even succeeded in also a symbol of purity play the reveille that ceremonies and grand occasions in calming a storm-tossed and faithfulness In ocean. In his hands the heralds the morning many countries. music of the lyre calmed Western art. when and taps to mark the all beings, causing shown with a broken them to be aware only end of the da) of him The lyre's seven string it signifies strings corresponded to discord. the seven known planetx and its sides to the relationship between heaven and earth. Fit ii Org \\\\ \\ The shape ol the flute gives \\ u a phallic mas( uline dimension, while in tone is gentle and femil In Hinduism Krishna's flute is said to be the voice ol eternity tailing all living beings to himsell More generally, the flute is sometimes k iated with anguish and extremi emotion In t hristianity it s\\ mbolizes the soul s longing ti'i i iod A church instrument, the organ has comi symbolize the prai si t et ilia, patron saini ol music is said . io have invented u and dedicated it to the Shi \\(, ol the 1 ord I he ( hinese mouth in originated 1,000 i ami is made S/i wso up ol 1 7 individual H\\rp i bol both bamb tnd iii ... i nl in the Bibli thei and held Pan im i*i s Played nowadays in nusii. in both Judaism and within a mouthpii ^^H ' l)KI M- I ently dep lent the Andi South Gong the ten America pan pip 'rings in symbol ol the phoenix, em the I which u i the harp i J harmony ol nature In Gn Kjushn ' i id the harp is •nblf I he slung I •h! the) were < arried b) the is played at weddii Hid had the and I heard them >-+.-%s%s%s%s%,'%.%^ %s%s\\ HI

People Love & Marriage The two sides of love A POPULAR VIEW IS THAT LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND. Love is Central tO 'rvnisTi wcitv^ i-wite niiT aa life - its force has inspired poets, writers, and artists from time immemorial the world over. Love binds man to woman, mother to child. It can be sexual, the powerful attraction of opposing and complementary forces found in nature, or platonic, the deep, binding emotion that forms the fabric of our society. In a more spiritual context, love reflects the longing of the soul for God or ultimate truth. The sexual act is then an expression of the souls urge to merge with the cosmos. Lips transformed Lips pursed into a kiss into doves are a classic symbol of The willow, which shed love or sexual attraction its leaves as the l - the red lipstick kiss ends many a passionate CHINES! love letter. Lipstick on PATTERN PLATE the collar, though, signals infidelity. Venus and Cupid, Lucas Cranach the Eldi r,1545 Willow pai ilrn This painting shows This plate shows the Chinese story ol Koong- Cupid at his mother's see and hei low i hang I he girl's fat lu r Forbids side, in tears because he Hi ini Y< OMB 01 i has been stung by bees. PI NTS AND Venus, in response, their marriage, so the lovers flee |ust as the reproves Cupid for SWII I NESS inflicting more painful leaves fall from the willow Soldiers pursue them tail. wounds on others than and kill Chang, so Koong a i heartbroken, sets bee stings. Both Venus and Cupid are gods of love and fire to herself. The lovers are then transformed here represent the two sides of love - the pleasure and the pain Cupid covered in bees is symbolic of love's sting in t into doves, emblems ol their constancy. 1 Cupid A AND Krishna's love i Radh I In this scene Krishna sits in a Twin hauls aflame MINIATURE, forest glade with Radha, his 1785 favorite gopi, or milkmaid. i ^ All thego/5i.s love Krishna, /mbolso) the embodiment oi passional heavenly love, but Radha is the one who captures Valentint ling (o its his heart. The love of lination the gopis for Krishna represents the onging of the soul to \\ merge with Cod n\\, dovi qj • love and fidelity symbols oj yea • VALENTINE CARD The valentine card first appeared in the 16th century, with its imagery reaching the height of sentimentality inVi torian times Exchanged on Valentine's Day, February 14, these cards often depict love symbols such is hearts, doves, and cupids. Valentine's Day was originally known as the ' wedding day\" due to an old belief that birds selected theii mates qn y. People then followed suit, and made it a day nfi de< Uations of love. -+^*^^S*s*sl?*S%s*s%s%s%s%s%s%s%sl 82

