International symbols. Ancient symbols of the peoples of the world and their meaning

Symbols are the most international and timeless language. We see them every day and roughly know what they mean. However, during the course of their thousand-year history, symbols could change their meaning to the opposite.

Yin-yang

Appearance time: According to the famous Russian orientalist, Doctor of Historical Sciences Alexei Maslov, yin-yang symbolism was possibly borrowed by Taoists from Buddhists in the 1st-3rd centuries: “they were attracted by Buddhist drawn symbolism - and Taoism developed its own “mandala”: the famous black and white “fish” "yin and yang".

Where was it used?: The concept of Yin-Yang is key to Taoism and Confucianism, the doctrine of Yin-Yang is one of the foundations of traditional Chinese medicine.

Values: In the Book of Changes, yang and yin served to express light and dark, hard and soft. As Chinese philosophy developed, yang and yin increasingly symbolized the interaction of extreme opposites: light and dark, day and night, sun and moon, sky and earth, heat and cold, positive and negative, even and odd, and so on.

Initially, “yin” meant “northern, shadowy”, and “yang” meant “southern, sunny slope of the mountain.” Later, “yin” was perceived as negative, cold, dark and feminine, and “yang” as positive, light, warm and masculine.

Being the main (fundamental) model of all things, the concept of yin-yang reveals two provisions that explain the nature of Tao. First of all, everything is constantly changing. Secondly, opposites complement each other (there cannot be black without white, and vice versa). The purpose of human existence is thus the balance and harmony of opposites. There can be no “final victory”, because nothing is final, there is no end as such

Magen David

Appearance time: It is reliably known that the hexagram was widely used back in the Bronze Age (late 4th - early 3rd millennium BC) over a vast territory: from India to the Middle East.

Where was it used?: In Ancient India, the hexagram was called Anahata or Anahata chakra. The six-pointed star was known in the ancient Near and Middle East. In the Islamic tradition, in Mecca, the main Muslim shrine - the Kaaba - is traditionally covered with a silk blanket on which hexagonal stars are depicted.
The six-pointed star began to be associated with Jewry only in the Middle Ages, and in medieval Arabic books the hexagram is found much more often than in Jewish mystical works, and for the first time images of the hexagram appear in Jewish holy books precisely in Muslim countries, only reaching Germany in the 13th century. The six-pointed star is found on the flags of the Muslim states of Karaman and Kandara.

There is an assumption that the hexagram was the family symbol of the family of David al-Roi, who lived in Iran, one of the contenders for the role of Moshiach. This is sometimes used to explain the origin of the accepted name for the hexagram: Magen David, or “shield of David.”

The Rothschild family, having received noble title, included Magen David in her family coat of arms. Heinrich Heine put a hexagram instead of a signature under his newspaper articles. It was subsequently adopted as a symbol of the Zionist movement.

Values: In India, the Anahata hexagram symbolized the attic chakra, the intersection of the masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) principles. In the Middle and Near East, the hexagram was a symbol of the goddess Astarte. The six-pointed star is included in the symbolism of Kabbalah: two triangles superimposed on each other are considered as a visual symbol of the sefirot.

In the twenties of the twentieth century, Franz Rosenzweig interpreted the Magen David as a symbolic expression of his philosophical ideas about the meaning of Judaism and the relationship between G-d, man and the universe.

The connection of the six-pointed star with the Jews was finally established as a result of Nazi policies in Germany. The yellow Magen David became a symbol of the Holocaust.

Caduceus

Appearance time: The exact time of appearance of the caduceus is unknown. Obviously this is a very ancient symbol. It is also found on the monuments of Ancient India and Ancient Egypt, Phenicia and Sumer, Ancient Greece, Iran, Rome and even Mesoamerica.

Where was it used?: The caduceus is still one of the most common symbols in heraldry. In the form of a caduceus there was a staff of heralds among the Greeks and Romans (the staff of Hermes). When they were sent to an enemy camp, the caduceus was a guarantee of their immunity.

In occultism, the caduceus is considered a symbol of the key that opens the limit between darkness and light, good and evil, life and death.

Since the 19th century, the image of the caduceus has often been used in a number of countries (for example, in the USA) as a symbol of medicine, which is the result of a common mistake due to its resemblance to the staff of Asclepius.

The image of the caduceus as an attribute of the god of trade is traditionally used in the symbolism of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of a number of countries around the world, including Russia.
Before the revolution and for several periods after it, crossed caduceus were used as a customs emblem.

Today, a caduceus crossed with a torch is part of the emblem of the Federal Customs Service and is one of the heraldic symbols of arbitration courts, the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation and the State Tax Service of Ukraine. Since September 2007, the caduceus has been used in the emblem of the Russian Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund.
In heraldry, the caduceus was used in the historical coats of arms of the following cities of the Russian Empire: Balta, Verkhneudinsk, Yeniseisk, Irbit, Nezhin, Taganrog, Telshev, Tiflis, Ulan-Ude, Feodosia, Kharkov, Berdichev, Talny.

Meaning: The core of the caduceus is symbolically associated with the tree of life, the axis of the world, and the snake - with the cyclical rebirth of Nature, with the restoration of the universal Order when it is violated.

Snakes on the caduceus indicate the hidden dynamics in what is outwardly stable, symbolize two multidirectional flows (up and down), the connection of heaven and earth, God and man (the wings on the caduceus also indicate the connection of heaven and earth, spiritual and material) - everything that is born on earth comes from heaven and, after will go the way trials and sufferings, will gain life experience, must rise to heaven.

It is said about Mercury that with his staff - which has since been considered a symbol of peace and harmony - he separated two fighting snakes. Fighting snakes are disorder, chaos, they need to be separated, that is, distinguished, see opposites and unite, overcome them. Then, having united, they will balance the Axis of the World, and around it, Cosmos and harmony will be created from Chaos. The truth is one, and to come to it, you need to follow a straight path, which is symbolized by the axis of the caduceus.

The Caduceus in the Vedic tradition is also interpreted as a symbol of the Serpent Fire, or Kundalini. Wrapping around the central axis, the snakes connect at seven points and are connected to the chakras. Kundalini, the Snake Fire, sleeps in the base chakra, and when it wakes up as a result of evolution, it ascends along the spine along three paths: the central one, Shusumna, and two lateral ones, which form two intersecting spirals - Pingala (this is the right, male and active spiral) and Ide (left, feminine and passive).

Chrism

Appearance time: It is not known for certain, but researchers suggest that even during the life of the apostles, that is, in the 1st century. This symbol has been found in Christian tombs since the 3rd century AD.

Where was it used?: The most famous use of the symbol is on the labarum, the state banner of imperial Rome. The symbol was first introduced by Emperor Constantine the Great after he saw the sign of the cross in the sky on the eve of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312).

The labarum of Constantine had a chrism at the end of the shaft, and on the panel itself there was an inscription: lat. “Hoc vince” (slav. “With this win”, lit. “With this win”). The first mention of labarum is found in Lactantius (d. c. 320).

Values: Chrisma is a monogram of the name of Christ, which consists of two initial Greek letters of the name (Greek ΧΡΙΣΤΌΣ) - Χ (chi) and Ρ (rho), crossed with each other. The Greek letters α and ω are often placed along the edges of the monogram. They go back to the text of the Apocalypse: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

A number of later researchers discerned in the letters P and X, enclosed in a circle, an ancient pagan symbol of the Sun. For this reason, Protestants generally do not recognize the labarum as an original Christian symbol.

Appearance time: The symbol itself appeared during the formation of the Devanagari syllabic alphabet (“divine city letter”), that is, in the 8th-12th centuries.

Where was it used?: “Om” as a symbol denoting the sacred sound “Om” is used in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and yogic practices. Currently, “Om” has already become a part of pop culture; it is applied as a print on clothes and tattooed. "Om" is depicted on George Harrison's albums, the mantra "Om" is heard in the chorus of the composition The group Beatles "Across the Universe" and on the soundtrack to the film "The Matrix" in the composition Juno Reactor "Navras"

Values: In the Hindu and Vedic traditions, “Om” is a sacred sound, the primordial mantra, “word of power.” Often interpreted as a symbol of the divine triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
In Hinduism, “Om” symbolizes the three sacred texts of the Vedas: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Samaveda, and is itself an originally sacred mantra, symbolizing Brahman. Its three components (A, U, M) traditionally symbolize Creation, Maintenance and Destruction - categories of the cosmogony of the Vedas and Hinduism.