LcU i Mar rial, l Marriage The ritual of marriage is conducted in some form in every societ) B and is traditionally a contract uniting two Families. In some cases a man may marry more than one wife, while occasionally, as in ;v Nepal and Tibet, a woman marries several brothers Whatever \\\\ form the marriage takes, it is a celebration that symbolizes the s. union of god and goddess, heaven and earth, man and woman, and the uniting of opposites to form a complete whole. Bii^ht clothes Piece of caki /w:,i< and 7v- symbolize luch The wedding cake has been part ol wedding celebrations united m and fertility since Roman times Bride on thi and groom must cut the united Indian wedding Chinesi wedding Chinese legend recounts how the man in first slice together to An Indian bride s ted sari stands foi the moon ties invisible threads around the fertility Here the bridal couple is symbolize lifelong -\": iterall) bedecked with good wishes. legs of newborn boys and girls The fragrant garlands ofroses and harmony, and their tuberoses represent beauty and to link their destinies happiness, while the bank notes are eating of the cake is symbolic of prosperity When they grow up. they associated with / are irresistibly drawn to each other, and marriage sexuality is inevitable. Sharing the cake among the guests represents the union of the two families. Silvei bells \\\\ I !)l)l\\c, BANDS i to ward of itive lace- tery is The custom of giving evil saints consid auspicious engagement rings goes RINGS wishing a bride happiness i^ a back to Roman times Wien although the traditional diamond ring- symbol of faithfulness - dates only from the 1 5th century The plain gold band of the wedding nng symbolizes eternity and the cycle of life. Horst good !u< k Red roses o) love and passion Bl isslNGS ./ lid';, particularly III NNAI ll\\NDS The practice of showering newly manned couples with confetti or rice comes Irom the when tied r In the Middle East East, where rice is a symbol of fertility. It is and India hi ides thrown so that the couple might be blessed hands are intricately with many children In Saxon times red and painted in red fol white rose- petals were thrown to represent good luck The red the union of passion and purity imes from the dye ol the henna plant A bl appearance would be Incomplete without it INY See aj so Hi insist , III Mils . Krishna's lovi i Sll\\l R |.)< kl I \\\\ ING! I) ill \\Ri III \\RI \\S WORD Ml( III tRTBROKJ N this symbol * ombines lot 01 III \\RI In the 1 love New the emblem ol the I York logo the heart is heart, representing universally recognized With aphrodisi I he phi a with the character Synth mbol ol li well as romantic has 1 IPS i r I //\" although it al npid or making the use ol die word itsell wound its way into out Valentine cam i rful I Ills |s connotations into the heart ol the most ! familial lattei i hocolate has ], language .\\\\\\d una-. and in been The bean splits in two me; the given ai time \\l\\l s \\\\l> (II with a pi celebi ultimate pain ol griel token ol affection oi loss Spumi have broken bean of their f heart-shaped is probabl do those separated Valeni gilt from the ones ihe\\ <S%S±^S%s^%S%S%s<%S%S%S%S%S%S%S* 85

People Clothing Materials i The materials we choose to wear are highly Clothing is an emotive issue, reflecting the ways in which society regards significant. Slinky synthetics, for example, individuals in terms of sex and status, and also how individuals regard show a pride in one's body and flirtatiousness. themselves. What you wear says a great deal about who you are, or who Cotton, by contrast, is functional and economic; Gandhi spun his own as a symbol of India's you wish to be. More powerful members of society tend to wear more independence and would wear nothing else. elaborate clothing in public, for instance, and it is often of finer, more expensive, cloth. Clothes can be sensible or seductive, Silk Lace Spun by silkworms fed businesslike or frivolous. Youth characteristically dons clothing on mulberry leaves, Lace was a symbol of to denote rebellion, although youth fashions silk has always privilege. It was made often develop into mainstream fashions. represented luxury. by working women for the upper classes. Fig leaf Cotton Tartan The fig leaf, as the very Traditionally worn by The checkered patterns first item of clothing, working people, symbolizes a loss of homespun cotton is a of tartans are like symbol ol simplicity. heraldic devices, each innocence and a fall denoting a Scottish clan. from grace. Adam and Eve donned fig leaves when they first noticed their nakedness. Sailor's top Ornate silver b Bile jeans Ft R Leather The traditional sailor- Belt bi c kles Jeans are essential items I unctional in some Leather is functional and suit, or matelot shirt, is For men, buckles are readily available. Today one of few outlets for tor young people cultures, fur is a luxury it is often associated woven with honzontal showing individuality. throughout the world. item, or a symbol ol with youth culture blue and white stnpes. The lower one cruel death, in others. The blue of the stnpes Designs seen as is called navy blue, or belonged to a South- fashionable can be just navy, and is American gaucho surprisingly expensive thought to represent the color of the sea. Fashions in footwear \\I\\WESE CLOG Shoe styles reflect social and cultural attitudes J and tell us something about a person. To These Japanese shoes are for remove shoes on entering a temple or home outdoor use. Their deep is symbolic of leaving earthl) matters wooden soles - some 4in ( 1 Ocm) outside the door as a mark of respect high - add stature to the wearer and induce a delicate gait. Doc M\\rii \\ Glass si ippi r Chinese shoe Doc Marten first made protective In the tale of Cinderella, the glass slipper L nti! early this working boots in 1967, and they century it was were the runaway success story represents truth and transformation When of the '80s and 90s. symbolizing common in China Cinderella's foot fits into the shoe she left at a reaction against glamour by the ball, the prince recognizes her. and she to bind women's is transformed from pauper to princess. both men and women. feet. Symbolically, WKl Ni TRIBESMAN Pi ITFORM SHOE 14th-( imi ri shoe tiny feet reinforced This East-African Platform shoes have These shoes, worn by noblemen, warrior wears simple been in and out of reached an amazing 18in (46cm). the image fashion for centuries. clothing and These date from the atus symbol to some, the cK ol women as 1970s. They are the viewed them a> the work ol the devil distinctive jewelry. literal embodiment delicate and helpless, and it also This suits his active prevented them from straying. of the human desire hunting lifestyle - and Sm \\ki r valk tall.\" >uld feel sports shoes have become the status symbols of our time, with -essed without his accompanymgly high pnees. They In this are worn not for han their original purpose, but as everyda) wear for both men and women »--*--%.- ^-*. .-... * „ ».. 84

Clot HING ms%s%s^%s±s%s%s%^%s Headgear In most cultures the covering or uncovering of the head is redolent with meaning. Depending on the religion, places of worship require cow-reel heads or uncovered ones. Hats are a sign of respect as well as an immediate indication of status and occupation. 1/fl Corset Gloves Top hat Corsets ol the early Originally gloves were Hi 1900s were reinforced a S) mbol of power and PRESER\\ Immortalized by the dancer Fred Astaire, the were presented at top hat came into fashion in the 1820s and with whalebone and investiture ceremonies Ties remains the ultimate symbol of male elegance were designed to I mil recently, a lady Given the fairly rigid or a gentleman was Worn less often nowadays, it complements the exaggerate the natural always expected to code of dress that men wear gloves in public tailcoat at weddings and other formal occasions. curves ol a woman's To handle with kid are expected to body A tiny waist was gloves is to treat conform to, ties are the ideal, and corsets someone or something one ol the lew areas of have come to with the utmost care. self-expression open to symbolize the way in Chef's order Beret them. A man max which women The relationship The circular beret is choose to wear a club between height and associated both with peace willingly subject and war In navy blue it is themselves to pain in tie or military tie to static is evident in the classic symbol of the the pursuit of fashion. the range of chef's French working man. in f) his affiliation to hats, from lowly dish The high lace that organization, or washer to respected other colors, notably red neck - mi ike out in master chef and green, u is a s\\ mbol \",-,. ol military courage any number of more \\i. and excellence. individual wa) Diminutnc Edw \\kdian dress WOlSl - iashxon fights nature This fashionable figure shows how Edwardian dresses distorted the The bust was pushed forward and the hips back in what was known as the S-shape. It was not unusual for women to faint from the pressure on their lungs. See also 18m-( i\\n kt \\\\K, /1 i MCHADAJR Willi II Bn i in ( hi were worn by This was part ol Turkish l century They were a national dress until the In orthodox Muslim I affluence and country became a countries women are high status. republic in 1923, and the hat was outlawed veiled outside the Fashions is footwi \\k t* honu i 10 draw male attention hFig leaf i (ifmil XI I i III VP..I \\K I.' Mom UtBOAKD At 1 .1 it the It RI1\\N man nen Made dI bright the on important * idition and ( 'us I' I' } \\ H)

People *%s+4**&& Jewelry Traditionally jewelry is bought as a gift, usually celebrating the important stages or events in a persons life - from christening presents to 21st birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries - or a particular relationship of love or friendship. Its symbolism lies not so much in its form as in what the item represents; whether it is the plain NECKLACE gold ring that binds a man and woman together or a locket with a C.1870 loved ones photograph. Much of our jewelry has ancient origins - a child's charm bracelet is essentially a modern version of amuletic Thai earrings A love of intricacy and delicacy is visible in these jewelry: the charms protect the wearer from harm. 18th-century earrings. Made from gold-painted Pink beads Bl \\R CLAWS animal skin, they represent mythical creatures. usually indicate This necklace, Egyptian coins \"bridt made from the Although jewelry African beads often symbolizes claws ol several In Africa, beads are a form of communication wealth, in many as well as decoration. They have particular bears, was the meanings according to their color and the order cultures the in which they are strung. Young girls will make prize possession love letter\" necklets for their boyfriends to of a Native relationship is more wear. After mamage, girls are allowed to adorn American chief. direct -jewelry themselves with more and more stnngs to show Like other pieces their heightened status. Onactually is wealth. made from nails, marrying, girls are given teeth, or tusks, it coin necklaces, headbands, denoted status, panly and even belts as part of their dowry. The wealthier because of the prow the family, the greater the value of the coins. involved in killing bear to obtain the c laws Fruitfulness m mbols of fertility abound in the jewelry ol different cultures, from Egyptian cowrie-shell amulets to the Spanish higa, or clenched fist. The '- concern with fertility ... •-•••• < may be less marked now. but the symbolism still abounds as in the decorative examples of fruit shown here. BRi \\\\ll IHYSI GRAPI s Leg ornament Pacific charm Pomegranate This cluster of grapes In parts of Africa, This 17th-century This pendant may well have been a wedding present from jewelry denoted the necklet from the Cook made by groom to bride - the a: Mycenean wealth of a woman, Islands conferred craftsman c. 1 300 bc and would almost grapes are an ancient just as the number of certainly have been worn by a young symbol of fertility. power and protection bride. The many-seeded pomegranate has Grapes were associated goats or sheep signified on its wearer. Although with all the pleasures, that of a man. Leg jewelry made from widespread associations with fertility. and excesses, ol wine ornaments were wild beasts was quite prized both for their Vim ii wis craftsmanship and common in many- Dating from their bulk, some cultures, this piece about 1850 • weighing as much as unusual. The bones this gold and teeth are carved pendant is 331b (15kg). This leg covered in ornament shows Islamic into talismanic shapes, grape vines, influences, as Muslims prefer silver, signifying rather than worn in symbols of purity, to gold. their natural state. Bacchus, Roman god ol wine and revelry