In Buddhism, the three sounds of the word "Om" can represent the Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddha, the Three Bodies of the Buddha (Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya) and the three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). However, Buddhologist Evgeny Torchinov noted that the syllable “Om” and similar syllables (“hum”, “ah”, “hri”, “e-ma-ho”) “do not have any dictionary meaning” and pointed out that these syllables, unlike from other syllables of mantras represent “sacred untranslatability” in the Mahayana tradition.

Ichthys

Time and place of origin: Images of the acronym ΙΧΘΥΣ (from the Greek Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior) or the fish symbolizing it first appear in the Roman catacombs in the 2nd century. The widespread use of this symbol is evidenced by the mention of it by Tertullian at the beginning of the 3rd century: “We are small fish, led by our ikhthus, we are born in water and can only be saved by being in water.”

Where was it used?: The acronym Ichthys began to be used by the first Christians, since images of Christ were unacceptable due to persecution.

Values: The symbolism of fish was associated in the New Testament with the preaching of the apostles, some of whom were fishermen. Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew called his disciples “fishers of men,” and likened the Kingdom of Heaven to “a net thrown into the sea and capturing fish of all kinds.” Ichthys was also associated with Alpha from the words of Jesus Christ: “I Am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

At the end of the 20th century, ichthys became a popular symbol among Protestants in different countries, and opponents of creationism began to parody this sign by sticking a fish sign with the word “Darwin” and small legs on their cars.

Cup of Hygeia

Time and place of origin: Ancient Greece. III-I millennium BC

Where was it used?: Hygeia in Greek mythology was the goddess of health, daughter or wife of the god of healing, Asclepius. The word “hygiene” comes from her name. She was often depicted as a young woman feeding a snake from a vial. The snake was also a symbol of the goddess Athena in Greek mythology, who was often depicted as Hygeia and vice versa.

Values: In Ancient Greece, Hygeia personified the principle of a just war for health as light and harmony on all planes. And if Asclepius began to act when order was disrupted, then Hygieia maintained the order-law that reigned initially.

The snake in ancient traditions symbolized death and immortality, good and evil. They were personified by her forked tongue, the poisonousness of her bites, along with the healing effect of the poison, and the ability to hypnotize small animals and birds.

The snake was depicted on the first aid kit of a Roman military doctor. In the Middle Ages, the combination of images of a snake and a bowl on the emblem was used by pharmacists in the Italian city of Padua, and only later this private pharmaceutical symbol turned into a generally accepted medical sign.

The bowl with the snake is still considered a symbol of medicine and pharmacy in our time. However, in the history of medicine in different countries, a snake entwined around a staff was more often considered the emblem of healing. This image was adopted by the WHO at the UN at the First World Assembly in Geneva in 1948. Then the international health emblem was approved, in the center of which a staff entwined with a snake is placed.

Wind rose

Date of origin: The first mention was in 1300 AD, but scientists are sure that the symbol is older.
Where was it used?: Initially, the compass rose was used by sailors of the Northern Hemisphere.
Meaning: The wind rose is a vector symbol invented in the Middle Ages to help sailors. The compass rose or compass rose also symbolizes the four cardinal directions along with the intermediate directions. Thus, she shares the symbolic meaning of the circle, center, cross and rays of the solar wheel. In the 18th – 20th centuries, sailors got tattoos depicting a wind rose as a talisman. They believed that such a talisman would help them return home. Nowadays, the wind rose is perceived as a symbol of a guiding star.

8 spoke wheel

Date of origin: around 2000 BC
Where was it used?: Egypt, Middle East, Asia.
Meaning: The wheel is a symbol of the sun, a symbol of cosmic energy. In almost all pagan cults, the wheel was an attribute of the solar gods; it symbolized the life cycle, constant rebirth and renewal.
In modern Hinduism, the wheel signifies infinite perfect completion. In Buddhism, the wheel symbolizes the eightfold path of salvation, space, the wheel of samsara, the symmetry and perfection of dharma, the dynamics of peaceful change, time and fate.
There is also the concept of “wheel of fortune,” which means a series of ups and downs and the unpredictability of fate. In Germany in the Middle Ages, a wheel with 8 spokes was associated with Achtwen, a magical rune spell. In the time of Dante, the Wheel of Fortune was depicted with 8 spokes of the opposite sides of human life, periodically repeating: poverty-wealth, war-peace, obscurity-glory, patience-passion. The Wheel of Fortune is included in the Major Arcana of the Tarot, often along with the ascending and falling figures, like the wheel described by Boethius. The Wheel of Fortune Tarot card continues to depict these figures.

Ouroboros

Date of origin: The first images of the ouroboros date back to 4200 BC, but historians believe that the symbol itself arose much earlier.
Where was it used?: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Mesoamerica, Scandinavia, India, China.
Meaning: Ouroboros is a snake devouring its own tail, a symbol of eternity and infinity, as well as the cyclical nature of life, the alternation of life and death. This is exactly how ouroboros was perceived in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

In Christianity, the symbol changed its meaning, since in the Old Testament the snake symbolized evil. Thus, the ancient Jews established an equal sign between the ouroboros and the serpent from the Bible. In Gnosticism, the ouroboros represents both good and evil.

Hammer and sickle

Date of origin: in state heraldry - 1918.
Where was it used?: USSR and various communist parties of the world
Meaning: The hammer has been a craft emblem since the Middle Ages. In the second half of the 19th century, the hammer became a symbol of the European proletariat. In Russian heraldry, the sickle meant harvest and harvest, and was often used in the coats of arms of various cities. But since 1918, these two signs have been combined into one, acquiring a new meaning. The hammer and sickle became a symbol of the ruling working class, the union of workers and peasants.

The moment of creation of the symbol was described as follows by Sergei Gerasimov, the author of the famous painting “Mother of the Partisan”: “Evgeny Kamzolkin, standing next to me, thought about it, said: “What if we try such symbolism?” - At the same time, he began to walk on the canvas. - Draw a sickle like this - it will be the peasantry, and inside the hammer - it will be the working class.

The hammer and sickle was sent from Zamoskvorechye to the Mossovet on the same day, and there they rejected all other sketches: a hammer with an anvil, a plow with a sword, a scythe with a wrench. Then this symbol was transferred to the state emblem of the Soviet Union, and the artist’s name was forgotten on for many years. They remembered him only in the post-war period. Evgeny Kamzolkin lived a quiet life in Pushkino and did not claim royalties for such a highly-rated symbol.

Lily

Date of origin: The lily has been used in heraldry since 496 AD.
Where was it used?: European countries, especially France.
Meaning: According to legend, the king of the Franks, Clovis, was given a golden lily by an angel after he converted to Christianity. But lilies became an object of veneration much earlier. The Egyptians considered them a symbol of purity and innocence. In Germany they believed that the lily symbolizes afterlife and atonement for sins. In Europe, before the Renaissance, the lily was a sign of mercy, justice and compassion. She was considered a royal flower. Today the lily is an established sign in heraldry.
Recent research has shown that the fleur-de-lis, in its classic form, is actually a stylized image of the iris.

Crescent

Date of origin: approximately 3500 BC
Where was it used?: The crescent moon was an attribute of almost all lunar deities. It was widespread in Egypt, Greece, Sumer, India, and Byzantium. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Muslims, the crescent became strongly associated with Islam.
Meaning: In many religions, the crescent moon symbolizes constant rebirth and immortality. Christians revered the crescent moon as a sign of the Virgin Mary, and in Western Asia they believed that the crescent moon was a sign of cosmic forces. In Hinduism, the crescent moon was considered a symbol of control over the mind, and in Islam - divine protection, growth and rebirth. A crescent moon with a star meant heaven.

Double headed eagle

Date of origin: 4000-3000 BC
Where was it used?: Sumer, Hittite kingdom, Eurasia.
Meaning: In Sumer, the double-headed eagle had religious significance. He was a solar symbol - one of the images of the sun. From about the 13th century BC. e. double headed eagle was used different countries and principalities as a coat of arms. The double-headed eagle was minted on coins of the Golden Horde; in Byzantium it was a symbol of the Palaiologan dynasty, which ruled from 1261 to 1453. The double-headed eagle was depicted on the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire. To this day, this symbol is the central image of the coats of arms of many countries, including Russia.

Pentacle

Date of origin: The first images date back to 3500 BC.
Where was it used?: Since the ancient Sumerians, almost every civilization has used this sign
Meaning: The five-pointed star is considered a sign of protection. The Babylonians used it as a talisman against thieves, the Jews associated the five-pointed star with five wounds on the body of Christ, and the magicians medieval Europe The pentacle was known as the “seal of King Solomon.” The star is still actively used both in religion and in the symbolism of different countries.