Jewelry ^-m.^%^%^%^^^^%^%^%^%^%-%^%^%^ %,-%.-», ^'%--%^^s%s^%s%s%s^ Mourning jewelry SU.\\I I RINc, The death ol a Kneel one is marked by a Examples of swiveling signet rings date back 10 series of ritual and symbolic acts People adopt different colors o I dress and shed the 1 \"nli century w They were both functional their everyda) jewelrj in favor of more somber forms of adornment, demonstrating and .1 mark ol status since only a person ol that they are in mourning. In the Western considerable wealth could have his image carved onto a stone By pressing the ring onto damp clay world, black is the traditional color of the owner was able to seal and identify his goods. mourning, and jet the classic stone Ring Lock oi hair Tins dove In the 17th century, The brooch below swivels so bean ih, heart finger rings such that it can be viewed from both sides. The back hold o) a low as the one above a lock of hair, symbol o would have been handed out to an absent friend. relatives at a funeral Gloved hand Undying love This jet brooch is let became popular oi a gloved hand during Queen lolding a funeral wreath \\ ictoria s reign when mourning jeweln was ai most lashionable Charm bra< llet CtllM si PADLOCK l:\\o\\U Ml \\l RI\\C, 9£ Silver charm bracelets This lock is traditionally The custom ol giving I ORG1 r-ME-NOT are thought to protect given by a father to his engagement rings goes the wearer - often a I lowei jewelry child - from harm. young child in order to back to Roman times. takes on the This one has a lucky The rings were often horseshoe, a wishing iock in the child's spirit symbolism ol well, and a wise plain iron elides, the monkey, plus a fish and stop evil forces the particul.it and a frog tor fertility shape symbolizing the flowei invi The fashion ol wearing Irom stealing it. One eyefe ol life and eternity In giving this charm bracelets is hundred families In the 1 Tth century brooch., an admi relatively recent, a contribute toward the diamonds - emblems was probably hoping that purchase ol the lock ol fidelit) - were added he would not be forgotten specifically Western. In so doing they to these simple hands 20ih-ceniury form become the child's See also amuletic jewelry. honorary guardians, In addition to fidelit) bound to protect the \\l KK CN III IDS I child throughout his diamonds were thought or her life to protect against all Victorian buckle brac f.let 30 1 1 1 ANNIVERSARY the forces ol evil Jewelry with buckles was popular in ihe 1800s A symbol ol beauty and both ind as bracelets What they all perfection, the pearl represented, however subtly, was an era ol male has long been the jewel ol love II the diamond dominance The man gave the piece to a loved is the king ol |ew els. the pearl is the queen one and. in doing up the buckle, she willingl) - Pearls are the birth- or unwittingly - acknowledged him as her owner Stones ol those horn in |une and also the gems I hat mark a 50th wedding anniversai MI I i \\l Mil Ml \\l I Willi Ml Ml \\IO I C\\l KINO ( iivkvi MACEU i became SYMBCN 01 l I'M Before the era ol the I Nc.ua MEN1 KIM.. lashionable in the I OVI KIM. t.' A hum lded this 18th-century choker with clasped hands is i those who and ISth centur) Made ol I Ml llll ISlssW ride: mblem ol love Hands are often could afford u ry much commissioned interconnecting hi - represented in jewelr) and take on different miniature enameled the) had hands thai I EC OKSW1IM I portraits ol then loved the position ol the I togethi Mm Rsisi. iiwim I* l ashionable enclose a central heaii ingle hand with thumb and forefingei ladies could then I their children Pan ol theit romantic mods touching, lor example is a talisman against evu; then he.ul at all til symbolism lies in the af the : it ry a lisi insti .mbol ol lettilits that the rings can I be pulled apart, but can nevet be separated H7

People **t***vw«l OYALTY Crown The institution of royalty is highly symbolic. Many n iv a symbol of sovereignty and Asian courts were laid out as microcosms of the universe honor with the throne, at the center of the palace, representing Scepter Original!) a magical the sacred mountain at the axis of the world. A king had symbol, the sceptei tour chief queens and four chief ministers, symbolizing signifies the king's North, South, East, and West. The health of the nation responsibility foi and the land depended on his health. In parts of Africa hi> people's and southern India the king was ritually sacrificed prosperity while still strong and virile, so that the shedding of his blood might renew the fertility of the soil and Ermine thus ensure the well-being of his people. Kings have rhi tvtntei coal d/ the weasel, been widely believed to rule by divine right, and in some cultures to be semi-divine. ermine is a royal fui /( symbolizes purity and incorruptibility QlEEN King The king Mantle ilically holds The mantle As the feminine The king is the counterpart of the ultimate symbol of the whole world in denotes king, the queen is power. Traditionally protei tion, as associated with a the monarch was his h,. well as myster) mother goddess or surrounded b) and Throne transformation Queen of Heaven. courtiers, who had the The throne is the Together the king and queen represent the same Function as the marks the sp heavenly beings centei of the perfect union of surrounding God. He kingdom unci the opposites, two halves was thus seen by his of the whole, the sun subjects as an earthly I centei and moon, and day and night. counterpart of God Its and a symbolic link I between heavenly and earthly power The the tank of king is also a symbol the ruler The of consciousness, the d in ruler over our heavi unconscious urges. depicted enthioned Chess Power games Cards The ancient Many games are based on the balance Playing game of chess of power and involve kings, queens, cards are divided into is a symbolic courtiers, and armies. The object oi the lour suns, each ol game can be to defeat the other players which i- headed by us playing out of the conflict •nquering their court and army, or to own king, queen, and between build up a royal power base with which to opposing trump one's opponents. ack i or prince) Packs of cards also include Ph \\raoh s in life. The black and two jokers or ]esters, white squares represent more powerful than The famous mask found negative and positive, male and female principles. The their lowly title on the mummy of the pieces, representing the suggests In man} boy king Tutankhamun games the king, his court, and his reflects the glory of the army, carry the symbolism goal is to pharaoh. For the of their roles, build up cards to although in the complete the suits, ancient Egyptians the s\\ mbolicalh game of chess the pharaoh was more than queen is more -iI.k ing the king in his personal courl a monarch, he was a powerful than god He was the center the king. Each ofai! a of game is an epoch, and each Re. the s'. id an makes a ble choice intermeci, jen heaven an '%^<*S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S*S%S%S%S%S%^S%S*SIS%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%* 88