Swastika

Date of origin: The first images date back to 8000 BC.
Where was it used?: In Eastern Europe, Western Siberia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and pre-Columbian America. Extremely rare among Egyptians. Among the ancient monuments of Phenicia, Arabia, Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Sumer, Australia, and Oceania, the swastika was not found.
Meaning: The word “swastika” can be translated from Sanskrit as a greeting and wish for good luck. The swastika, as a symbol, has a great many meanings, but the most ancient of them are movement, life, Sun, light, prosperity.
Due to the fact that the swastika was used in Nazi Germany, this symbol began to be strongly associated with Nazism, despite the original symbol of the sign.

All Seeing Eye

Date of origin: 1510-1515 AD, but in pagan religions a symbol similar to the all-seeing eye appeared much earlier.

Where was it used?: Europe, Asia, Oceania, Ancient Egypt.
Meaning: The all-seeing eye is the sign of an all-seeing and all-knowing god who watches over humanity. In Ancient Egypt, the analogue of the All-Seeing Eye was Wadjet (the eye of Horus or the eye of Ra), which symbolized various aspects of the divine structure of the world. The all-seeing eye, inscribed in a triangle, was a symbol of Freemasonry. Freemasons revered the number three as a symbol of the trinity, and the eye located in the center of the triangle symbolized the hidden truth.

Cross

Date of origin: approximately 4000 BC

Where was it used?: Egypt, Babylon, India, Syria, Persia, Egypt, North and South America. After the birth of Christianity, the cross spread throughout the world.

Meaning: In Ancient Egypt, the cross was considered a divine sign and symbolized life. In Assyria, a cross enclosed in a ring was a symbol of the Sun God. Residents of South America believed that the cross drove away evil spirits.

Since the 4th century, Christians adopted the cross, and its meaning has changed somewhat. In the modern world, the cross is associated with death and resurrection, as well as with salvation and eternal life.

Anarchy

The combination “A in a circle” was used back in the 16th century by European alchemists under the influence of Kabbalistic magic as the first letters of the words: “Alpha and Omega,” the beginning and the end.

In modern tradition, it was first used in the Spanish section of the 1st International as a designation catchphrase the famous anarchist J. Proudhon “Anarchy is the mother of order” in capital letters “l’anarchie” and “l’ordre”.

Pacific

The famous symbol was developed in 1958 in Britain at the height of the movement against nuclear war as a combination of the semaphore symbols "N" and "D" (the first letters of the phrase "nuclear disarmament" - nuclear disarmament). Later it began to be used as a symbol of universal reconciliation and unity of mankind.

Card suits

In the classical (and most modern) French deck, the suit symbols were four signs - hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs, in the form in which they were widely used.

The oldest European deck, the Italian-Spanish one, passed down directly from the Arabs, depicted coins instead of diamonds, a sword instead of a pike, a cup instead of a red heart, and a club instead of a clover.

TO modern look suit signs came through gradual euphemization. Thus, tambourines designated money as metal rattles (tambourines used to be diamond-shaped), clover was previously an acorn, the shape of a spade resembled leaves, which was reflected in the German deck, and the cup underwent a complex evolution from the image of a rose to a heart. Each suit symbolized the feudal classes: merchants, peasants, knights and clergy, respectively.

16.Anchor

Appearance time: first centuries AD.

Where was it used?: Everyone knows the anchor symbol as a maritime emblem. However, in the first centuries of the new era, the anchor was closely associated with Christianity. For the early Christians, who saw in it the hidden form of a cross, the anchor personified the hope of salvation and caution, safety and strength.

In Christian iconography, the anchor, as an emblem of security, is the main attribute of St. Nicholas of Myra - patron saint of sailors. A different meaning should be attributed to the anchor of the semi-legendary Pope Clement (88?-97?). According to church tradition, during the period of persecution of Christians, the pagans hung an anchor around the pope's neck and drowned him in the sea. However, the sea waves soon parted, revealing the temple of God at the bottom. The body of the holy champion of the faith was allegedly discovered in this mythical underwater temple.
Values: There are several meanings for an anchor. The anchor is a sacred object to which sacrifices were made, because it was often the only salvation of sailors. On the coins of Greece, Syria, Carthage, Phenicia and Rome, the anchor was most often depicted as a symbol of hope.

In the art of Ancient Rome, the anchor symbolized the joy of returning home after a long journey. On the graves of the 1st century, the image of an anchor was associated with the image of the church as a ship that carries souls across the stormy sea of ​​life.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, compared hope to a safe and strong anchor. The Greek word "ankura" (anchor) was associated with the Latin expression "en kurio", that is, "in the Lord."
IN fine arts The Renaissance anchor also signifies the attribute of hope. Particularly popular in Renaissance painting was the allegorical emblem, which depicts a dolphin with an anchor. The dolphin symbolized speed, and the anchor symbolized restraint. At the bottom of the emblem there was an inscription: “hurry slowly”

Olympic rings

Appearance time: The Olympic emblem was first introduced in 1920 at the Eighth Summer Olympics in Antwerp.
Where is it used?: One of the most recognizable symbols in the whole world consists of five rings; the uniqueness of the emblem lies in the simplicity of its execution. The rings are arranged in a W-shape and the colors are arranged in strict order: blue, black, red, yellow and green.
What were the meanings: There are several theories about the origin and interpretation of the Olympic Games emblem. The first and main version says that the Olympic rings symbolically depict the unity of the five continents, which was invented by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1913.

Before 1951, it was believed that each color corresponded to a different continent. Europe was designated in blue, Africa in black, America in red, Asia in yellow, and Australia in green, but in 1951 they decided to move away from this distribution of colors in order to move away from racial discrimination.

Another version says that the idea of ​​five different colored rings was taken from Carl Jung. During his fascination with Chinese philosophy, he combined the circle (a symbol of greatness and vital energy) with five colors reflecting the types of energies (water, wood, fire, earth and metal).

In 1912, the psychologist introduced a new image of Olympic competitions, because in his opinion, each participant in the Olympic Games had to master each of the five sports - swimming (water - blue), fencing (fire - red), cross-country running (land - yellow), equestrian (wood - green) and shooting (metal - black)
The five rings emblem hides a deep meaning that reveals the essence of the sport. It contains the idea of ​​popularizing the Olympic movement, equality of rights for each participating country, fair treatment of athletes, and healthy competition.

Compass and Square

Appearance time: Henry Wilson Coyle in the Masonic Encyclopedia states that the Compass and Square in an interlaced form appeared on the seal of the Aberdeen Lodge in 1762.
Where is it used?: Using a compass and square, you can draw a circle inscribed in a square, and this is a reference to Euclid's seventh problem, squaring the circle. But you should not assume that the Compass and Square necessarily refer you to a mathematical problem; rather, they symbolize a person’s desire to achieve harmony between spiritual and physical nature.
Values: In this emblem, the Compass represents the firmament and the Square represents the Earth. The sky is symbolically associated with the place where the Great Builder of the Universe draws his plan, and the Earth is the place where man carries out his work. The Compass combined with the Square is one of the most common symbols of Freemasonry.

Values: The name “dollar” has more than just a meaning. Its name contains the word... “Joachimsthaler,” a 17th-century coin that was minted in the Czech city of Joachimsthal. For convenience, the name of the currency was shortened to “thaler”. In Denmark, due to the peculiarities of the language, the name of the coin was pronounced as “daler”, and in Great Britain it was transformed from the more familiar “dollar”.

If everything is clear with the name, then the origin of the $ icon still remains a mystery. The following version is considered to be the most similar to the truth: the Spanish abbreviation “P"s”, which once denoted the currency of Spain, the peso. The letter P is supposedly left with a vertical line, this made it possible to increase the recording speed, and the letter S remained unchanged. There is also a conspiracy theory, according to which two features are the Pillars of Hercules.

Mars and Venus

Appearance time: The famous sign of Mars ♂ and Venus ♀, borrowed from astrology, was introduced into use by the botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1751 to indicate the sex of plants. From now on, these two symbols are called gender symbols.
Where is it used?: The Venus symbol ♀ denotes the feminine principle and is used to denote a woman, the female gender. Accordingly, the symbol of Mars ♂ represents the masculine principle.
What are the meanings: The first symbols of Mars and Venus appeared in antiquity. The female sign of Venus is depicted as a circle with a cross pointing downwards. Called the “Mirror of Venus,” this sign symbolizes femininity, beauty and love. The male sign of Mars is depicted as a circle with an arrow pointing upward and to the right. Mars means the power of the god of war, this symbol is also called the “shield and spear of Mars.” The combined symbols of Venus and Mars mean heterosexuality, love between representatives of different sexes.

A symbol that has a certain meaning today did not necessarily have the same meaning in the past. Many symbols have existed over the centuries, and their meaning has changed under the influence of all sorts of events. Others simply disappeared into obscurity until they were returned with a completely different meaning. In this article I will tell you about those popular symbols that have partially lost their meaning today. Star of David

The Star of David is the most identifiable symbol of Judaism. However, unlike elements such as the menorah or shofar, the star is not truly Jewish. Before becoming a Jewish symbol, it featured in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. At the same time, Hinduism has used the star for the longest time. For Hindus, it represents anahata, the fourth major chakra, the energy point of the body. It is not known whether these symbols share a common origin or were intended different people independently of each other. This is a simple hexagram - a figure where equilateral triangles are connected to form a six-pointed star with a hexagon in the middle. Even though the use of the Star of David Jewish people dates back centuries, it was not officially adopted as a symbol until 1897. In general, symbolism is ubiquitous in our lives, and it essentially makes our lives easier. Transferring information using symbols rather than text is faster. This applies to all kinds of signs in the world around us: at work, on the street, in entertainment. Each game has its own symbols, knowing the page address, you can go to the site and see for yourself. The logos and symbols of the Minecraft game are recognizable all over the world. The game has become incredibly popular due to its unique graphic style and the freedom of action provided to players. Ichthys
Most people recognize ichthys by a different name. The “Jesus Fish” is a common and quite powerful Christian symbol. You can often see it in the form of bumper stickers, which is quite correct from a historical point of view. During the times when Christians were persecuted by the Romans, they often used ichthys as a secret symbol to identify each other. Supposedly, when two strangers met for the first time, one of them drew the first arc of the symbol. Another man, being a Christian, knew that he needed to draw a second one. However, various pagan cultures have been using the symbol since before Christianity even existed. It has had many different meanings, most associated with abundance. The symbol belonged to the “Great Mother”, and according to some, symbolized her womb. For Christianity, ichthys virtually disappeared from general use, but then became popular again thanks to parodies such as the “Darwin fish”, which has legs. St. Peter's Cross
The cross of St. Peter, or the inverted cross, is probably the most powerful anti-Christian symbol in the world. However, previously he was one of the most powerful pro-Christian symbols in the world. When Peter was executed, he felt that he was not worthy to die in the same way as Jesus Christ. He asked to be tortured upside down. After this, the inverted cross became a symbol of humility. You can still find an inverted cross on various churches, and this does not imply that the people there worship Satan. The inverted cross has only recently come to be used as an anti-Christian symbol. The symbol was featured in horror films such as The Conjurer, The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, and was also used in the punk and heavy metal movements, where it signified anti-authoritarianism. Skull and Bones symbol
This symbol has two known meanings that most of us know today. First, the modern meaning: poison. The symbol is placed on chemicals and other harmful substances. That way people know not to drink it. The other symbol is historical and refers to pirates. The Jolly Roger, the flag of pirates, is usually depicted with a skull and crossbones on it. This is despite the fact that most pirates actually had their own personal version of the symbol. However, the Spaniards had previously used the symbol to mark cemeteries. Today you can still find old churches with a skull and crossbones on them. In fact, pirates adopted the skull and crossbones precisely because of its association with cemeteries. Barber pole
The traditional barber pole design is a spiral of red and white stripes. The red stripe symbolizes blood. Throughout history, barbers have done much more than just cut hair and shave. Many were also surgeons, and their number one procedure was bloodletting. People thought that they could free themselves from the disease by bleeding, and this technique was very crude and not sterile at that time. Hairdressers absorbed the blood with clean bandages or towels. Later, they often hung these bandages outside for advertising purposes. If it was windy outside, the bandages were wrapped around the post, and this is where this symbol came from. "Ok" symbol
For many, the above symbol-gesture means “ok”, or “I’m fine”, or “I agree”. However, you should avoid using this gesture abroad because in some countries it is not viewed so favorably. In most countries the symbol will not mean anything at all, but in some European countries the gesture is offensive. Thus, there can be a hint that the person at whom it is directed is a “zero”. Things are even worse in several Mediterranean and South American countries, where it is a symbol of the anus. Despite this, the gesture does have ancient positive connotations. This is a mudra - a ritual gesture in Buddhism and Hinduism. The sign symbolizes learning and many Buddhist artifacts depict the Buddha with this gesture. Gesture Goat
Nowadays, a goat, or devil's horns, is the main gesture at any heavy metal concert. That's how he was for many decades. Ronnie James Dio popularized the use of goats in his concerts. You will be surprised to know that such a gesture dates back centuries and is not at all satanic. This is actually a superstitious gesture, originally called “corna”. Ronnie learned the true meaning of the symbol from his grandmother. Like the Ok symbol, the devil's horns represent the ancient mudra - a gesture that warded off evil. But in some countries it has a vulgar meaning. If you travel to the Baltic countries and point a goat at someone, then you are conveying to the recipient your not entirely flattering attitude. Caduceus
The Caduceus is often used by healthcare organizations or medical professionals. It is depicted as a staff with wings and two snakes wrapped around it. However, every time you see a caduceus, you are looking at a mistake. The staff of Hermes is confused in medical contexts with the rod of Asclepius, without wings and with only one coiled snake. Asclepius was the ancient Greek god of medicine and healing, so it makes sense to use his symbol for healthcare. Symbol of Peace
Most of us strongly associate this symbol with the counterculture and hippie movement of the 1960s. Unlike the other symbols on this list, the peace symbol does not have ancient origins. Gerald Holtom created it for a single purpose, now forgotten. He wanted to convey the message of British nuclear disarmament to the world. According to Haltom himself, the drawing represents the man himself in despair, frightened by the nuclear race and the threat of the collapse of the world. Later, he stylized the symbol using several lines and drew a circle around it. For decades, the symbol remained popular because Holtom never copyrighted it. The symbol became a special way to symbolize freedom, and eventually it came to mean peace. There have been attempts to link the symbol to older and darker origins, such as Satanic broken crosses or Nazi insignia, but any similarities here are truly coincidental.

Continuation of the first part: Occult and mystical symbols and their meaning. Geometric symbols, Universal symbols-images and symbols-concepts. Emblems modern religions. Crosses: the most common forms. Images of time. Symbolism of the plant and animal kingdom. Mythical creatures.

Encyclopedia of symbols

Swastika straight (left-handed)

Swastika as a solar symbol

A straight (left-sided) swastika is a cross with the ends curved to the left. Rotation is considered to occur clockwise (opinions sometimes differ in determining the direction of movement).

The straight swastika is a symbol of blessing, good omen, prosperity, good luck and aversion to misfortune, as well as a symbol of fertility, longevity, health and life. It is also a symbol of masculinity, spirituality, inhibiting the flow of lower (physical) forces and allowing the energies of a higher, divine nature to manifest.

Reverse swastika (right-handed)

Swastika on a Nazi war medal

The reverse (right-handed) swastika is a cross with the ends bent to the right. Rotation is considered to occur counterclockwise.

The reverse swastika is usually associated with the feminine principle. Sometimes it is associated with the launch of negative (physical) energies that block the passage to sublime powers of the spirit.

The Sumerian swastika, formed by four women and their hair, symbolizes the female generative force

Pentagram (pentacle): general meaning of the symbol

Pentagram sign

The pentagram, written in one line, is the most ancient of all the symbols that we possess. It had different interpretations in different historical times of mankind. It became the Sumerian and Egyptian star sign.

Later symbolism: five senses; masculine and feminine principles expressed by five points; harmony, health and mystical powers. The pentagram is also a symbol of the victory of the spiritual over the material, a symbol of security, protection, and a safe return home.

Pentagram as a magical symbol

Pentagrams of the White and Black Magicians

The pentacle, with one end up and two down, is a sign of white magic known as the "foot of the druid"; with one end down and two up, it represents the so-called “goat’s hoof” and the horns of the devil - a characteristic change in symbolism from a positive to a negative sign when it is turned over.

The White Magician's Pentagram is a symbol of magical influence and the dominance of disciplined Will over the phenomena of the world. The will of the Black Magician is directed towards destruction, towards refusal to perform a spiritual task, therefore the inverted pentagram is seen as a symbol of evil.