nR o v \\ ! **^*s%s%s*^s%-y Crown jewels Y Ski? The crown jewels, the essential accoutrements ol royal office, have assumed almosi mystical significance for a ruling monarch Without them, he or she would lose all authority The crown jewels, orh, and scepter are 18th- essential in the coronation ceremony, when they arc worn [mperial or carried by the newly crowned monarch. I MP1 ROR Umbrella Scepter In China and Japan the emperor is the Son of The umbrella, or The see pier was once Heaven, symbol of the moral order and more properly the believed to have magical responsible tor maintaining harmony between heaven and earth The Moghul emperors of India parasol, represent:- the properties, much like a took on a similar role Here the hrst Moghul emperor, Babur. receives envoys canopy oi heaven and. magic wand, and is a with us raylike spokes, phallic symbol. The orb the sun itself. It is a and scepter together symbol ol royalty in symbolize completeness parts ol A^ia and the creative power ol male and female. Crown : Made of precious metal and jewels a crown symbolizes sovereignt) It adorns the noblest part ota son, the head, or intellecl Jesus was crowned with an ironic crown ol thoms A crown also denotes supreme accomplishment, as in \"crowning gli Seal Orb All documents ol state The «•: iposed ol a globe, or letters written b\\ a representing the world, with a king would be sealed with the monarch s whk li symbolizes the own seal, king's spiritual authority over his representing subjects, mirroring that of God authority and powei over mankind The seal can be a &Prince princ ess symbol of belonging Coronation c i ri mony to God. Queen I lizabeth II ol England was crowned The pnnce is usually seen in legends as a he m Westminster Abbey in 1953 in a solemn embodiment ol courage and moral action The and high!) symbolic ceremony Cnn symbol ol the highest good and She was invested with the state regalia, which symbolized her Ity The prince endures hardship to bring role as head ol state and the Anglican church about chart] ue a captive princess In the \\\\IIM LLA& SPOON same way truth can be obtained only alter a The new monarch is anointed spintual stoic,. with holy oil, poured into the oon from the ampulla, here- in the shape ol an Knk.ii i I'M U 1 See also Ciownh •n a As the residence ol ich I \"\"I OR JIMI R royalt) a palaci he simpleton ih< . pt from • human symbolize heaven or I etiquette But often he the heart ol the realm maintains order in the i member A pal - in i>l the court and the I ind lain man. ts main Kin i chambers, som< holding mn.xence in a world and Km. H ' ol humai the Ql EEN I a ious with its nubility hidden spiritual truilis *^»-*^»^^^**^**-%-l^%*^»^WVi I 8s)

People \\^s%s%s%s^s%?^s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\\s%s%s%s%*-m Tools & Weapons Scales of Justice A pair of balanced scales represents justice and Although they are practical objects, tools and weapons make powerful judgment, both in court and in the afterlife. In symbols of the inner or spiritual world. In myth, their obvious functions the Egyptian Hall of Judgment, the heart of the take on symbolic meaning. Gods are often associated with the implements deceased w as weighed against the Feather of they use, and while these may appear purely functional, they always Truth before the god Osiris, who passed judgment. In Roman art, Justice holds a sword symbolize concepts such as fertility, death, and war. Sometimes the implement itself denotes the god. Weapons generally represent power, and a pair of scales. The archangel Michael protection, and destruction. In the hands of the gods, they symbolize the weighs the souls of the dead before Chnst. defeat of ignorance and thus liberation. Weapons also stand for the state of conflict that the god or hero overcomes. Ladder H WIMER Ax Rope Plow The ladder represents our urge to climb from \\\\ idel) seen as a >vmbol The ax is an emblem of Rope represents The plow is usually an ignorance into the light. In ancient Egypt an bondage and captivity attribute of Greek image of a ladder was placed inside the tomb of thunder, the hammer _-.iids such as Zeus. It It also connects heaven pastoral gods such as with the dead. In the Bible Jacob dreamed of is a symbol of power, and earth, acting like a Demeter and Dionysus. angels ascending and descending a ladder to is an attribute of the cosmic umbilical cord. As a phallic symbol it heaven. Buddhists believe the Buddha climbed a Norse god Thor, associated with many In the form of a noose, represents impregnation ladder to preach to his mother in heaven. it is a symbol of death of the earth by the whose hammer alw a\\ s deities, for example. and despair In ;ods, the furrow being hit its target and came Shiva and Agni in India. eminine and receptive back to him. The and the Voruba storm ( hristianity it is a god ol Wesl Africa In It also represents the k god Mephaestos, China it represents symbol ol the betrayal act ol creation, when the blacksmith, also justice, am horny, and of Christ who was pnmal matter broke up bound by his captors. wielded a hammer. punishment The ax is into different life forms. also symbolic of death Cv In Japan the ordered by a wrathful deity. For Hindus and ^i hammer is an Buddhists, the ax attribute of removes ignorance and Daikoku, god of thus severs the cycle ol riches. Along with the birth, death, and nail, the hammer is a rebirth symbol of the Passion of Christ. Aw II &Hammer sickle Simon and Andrew, Gabriel Loirf. 1975 Spinning wheel The amll is often seen as the The sickle lends its Net The spindle is an attribute of goddesses feminine, receptive counterpart name to the new moon The net symbolizes the power of the gods to concerned with bind and hold humans helpless in the mesh of destiny They are often of the hammer, with us because of its shape. It shown as three spinners masculine associations. life. In Christian an, a net with fish represents Together they represent therefore symbolizes the church. St. Peter (originally the fisherman who govern birth, life, the opposing but time and death, but complementary forces of also the annual cycle of Simon) was a \"fisher of men,\" and St. Andrew and death The turning the active and the passive renewal. The Greek wheel is a symbol of goddess of agriculture, (also a fisherman) carries a net. the universe. The loom Scythe Demeter, carries a is the loom ol life, with Because it is a harvesting tool, the sickle The hammer masculine, active scythe symbolizes death, the and sickle were threads and feminine, moment when life is cut short It brought together in the passive threads united also stands for the liberation bol of the former Soviet Union. That in harmon) According of the soul. The figures to Buddhism, the loom of Father Time and symbol now represents weaves the fabric ol Death, the Grim the communist illusion Reaper, are movement both depicted carrying a 90 - .the. M M