Pentagram as a symbol of a perfect person

Pentagram symbolizing the perfect man

The pentagram, a five-pointed star, is a symbol of a perfect man standing on two legs with his arms spread apart. We can say that man is a living pentagram. This is true both physically and spiritually– a person possesses and demonstrates five virtues: love, wisdom, truth, justice and kindness.

Truth belongs to the spirit, love to the soul, wisdom to the intellect, kindness to the heart, justice to the will.

Double pentagram

Double Pentagram (Man and the Universe)

There is also a correspondence between the human body and the five elements (earth, water, air, fire and ether): will corresponds to earth, heart to water, intellect to air, soul to fire, spirit to ether. Thus, by his will, intellect, heart, soul, spirit, man is connected with the five elements working in the cosmos, and he can consciously work in harmony with them. This is precisely the meaning of the symbol of the double pentagram, in which the small one is inscribed in the large one: man (microcosm) lives and acts within the Universe (macrocosm).

Hexagram

Hexagram image

A hexagram is a figure composed of two polar triangles, a six-pointed star. It is a complex and seamless symmetrical shape in which six small individual triangles are grouped around a large central hexagon. The result is a star, although the original triangles retain their individuality. Since the upward-facing triangle is a heavenly symbol, and the downward-facing triangle is an earthly symbol, together they are a symbol of a person who unites these two worlds. It is a symbol of a perfect marriage that binds a man and a woman.

Seal of Solomon

Seal of Solomon, or Star of David

This is the famous magical seal of Solomon, or the Star of David. The upper triangle in her image is white, and the lower one is black. It symbolizes, first of all, the absolute law of analogy, expressed by the mystical formula: “What is below is similar to what is above.”

The Seal of Solomon is also a symbol of human evolution: one must learn not only to take, but also to give, absorb and radiate at the same time, radiate for the Earth, perceive from Heaven. We receive and are fulfilled only when we give to others. This is the perfect union of spirit and matter in man - the union of the solar plexus and the brain.

Five pointed star

Five pointed star

Star of Bethlehem

The five-pointed star has been interpreted in different ways, including symbolizing joy and happiness. It is also the emblem of the Semitic goddess Ishtar in her warlike incarnation, and in addition, the Star of Bethlehem. For Freemasons, the five-pointed star symbolizes the mystical center.

The Egyptians attached great importance to five- and six-pointed stars, as is clear from the text preserved on the wall of the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut.

Seven pointed star

Seven-pointed star of magicians

The seven-pointed star repeats the characteristic features of the five-pointed one. The Gnostic star has seven rays.

Seven- and nine-pointed stars, drawn with one line, are mystical stars in astrology and magic.

The Star of Magi can be read in two ways: sequentially along the course of the rays (along the line of the star) and along the circumference. Along the course of the rays are the planets that control the days of the week: Sun - Sunday, Moon - Monday, Mars - Tuesday, Mercury - Wednesday, Jupiter - Thursday, Venus - Friday, Saturn - Saturday.

Nine-pointed star

Nine-pointed star of magicians

Nine-pointed stars, like seven-pointed ones, if they are drawn with one line, are mystical stars in astrology and magic.

The nine-pointed star, composed of three triangles, symbolizes the Holy Spirit.

Monad

Four components of the monad

This is a magical symbol called the monad by John Dee (1527–1608), advisor and astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Dee presents the nature of magical symbols in terms of geometry and tests the monad in a number of theorems.

Dee explores the monad at such a deep level that he finds connections between his theory and Pythagorean harmony, biblical knowledge and mathematical proportions.

Spiral

Spiral structure of the Milky Way

Spiral shapes are found very often in nature, ranging from spiral galaxies and to whirlpools and tornadoes, from mollusk shells to drawings on human fingers, and even the DNA molecule has the shape of a double helix.

The spiral is a very complex and multi-valued symbol. But first of all, it is a symbol of the great creative (vital) force both at the cosmic level and at the microcosm level. The spiral is a symbol of time, cyclical rhythms, the change of seasons, birth and death, the phases of “aging” and “growth” of the Moon, as well as the Sun itself.

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life in the Human Being

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life does not belong to any culture - not even the Egyptians. It transcends races and religions. This image is an integral part of nature... Man himself is a miniature Tree of Life. He possessed immortality when connected to this tree. The Tree of Life can be thought of as the arteries of a large cosmic body. Through these arteries, as if through channels, flow the life-giving forces of the cosmos, which feed all forms of existence, and the cosmic pulse of life beats in them. The Tree of Life is a separate section, part of the scheme of the universal code of life.

Sphere

Armillary sphere (engraving from the book by Tycho Brahe)

A symbol of fertility (like the circle), as well as integrity. In Ancient Greece, the sign of the sphere was a cross in a circle - an ancient emblem of power. A sphere composed of several metal rings, illustrating the cosmogonic theory of Ptolemy, who believed that the Earth was at the center of the Universe, is an ancient emblem of astronomy.

Platonic solids

Platonic solids inscribed in a sphere

The Platonic solids are five unique shapes. Long before Plato, Pythagoras used them, calling them ideal geometric bodies. Ancient alchemists and such great minds as Pythagoras believed that these bodies were associated with certain elements: cube (A) - earth, tetrahedron (B) - fire, octahedron (C) - air, icosahedron (D) - water, dodecahedron ( E) is ether, and the sphere is emptiness. These six elements are the building blocks of the universe. They create the qualities of the Universe.

Planet symbols

Planet symbols

Planets are represented by a combination of simple geometric symbols. This is a circle, a cross, an arc.

Consider, for example, the symbol of Venus. The circle is located above the cross, which personifies a certain “spiritual attraction” that pulls the cross upward into the elevated areas belonging to the circle. The cross, subject to the laws of generation, decay and death, will find its redemption if it is raised within this great circle of spirituality. The symbol as a whole represents the feminine principle in the world, which is trying to spiritualize and protect the material sphere.

Pyramid

Great Pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin

The pyramid is a symbol of the hierarchy that exists in the Universe. In any area, the pyramid symbol can help to move from the lower plane of multiplicity and fragmentation to the higher plane of unity.

It is believed that the initiates chose the pyramid shape for their sanctuaries because they wanted the converging lines towards the Sun to teach humanity a lesson in unity.

Star tetrahedron

Star tetrahedron

A star tetrahedron is a figure consisting of two intersecting tetrahedra. This figure can also be perceived as a three-dimensional Star of David.

Tetrahedra appear as two opposing laws: the law of spirit (radiation, bestowal, selflessness, selflessness) and the law of matter (pulling in, cooling, freezing, paralysis). Only a person can consciously combine these two laws, since he is the connecting link between the world of spirit and the world of matter.

The star tetrahedron thus represents the two poles of creation in perfect balance.

Universal symbols-images

A thing is just not because God wants it, but God wants it precisely because it is just.

Image symbols are often objects (things) or graphic images that imitate the shape of the creature or object with which they are associated. Their meanings are sometimes unexpected, but more often they are obvious, since they are based on a certain quality that is inherent in these objects or creatures: a lion - courage, a rock - perseverance, etc.

Arch, arc

Sacrifice to an astral deity (from a 13th-century Arabian manuscript)

The arch (arc), first of all, is a symbol of the firmament, the god of Heaven. In initiation rites, passing through the arch signifies a new birth after completely abandoning one's old nature. In ancient Rome, an army passed through a triumphal arch after defeating an enemy.

The arch and bow are common elements in Islamic culture. Often mosques have arched entrances. It is believed that a person entering a mosque through an arched door will be protected by the symbolic powers of the spiritual (higher) sphere.

Ba-gua

Ba-gua and the Great Monad (charm against evil forces, China)

Ba-gua (in some sources pa-kua) are eight trigrams and pairs of opposites, usually arranged in a circle, symbolizing time and space.

Scales

Outweighing scales. The lung gives way. Heavy pulls

Libra symbolizes justice, impartiality, judgment, and assessment of a person’s merits and demerits. A symbol of the balance of all opposites and complementary factors. Attribute of Nemesis - the goddess of fate.

Disk

Solar winged disk (Egypt)

The disk is a multifaceted symbol: a symbol of creation, the center of the Void, the Sun, Heaven, deity, spiritual and heavenly perfection. The disk of the rising Sun is a symbol of renewal of life, life after death, resurrection. The disk of the Sun with the horned Moon or with horns means the union of solar and lunar deities, the unity of two in one.