Tool s &r Weapons Swords Gi \\ Dagger n ail cultures the sword stands for power and 1 strength. A sword taken from an enerrt) is a The gun is a [he daggei is symbol ol victory, and to receive a sword - when s- symbol ol masculine generally a phallic knighted, for example - is to be given authority. power and aggression symbol and stands The sword divides good from evil and cuts lor masculinity. It through ignorance Main gods, heroes, and saints, Because ol us projectile i> an attribute ol military gods such including St. George, hold a sword. capabilities, the gun is as Mars and AsHANII SWORD Samtrai sword associated with virility. Mithras To Muslims along with other fire- the sacred dagger kn This late 19th-century sword of In Japan the sword is arms and missiles represents die word the Ashanti kingdom ol tihana a symbol ol courage In Freudian thought of Allah and absolute has an unsharpened iron blade and strength. For the the gun is an obvious truth. The kns. with because it was used foi phallic symbol, an aristocratic warriors of association echoed in its characteristic remonial purposes only The |apan, the Samurai, the gangster movies, where gilded beads on the handle are undulating form, is symbols ol wealth and fertility sword was the chosen it has become linked to symbol ol honor. It male prow usually beautifully represented the noble decorated, often cause and the light for DoubU-tdged truth and justice with words from foi truth the Koran. and justice Crossed swords The arms of Saddam Hussein hold the crossed swords of the Martyrs' Monument in Baghdad, Iraq. The arch faces easl i for birth > and west (for martyrdom < Cw Knighting iQuiuf - round The custom ol knighting is very ancient By touching Sikh i MB1 i M The Nishan Sahib, the emblem of the Sikhs, both shoulders with the contains a two-edged sword, symbolizing truth blade, the monarch and justice, and two crossed swords lor Cod's confers authority Asa spiritual power In the center is a chakram, a symbol ol purification, circular throwing weapon, or quoit. the sword also cleanses the s.Ull OR S/CISMI H Shield Indian shield Sl'l AR See a/m> The shield protects and has come to symbolize I in hide With lis elongated, feminine power and chastity In some cultures, •rated II M4MI * i however, it personifies the power of a male god phallic shape, the with mytholo ^K*6 or ancestor and can also represent a hero h is speai represents wai an attribute ol the Greek goddess Athena powi niliis- In (. hristian an an animal MUMI I- I Boh iv \\KRdu impaled on a speai With its hape lance represents a vice Ron i powerful function. I Ol lllls Mm ii the bow is both H1 feminine and masculine Spinning whei i i and i i he m and lb ol the s[\\-.ii thrusl into n With the a ( hlisi s side sshen he h Swords 0* dine was on th is i nbute I the peal ( an md Apoll ( ran • it is -. ml-iol ol the the Way,\" the fao earth well 91

People /»***^^W1 Death & Mourning The certainty of death unites us all, rich, poor, and of even- culture or faith. The many different rites and rituals surrounding death and mourning illustrate how each society deals with its fear of the unknown. Ancient beliefs speak of the body being reunited with Mother Earth, or the soul rejoining the cosmic ocean or entering heaven. In other words, life returning to a state of oneness with nature. In other beliefs death can be the door into another future that will be favorable if the deceased was devout in this life. A source of great fear and an occasion for both sorrow and joy, death is laden with symbolism. Many death rituals D V> OF THE DEAD are symbolic enactments to aid the souls journey On November 1 . Mexicans celebrate the Day of into the afterlife and to console the bereaved. the Dead. Images of Death in the form of Raven skeletons are made, and to welcome the dead back to earth candles are lit in the graveyards Although \\newed in and offerings of food set out. This is a symbolic way of maintaining a link with the past. many cultures as an auspicious symbol BLRV '.IRAL of wisdom, fertility, and creation, the prophetic raven is seen in the Christian tradition as a bird of ill omen. It heralds evil, warfare, and death This is probably due to its black color, associated with the night. The raven is thought to haunt graveyards and foretell death and destruction. Luck for the dead Dl \\!lll\\ DANCE Hi \\RSE At Chinese funerals it I his magnificent hearse is the custom for The Danse Mai ised to illustrate the concept that death is the is typical ol a bygone mourners to burn great leveler. A procession of figures representing the various classes - from era. The hearse and the auspicious squares of Pope to peasant - each alternating with a skeleton, is led towards a grave horses were always black, colored paper on the showing all are ultimately linked by death. Another popular medii symbolic ol mourning, funeral pyre to bring as was the livery. Though good luck to the soul belief, the Dance of Death, held that the dead rose at midnight and danced about in the graveyard. The two themes were often intermingled. modern funerals are ol the deceased on its more streamlined, such journey to the afterlife. Blail Bklck old-fashioned formalities pipe hat with . are still preferred by napping and -inch plumes some for the solace , on hearse the ritual and sense of occasion provide. T\\ROT CARD In the Tarot, Death is not the last card but marks a transition from one state to another. This might ifytheend-or h' - of one phase of life and the ning of a new- one. Either phase would be accompanied mer changes. Death is 2 the vhich he he living.