The winged disk is a solar deity, the fire of Heaven, a combination of the solar disk and the wings of a falcon or eagle, the movement of the celestial sphere around its axis, transformation, immortality, the productive power of nature and its duality (protective and deadly aspects).

Rod, staff, scepter

Hooked staff and flail of Tutankhamun

The rod, staff and scepter are ancient emblems of supernatural power.

The wand is a symbol of transformation, associated with witchcraft and mysterious creatures. The staff is a symbol of male strength and power, often associated with the energy of trees, phallus, snake, hand (pointing finger). This is also an attribute of pilgrims and saints, but it can also mean knowledge, which is the only support of a person. The scepter is more ornate and is associated with higher deities and rulers, with spiritual power and at the same time compassionate wisdom.

Mirror

Fortune telling scene depicted on the back of a bronze mirror (Greece)

Symbolizes truth, self-realization, wisdom, mind, soul, the reflection of the supernatural and divine intelligence reflected in the Sun, Moon and stars, the clearly shining surface of divine truth.

It is believed that the mirror has magical properties and is the entrance to the looking-glass world. If a mirror is hung with its reflective surface facing down in a temple or over a tomb, it opens the way for the ascent of the soul. In magic, mirrors serve to develop the gaze.

Snake Ourobor (Oroboro, Ouroboros)

Snake biting its own tail

A ring-shaped figure depicting a snake biting its own tail is a symbol of eternity, indivisibility, cyclicality of time, alchemy. The symbolism of this figure has been interpreted in many ways, as it combines the creative symbolism of the egg (the space within the figure), the earthly symbolism of the snake, and the heavenly symbolism of the circle. In addition, a snake biting its tail is a symbol of the law of karma, the wheels of samsara are the wheels of Incarnation.

Caduceus

Caduceus

The caduceus (Greek - “staff of the messenger”) is often called the rod of Hermes (Mercury), the ancient god of wisdom. This is a “magic” wand with small wings, which is entwined with two snakes, intertwined so that the bodies of the snakes form two circles around the wand, symbolizing the fusion of two polarities: good - evil, right - left, light - darkness, etc., which corresponds to the nature of the created world.

The caduceus is worn by all messengers as a sign of peace and protection, and it is their main attribute.

Key

Saint Peter with the keys to the gates of heaven (detail of a stone image, Notre Dame, Paris, 12th century)

The key is a very powerful symbol. This is power, the power of choice, inspiration, freedom of action, knowledge, initiation. The crossed gold and silver keys are the emblem of papal power, the symbolic “keys to the Kingdom of Heaven” that Christ handed over to the Apostle Peter. Although keys can either lock or unlock doors, they are almost always symbols of access, liberation and (in rites of passage) initiation, the progression from one stage of life to the next. In Japan, the keys to the rice storage are a symbol of prosperity.

Wheel

Wheel of Law

Wheel of existence (samsara)

The wheel is a symbol of solar energy. The sun is the center, the spokes of the wheel are the rays. The wheel is an attribute of all solar gods and earthly rulers. It also symbolizes the life cycle, rebirth and renewal, nobility, variability and changes in the material world (the circle is the limit of the material world, and the center is the “immovable mover,” the cosmic source of light and power).

The spinning wheel is associated with the cycles of manifestation (birth, death and rebirth) and the destiny of man.

At an ordinary level, the wheel of Lady Luck (wheel of fortune) is a symbol of ups, downs and the unpredictability of fate.

Chariot

Antique hero on a chariot, symbolizing his readiness for battle

A dynamic symbol of power, power and speed of movement of gods, heroes or allegorical figures. The chariot is also a symbol of human essence: the charioteer (consciousness), using the reins (willpower and mind), controls the horses (vital forces) pulling the cart (body).

The chariot (in Hebrew - Merkabah) is also a symbol of the chain of descent from God through man into the world of phenomena and then the triumphant ascent of the spirit. The word “Merkaba” also means the human light body.

Cauldron, bowl

Ritual cauldron (China, 800 BC)

Carl Jung views the cup as a feminine symbol that receives and gives. On the other hand, the cup can be a symbol of a difficult fate (“bitter cup”). The so-called poisoned chalice promises hope but brings disaster.

The cauldron is a more powerful symbol and is often associated with ritual actions and magic, personifying transformative power. The cauldron is also a symbol of abundance, an inexhaustible source of life support, revitalizing forces, the reproductive forces of the earth, the rebirth of warriors for a new battle.

Blood

Detail of the painting “The Sixth Palace of the Underworld” by Fey Pomeranese: the last drops of blood flow out from a glass shaped like an ankh, a symbol of life

Ritual symbol of vitality. In many cultures, blood is believed to contain some of the divine energy or, more generally, the spirit of the individual.

Blood is red solar energy. Represents the principle of life, soul, strength, including rejuvenating. Drinking someone's blood means becoming related, but you can also absorb the power of an enemy and thereby protect him after death. Mixing of blood is a symbol of union in folk customs (for example, brotherhood by blood) or agreement between people, as well as between man and God.

Labyrinth

Plan of a medieval dance-labyrinth on the marble floor of the Cathedral in Chartres (France)

The labyrinth symbolizes the world, the Universe, incomprehensibility, movement, a complex problem, an enchanted place. This is a symbol of mystery, enigma, which has many different interpretations, often contradictory, sometimes frightening.

Images of a labyrinth on houses are considered an amulet for protection against hostile forces and evil spirits.

Burial sites, burial caves and labyrinthine burial mounds protect the dead and prevent them from returning.

Lotus

Vishnu and Lakshmi observing creation: Brahma grows from a lotus flower originating from Vishnu's navel

The amazing veneration of the lotus in various cultures is explained both by the extraordinary beauty of the flower and by the analogy between it and the idealized form of the vulva as the divine source of life. Therefore, the lotus, first of all, is a symbol of fertility, birth and rebirth. The lotus is the source of cosmic life, a symbol of the gods who created the world, as well as the sun gods. The lotus symbolizes the past, present and future, as each plant has buds, flowers and seeds at the same time. This is a symbol of a noble man who grew out of dirt, but is not stained by it.

Moon

Above – the waxing moon and the full moon; below – waning moon and new moon

The Moon is the ruler of the feminine principle. It symbolizes abundance, cyclical renewal, rebirth, immortality, occult power, variability, intuition and emotions. The ancients measured time by the cycles of the moon; determined the timing of the onset of high and low tides; predicted what the future harvest would be like.

Although the moon's symbolism is usually positive, in some cultures it is represented as an evil eye watching over events, associated with death and the ominous darkness of the night.

Magic circle

Doctor Johann Faustus and Mephistopheles (from Christopher Mardlowe's The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus, 1631)

The magic circle is the basis of ceremonial magic. It serves as a symbol of the will of the magician and at the same time a protective barrier that protects the magician from the negative influence of the invisible world. In such a circle all magical operations are performed. Different circles are used for different purposes. Drawing a circle is a certain magical ritual that must be performed according to all established rules. In addition, it is believed that drawing magic circles and inscriptions helps to develop self-control and gait.

Mandala

The circle and square of the mandala represent the spherical shape of Heaven and the rectangular shape of the Earth. Together they symbolize the order of things in space and in the human world

It is a geometric composition symbolizing spiritual, cosmic or psychic order. In Sanskrit, mandala means circle. Even when this geometric composition is based on squares or triangles, it still has a concentric structure. The overall meaning of the composition remains unchanged and symbolizes the guiding mind, supernatural structures, and the clarity of enlightenment.

Mandorla, or Vesica Piscis (surrounds the entire body of the persona)

Mandorla, or Vesica Piscis

An image of an almond-shaped halo (radiance) used in medieval Christian art to highlight the figure of Christ ascending into heaven, and sometimes ascending saints.

In mysticism, “almonds” (in Italian - mandorla) are a symbol of purity and chastity. The mandorla, due to its oval shape, was in ancient times a symbol of the vulva. It is also a graphic representation of a flame, a symbol of spirituality. On the other hand, it symbolizes the dualistic unity of Heaven and Earth, depicted as two intersecting arcs.

Halo

Buddha halo

A type of halo: a luminous circle surrounding a person's head. The golden halo symbolizes the holiness of the individual or confirms the fact that the person is communicating directly with a higher plane.

The image of the halo is borrowed from the magical symbolism of the Egyptians, as evidenced by images from the ancient Egyptian “Book of the Dead”.

Nimbus

The halos and halos surrounding the heads of the saints symbolize the Light of God emanating from them

A halo is a type of halo: a luminous ring around the head. It symbolizes spiritual power, as opposed to temporal power represented by the crown. Sometimes the halo is used as an attribute of the Phoenix bird as a symbol of solar power and immortality.