Dhath & Mourning Grave goods In many cultures pre< ious goods are buried with the dead as a sign ol theii prestige in life and also to accompany them on their journey to the afterlife i )nce upon a time even slaves were buried alone wuli then dead owner II 1913, Ft \\I R\\RV IRN GRAVESTONE Aftei a cremation the ashes ol the deceased The sue of a Christian are often placed inside burial is marked by a a funerary urn As a memorial -tone, often large, round-bodied vessel ol containment, impanied by the urn is a symbol ol symbolic reminders the feminine The urn sueh as a wreath, a with a lid is a good- Bible, or an angel luck emblem, symbol An angel is an in Chinese Buddhism ol supreme intelligence intermediary between that triumphs ovei heaven and earth and birth and death. mbolizes the -age of the soul to the heavenly realm. Rill \\l Mot RNING Mourners at a Taoisi funeral in Gansu province in China are completely covered out ol respect lor the dead The chief mourners wear white and the principal mourner carries a green sash Hessian veils are used, as it would be pectful to use line cloth Mourners will not eat fine food lor the lirst two or three years alter the death I I VG \\l ll\\l I M\\si The custom ol living I hallway up the p ign ol mourning t> m in the 17th centurv I he emleft pi invisible flag ol death M \\t sdi i i \\i iiinues I in W'RI Mil 01 Rl I) Ribbon The white lily, the flower ol the Madonna Red poppies have ribbon Mahallu is '' SM Us. i litionally I I 1)1 ITHI I aj i with pui a York i mourning in the West, ami th ne a symbol \"I ' the IDS, MOt KMS.. 1 • xplain win ii lues losi during the ime a world- Indian emperoi Shah two World W.iis In j mbol ol |ahan Buifi in th< I In flowers stem IPs the I C( nuu\\ ii was planned Wearing the red ril as the most magnificeni ial a poem In t anadia lolizes support foi memorial on earth |onn the light against the In Flanders fields disease and tl symbol ol the emperoi s Raven i where poppii in h love Foi Ins wiii- Red wreath i» I ure return 10 I be llis own tomb I \\koi . UID I white the bl mbol the river, was ni d to pop; is finished 111 1 beside h nil \\>s%s%s%s%s%s%^s%s%s%s%s±> i) \\

I Architecture The symbolic meaning of a building and its components can be very complex, especially in religious buildings. Stepped terraces may represent heavenly levels and a spire points symbolically to heaven, while a dome represents the vaults of heaven itself. Differently shaped buildings represent differing Ocuu s symbolic ideals: skyscrapers, for instance, represent status and achievement Window in the material world, while modern, environmentally sensitive buildings Just as the eye is Indian balcony Angel at top protects symbolize union with nature. Separate elements have known as the 'window Balcony church and oi the soul.\" the window those w ho their own symbolism: doors and windows, The balcony represents enter is the \"eye oi the soul,\" mystery and often mark boundaries between worlds. symbolic oi ambivalence due to its Knocker consciousness and partly concealing, oi an individual's partly revealing nature, Door knockers in animal perception oi the shapes protect a house world. A round and also its position, and keep evil spirits at window is appropriately both inside and bay. The ominous knoc k called an oculus or ox- at the door has long been eye window, since it outside a building. a S) mbol in literature - and music - of inexorable mlets light, the Enclosed balconies add fate or death window also symbolizes to the mystery. In colder countries bay the light oi truth and oriel windows act entering the soul. as enclosed balconies. Reach for the sky obsei Humankind has always been Pyramids hical beasts fascinated by tall buildings For the ancient Egyptians the pyramid symbolically keep stood symbolically as a world axis at the that reach upward to die sky, evil at bay building diem both for center ol the universe. Its apex religious reasons and for represents the highest level ol spiritual I iUSH CHURCH DOORWAY, 12TH CEN reasons of power Whether I ancient pyramids or modern attainment. A stepped pyramid sigmlics Doorway skyscrapers, such buildings the stages ol consciousness through represent man's need to reach which the soul must pass on its ascent. The doorway marks the passage between the sacred and profane, between safety and danger. up to the heavens and also to It also symbolizes the transition from one stage gain supremacy over his of life to another or the passage from life to death. Temple doorways in particular are often surroundings. carved with guardian spirits and fabulous beasts to dispel evil and offer protection. :::::::::: :::::: (Mill t II II II II /I H II \\ /I /-il!.UHII|Ul!!*r\\ <> II *i*-T—T~I II II II I III I II II II i SkYSC RAP1 K The Empire State Building in New York was for decades the the ElderB 'm 'i\" 1 I i -hii 1 I building in the world It 1 I/ Bi lI'h r1 1 Thf B Tower of Babel Wai Is as an obviously The fabled towei ol Babel was a ziggurat, or stepped pyramid, in A wall encloses and protects the sheltering phallic symbol of man's .an i« i it Bab) Ionia li is a symbol ol man's arrogance In the Bible the interior of a building or a garden, suggesting achu instantly mBabylonians were dei> mud id build such a tower to reach the heavens strength, privacy, and containment. In the case •Vail, above, it may be divisive, recognizable to peoplr God divided the speech ol the builders into main languages so thai they paration of East and V all over the world. Id not understand eac h othei and the tower was nevei completed 94