The halo can be blue, yellow or rainbow. In Greek mythology, a blue halo is an attribute of Zeus as the god of Heaven. The Romans had a blue halo - an attribute of Apollo and Jupiter. A triangular or diamond-shaped halo signifies God the Father.

Sword

Inlaid swords found by Schliemann in Mycenae (Athens, National Museum)

The sword is one of the most complex and most common symbols. On the one hand, the sword is a formidable weapon that brings life or death, on the other hand, it is an ancient and powerful force that arose simultaneously with the Cosmic Balance and was its opposite. The sword is also a powerful magical symbol, an emblem of witchcraft. In addition, the sword is a symbol of power, justice, supreme justice, all-pervading intelligence, insight, phallic strength, light. The sword of Damocles is a symbol of fate. A broken sword means defeat.

bird feather

Aztec feather headdress (drawing from the Codex Mendoza)

The bird feather symbolizes truth, lightness, Heaven, height, speed, space, soul, the element of wind and air, opposed to the principle of moisture, dryness, travel beyond the material world. In a broader sense, feathers worn by shamans, priests or rulers symbolized a magical connection with the spirit world or divine power and protection. Wearing feathers or feathered hairstyles means taking on the power of a bird. Two feathers symbolize light and air, two poles, resurrection. The white feather symbolizes clouds, sea foam and cowardice.

Horns

Depiction of a Persian king from the Sasanian period

Horns symbolize supernatural power, deity, soul force, or the life principle arising from the head. Horns are both a solar and lunar symbol. Being sharp and piercing, horns are a phallic and masculine symbol; being hollow, they signify femininity and receptivity. Horned gods symbolize warriors and fertility for both humans and animals. Horns with a long ribbon falling from them signify the god of the storm. In later times, horns became a symbol of shame, contempt, depravity and a deceived husband.

Hand

"Hand of Fatima" (Muslim carved pendant)

Power (worldly and spiritual), action, strength, dominance, protection - these are the main symbolism that reflects the important role of the hand in human life and the belief that it is capable of transmitting spiritual and physical energy.

The hands of kings, religious leaders and miracle workers are believed to have healing powers; hence the laying on of hands in religious blessing, confirmation and ordination. They bless with the right hand, and curse with the left. In Islam, the open palm of Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, symbolizes the five fundamentals: faith, prayer, pilgrimage, fasting, and mercy.

Sun

Variants of the image of the solar disk

The sun is one of the twelve symbols of power, the main symbol of creative energy.

As a source of heat, the Sun represents vitality, passion, courage and eternal youth. As a source of light, it symbolizes knowledge and intelligence. In most traditions, the Sun is a symbol of masculinity. The sun is also life, vitality, the embodied character of the individual, the heart and its aspirations. The Sun and Moon are gold and silver, king and queen, soul and body, etc.

Tetramorphs

Image of Christ with tetramorphs in the corners (from a manuscript of the 12th–13th centuries)

Tetramorphs are considered a synthesis of the forces of the four elements. In some cults, these are four-headed guards of the four cardinal directions. In many traditions, they symbolize the universality of divine protection and protection from the return of primary chaos.

The four biblical tetramorphs have the heads of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. Subsequently, in Christianity, these images began to be identified with the apostles - Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as with the incarnation of Jesus Christ, his resurrection and ascension.

Thyrsus

Thyrsus

Thyrsus is the staff of the Greek god of wine Dionysus (in Roman mythology Bacchus). It is a spear-shaped pole (originally made from a hollow dill stalk), topped pine cone or a bunch of grapes and entwined with vines or ivy. Symbolizes fertilizing, fertile power - both sexual and plant.

The cone is present on the thyrsus, probably because fermented pine resin was mixed with the wine drunk during bacchanalia - it was believed that this enhanced sexual sensations.

Ax (axe)

Great Mother with a double ax in her hands (the ax here is a phallic symbol)

The ax is a symbol of power, thunder, fertility, rain brought by the heavenly gods and stormy winds, correcting mistakes, making sacrifices, support, help. It is also a common symbol of sovereignty associated with the ancient sun gods.

The double ax (double-sided ax) signifies the sacred union of the god of Heaven and the goddess of Earth, thunder and lightning. Sometimes the blades of a double-sided ax, resembling crescents, symbolize the Moon or the unity of opposites. It is also a symbol of supreme power and strength.

Trident

The trident of Vishnu as a symbol of his triune essence: creator, preserver and destroyer (from a painting from Rajasthan, 18th century)

The trident is the most famous symbol of power over the sea and an attribute of the ancient Greek god Poseidon (in Roman mythology - Neptune).

The trident symbolizes thunder and lightning, three flames, triple weapons - the forces of sky, air and water. This is the weapon and attribute of all heavenly, thunder gods and storm goddesses, as well as all water gods, the strength and fertility of waters. Can symbolize the Heavenly Triad, as well as the past, present and future.

Trigrams

Eight trigrams underlying the Book of Changes

Trigrams are a triple combination of continuous (yang) and broken (yin) lines. There are eight of them, and they formed the basis of the great Chinese book of predictions, “The Book of Changes” (“I Ching”). Trigrams symbolize the Taoist doctrine that the cosmos is based on constant flows of complementary forces: male (active, yang) and female (passive, yin).

Trigrams also personify the three essences of a person - his body, soul and spirit; irrational emotions, rational mind and super-rational intelligence.

Triquetra (three-pointed swastika)

Triquetra

The Triquetra largely has the symbolism of the swastika. This is also the movement of the Sun: at sunrise, zenith and sunset. There have been suggestions about the connection of this symbol with the lunar phases and the renewal of life. Like the swastika, it is a symbol that brings good luck. He often appears with solar symbols; it can be seen on ancient coins, on Celtic crosses, where it is believed that this sign symbolizes the triad and is a symbol of the sea god Manannan. It also appears in Teutonic symbolism, where it is associated with Thor.

Triskelion

Triskelion

A symbol of dynamic energy in the form of three legs connected together. It is similar to a swastika, but with three rather than four bent arms, creating a cyclical effect. As a motif in Celtic art and on Greek coins and shields, the triskelion has less to do with the solar and lunar phases (one of the suggested meanings) and more to do with power and physical strength. In addition, the triskelion is a symbol of victory and progress.

Shamrock

Shamrock

Heraldic trefoil

The shamrock-clover symbolizes unification, balance, and also destruction. The oxalis trefoil, which the Arabs call shamrah, symbolizes the Persian triads. The trefoil is generally a symbol of triads, it is a Mystical Tree, a “sun wheel”. In Christianity, it is a symbol of the Trinity, as well as the emblem of St. Patrick and the coat of arms of Ireland.

To always be profitable, carry dried shamrock with you.

Trimurti

Trimurti - Indian Trinity (sketching of a very ancient image on granite, India House Museum)

The Holy Hindu Trinity is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Symbolizes the three cycles of existence: creation, preservation and destruction. Despite its similarities to the Christian Trinity, Trimurti is not a monotheistic concept of a "triune god".

Trimurti is sometimes depicted as a turtle. She also symbolizes the Great Mother - both in her terrible manifestation (with symbols of flame and skulls) and in her beneficial form (like Lotus, Sophia, Tara, like wisdom and compassion).

Trinity

The symbol of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - as One God

The Trinity differs from the triad in that it is a unity, a union of three in one and one in three. It is a symbol of unity in diversity.

In Christianity it is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The symbols of the Trinity are the hand (symbol of the Father), the lamb (symbol of the Son) and the dove (symbol of the Holy Spirit).

The Trinity is symbolized by yellow, red and green flowers; three qualities - Love, Faith and Hope.

Human

Symbolic representation of man as the Universe: a square in a circle (China)

The crown of all living things. A symbol of what is capable of improvement. Created in the image and likeness of God, it combines the material and the spiritual, the heavenly and the earthly. This is a microcosm, symbolically containing all the elements of the universe (macrocosm). The human body in the Pythagorean tradition is depicted as a pentagram consisting of arms, legs, and head. In man, three principles are united, which modern scientists call body, life and will. Symbolically, this can be represented by three points (beginnings) enclosed in a circle.

Universal symbols-concepts

The knowledge of ideas reveals in temporary phenomena their timeless eternal meaning.

Andrey Bely

Symbols-concepts are numbers or geometric figures that reflect ideas, feelings or abstract qualities of something directly related to the inner world of a person.