a lata bo ^ Architecture Cj\\TH' 4i Bridge The Parthenon. Athens Dome i^srw' The bridge i> a s\\inbohc Classical temple The dome is used as a Nobles link between heaven Temples in Greek and Roman times were and eanh It is the believed to be the houses of gods They could be symbol of the heavens Roof passage from life to square, polygonal, or round. Round has been death, and from death Religious buildings The roof symbolizes the feminine, sheltering lo immortality. The considered the perfect form, because the circle often incorporate a principle. Some societies hang treasures and original Bridge of Sighs powerful hunting trophies in the roof space to in Venice led from the itself is a symbol of the cosmic mind and dome that may be increase its protective power courtrooms to the nature's perfection. Classical temples were decorated on the dunge erected in commanding positions, tor example, inside with paintings the Acropolis in Athens, site of the Parthenon of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as angels. Arch Charles d'Orlea\\> is the Tower of The arch symbolizes \\, Flemish, passage from one state lKi'J C1650 to another Victorious Roman armies marched through triumphal Holding place cii arches In initiation '.it to rites, to pass under an prevail • i>r t'v ape arch is to be reborn. A K• Stairs THf I UlY Bl IIDINC. FlNPHORN. SCOTLAND A staircase represents Earth dwelling the steps in spiritual In many countries people live in houses made development. Its entirely of natural materials found around them. rholism is related to from adobe huts in Africa to igloos in the Arctic. of the ladder and This keeps them, literally, in touch with nature the stepped pyramid. and more in tune with their surroundings A One can either ascend modern earth-integrated house, roofed with turf, toward Enlightenment represents a return to this more natural way ot or descend into darkness and ignorance hie with its related symbolism of union with nature A spiral staircase, with its winding su leading towards an unknown and unseen end. represents the mysterious li'UI K \\\\1) ( \\s|| Sm klso f | I IGHTHOt SI Ihe towei is ,i symbol nd A lighthouse provides protection With its castellated to (il \\ss HOUSE and drawbridgi M( I IsM. I I Ml I Mainly built ol glass, this house provides full territorial pow ! the to the natural elements and all their heraldic symbol in (airy I eachings of Chi bolism - a window to the world an enchanted place thai I low IK \\S[1 I \\s M MIS I I \\hich guide th- Ihe glass lels in the maximum amount ol light In ordi othe MHh and stores heat I hi ible and fresh inside (symbo itual knowledj air from il d with flowers Mid plants 'he burden ol Ignoi 9,

People » Everyday Objects There are many ordinary objects that do not fit easily into Fan The fan is a common obvious categories but which are so much part of our everyday symbol of high rank or world that they have become imbued with symbolic meaning. royalty. It is also These range from different types of container, associated with the feminine, secrecy, or protection, to objects connected with thought to ward ofI e\\ il spirits, and to Taoists human frailty and the passage of time. Items linked to fire or it represents the flight light are also rich in meaning, signifying enlightenment, as are keys, which unlock secrets or ol a hud and release into the world of the mark a coming of age. Immortals. In contrast, open and close. It gives access to Basket the fan also has long- another realm, symbolizing wisdom, maturity, standing associations The basket is an attribute oi the lour seasons with femininity and or success. Many keys dangling from a key chain and. when full, it symbolizes tcrtilm fruition, symbolize power and status, since they denote and abundance, flirtation. the ownership of valued property. Keys are the therefore also 1 attnbute of St. Peter as the guardian of the gates of heaven. In Buddhism the \"three baskets' are the scriptures of the Buddhist canon. EGYl in. . ! IR1N1 Box Cup I he box is a feminine Because they are symbol. When closed, containers, t ups, like bowls, are symbols ol it symbolizes the the receptive, feminine realm. In this Egyptian unconscious, and when example, the lotus opened, it may unleash pattern shows the flower's relationship to a storm of devastation, water, and thus adds disease, and death to its links with the feminine, upon the world, as did Pandora's box. and( iold silvi i i oir\\ ymbol q) wi alth reed Swing il I i 1767 MOW Y PURSE The swing is associated with fertility because its swing, with its backward and forward nn .t ion. is ie purse represents movements represent the rhythms of the seasons worldly vanity and the and the rising and setting of the sun and moon, a playful symbol of amorous flirtation A stone n.msuike ol wealth. In rhythms oflovt- making. In this Cupid presides over the sec luded i omei ol the ( hristian an a purse is an ' h -century French painting, the rden, while the lush vegetation prw ides a attribute ol Judas Iscariol and ol St. Matthew, the tax < ollector. Coins spilling out ol a purse are a fertile backdrop for the I ami symbol ol worldly attai hmeni and greed 96