Duality of the world

Solomon's Double Triangle Diagram: God of Light and God of Reflection

The duality of the world - the interaction of two polarities behind the created universe (light and darkness, good and evil, etc.) - is reflected in many symbols. The most famous of them is the “yin-yang” symbol. Also interesting are the symbols presented by the famous occultist Eliphas Levi, such as the “Double Triangle of Solomon” diagram.

The main symbol used by people far from the occult to depict duality is the ordinary number two, although, nevertheless, it also has a magical nature.

Yin-yang (principle)

Yin-yang sign

The Chinese call the yin-yang symbol Tai Shi - the circle of existence. The circle is divided into two equal parts of an S-shaped curve: dark, feminine (yin), and light, masculine (yang). The circle seems to rotate, darkness gives way to light, and then light gives way to darkness. The Chinese claim that even in the purest light there is an element of darkness, and vice versa. Therefore, in the center of each part there is a small circle of the opposite color: black on a white background and white on a black background. This image symbolizes the balanced dynamism of opposing forces and principles in the cosmos.

Rays

Sun with zigzag rays (golden Inca mask)

It is a symbol of fertilizing power, holiness, spiritual enlightenment and creative energy, creative power. The rays can represent the hair of the sun god, a manifestation of the divine essence, or the radiance (halo) emanating from saints. In solar symbolism, the seventh ray is the main path to heaven.

Wisdom

Ancient Greek goddess of wisdom Athena (in Roman mythology Minerva) with a coiled snake at her feet

The main symbols of wisdom are the snake (diurnal, solar, but femininely flexible male sign) and the owl (a nocturnal, lunar, female sign that acts imperceptibly, silently, but with masculine decisiveness and speed). It is the combination in each of them of the most important properties of the masculine and feminine principles that very accurately corresponds to wisdom. Other symbols of wisdom: dragon, griffin, peacock, sphinx, unicorn, bird, bee, rat, lotus, heart, number seven, scepter, scroll, ring, etc.

“Out of many roses comes a drop of oil, out of many torments comes a drop of wisdom” (Persian saying).

axis mundi

Teth of Osiris

In the esoteric tradition, the symbols of the axis of the world, the World Tree, are a spear, a sword, a key and a scepter.

The Egyptians use Tat (or Teth) as a symbol of the world axis and the North Pole - the spine of Osiris, which, in addition, personifies stability, strength, immutability, preservation.

Light

Light coming from Buddha

Light is the first creation. It is associated with the beginning and the end. Light and darkness are two aspects of the Great Mother: life and love, death and burial, creation and destruction.

The light of the Sun represents spiritual knowledge, and the reflected light of the Moon represents rational, analytical knowledge.

Light is usually depicted as straight or wavy rays, the disk of the Sun or a halo. As a rule, a straight line represents light, and a wavy line represents heat. Light and heat symbolically complement each other and are the two poles of the element of Fire.

Death and Rebirth

Death and rebirth of human beings. Detail of symbolism on a gravestone in Dieste (Belgium)

This image in Christianity is expressed by ancient complex symbols. The above composition combines two “circle-cross” pairs, each pair personifying death and rebirth. The lower pair is represented by crossed bones and a rounded skull (symbol of death). From the lower circle (skull) grows a cross similar to the one on which Christ died - the cross of resurrection, rebirth. This entire allegory is inscribed in a larger circle - a sign that the death and rebirth of human beings are within the great spiritual sphere of the cosmos.

Consciousness (three aspects)

Symbols representing the three aspects of consciousness

Usually the three aspects of consciousness are depicted as three animals: one of them lives underground, another on the earth, and the third flies above the earth. An animal living underground represents a microcosm; that which flies in the air is the macrocosm; and the animal that walks on the Earth represents the middle stage between the first two - like us, for example. The most common symbols: in Egypt - cobra, right eye of Horus, hawk; in Peru - rattlesnake, puma and condor; among the American Indians - rattlesnake, mountain lion and eagle; in Tibet - snake, pig and rooster.

Dance

Dervish dance (the grace of God descends to the dancer through the raised hand, penetrates his body and spirit and, leaving him, connects with the earth through the lowered hand)

The main symbolism of the dance: cosmic creative energy, transformation of space into time, the rhythm of the universe, imitation of the divine “game” of creation, maintaining strength, emotions, activity.

Circle dances imitate the movement of the Sun in the sky. Chain dancing is a symbol of the connection between a man and a woman, Heaven and Earth. When a dance is performed around an object, it is thereby closed, enclosing it in a magic circle, protecting and giving strength.

Shadow

Priestly esotericism: the sign of Anathema (from the book Transcendental Magic by Eliphas Levi, 1896)

A symbol of the negative principle, as opposed to the positive solar one. Among some primitive tribes, the shadow symbolizes the human soul, the same in witchcraft and conspiracies. Falling into the shadow of another person is a bad omen.

The engraving below shows a human hand performing an act of blessing. A strong ray of light casts a shadow from the blessing hand on the wall, and this shadow is the image of the horned head of the Devil. The main idea of ​​the allegory is this: evil and good are intertwined, and darkness and light confront each other in a kind of moral duel.

Emblems of modern religions

It is difficult to find the Creator and Father of this universe, but even having found Him, it is impossible to express Him in a language understandable to everyone.

Nowadays, there are three world religions on the globe - Christianity, Islam (Muslim) and Buddhism. Each of them is accepted in many countries. They arose a long time ago: Christianity is 2000 years old, Islam is almost 1400 years old, and Buddhism is about 2500 years old.

There are other religions that, although not world ones, have also become widespread.

Christianity

Chalice and cross

One of the symbols of Christ's love is the combination of a cup and a cross. The cup, or goblet, in this case refers to the great suffering that Jesus endured, calling it “the cup.”

The image of the cup refers to Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Father! Oh, that You would deign to carry this cup past me! however, not my will, but Yours be done.”

The cross is depicted as pointed. Its sharp ends, like swords of sorrow and pain, pierce the suffering soul.

Islam

Star and crescent of Islam

The main emblem of the youngest world religion, Islam, founded by the prophet of Allah, Muhammad (570–632), is a crescent with a star inside. The emblem denotes divine protection, growth, rebirth and, together with the star, paradise. The star is a traditional symbol of independence and divinity. The crescent moon is one of the true forces capable of resisting evil, a powerful talisman.

The crescent in Islamic countries replaces the cross in Red Cross organizations.

Buddhism

Maitreya

In Buddhism, Maitreya is the name of the Buddha of the coming world order. He is the only Bodhisattva (“whose essence has become mind”) recognized by all major schools of Buddhism. The essence of a Bodhisattva is the act of sacrifice: giving up the bliss of nirvana to help humanity within the limits allowed by karmic limitations.

Maitreya is depicted sitting on the throne in a “European pose” (with his legs down), indicating the haste of his arrival; it is golden in color. Next to Maitreya it is customary to depict a wheel of dharma, a stupa and a vase.

Judaism

Mogendovid, or Shield of David

Judaism is the oldest of the monotheistic world religions (it arose in the 1st millennium BC in Palestine 4000 years ago). The basic principles of Judaism were later incorporated into Christianity and Islam.

The symbol of Judaism is the Mogendovid, or Shield of David. Most often associated with the six-pointed Star of David. A less common name is the Creator's Star; each end of the star symbolizes one of the six days of creation, and the central hexagon symbolizes the Sabbath (holy day of rest).

Zoroastrianism

Ahura-Mazda

Zoroastrianism is an ancient spiritual tradition, founded approximately 2500 years ago by the prophet Zoroaster, and now, unfortunately, consigned to oblivion. Supreme God- Ahura Mazda. The sacred canon is the Avesta (“law”).

Zoroastrianism is based on the doctrine of the justice of the world order and the triumph of justice in the world struggle between good and evil, in which the free choice of man and his active participation play a decisive role. Zoroastrian morality contains an ethical triad: good thought, good word, good deed.

Hinduism

One of the Trimurti symbols

Hinduism combines elements of different faiths that go back centuries. Sacred books - Vedas (Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda). The three main gods make up the Trimurti (triad): Brahma is the creator of the world, Vishnu is the preserver of the world and Shiva is the destroyer. Their images symbolize the fundamental processes of change in nature (prakriti).

The basis of Hinduism is the doctrine of reincarnation of souls (samsara), which occurs in accordance with the law of retribution (karma) for virtuous or bad behavior.

Confucianism

The symbol of Confucianism is the figure of the “Highest Saint” himself.

Confucianism and Taoism are the most famous of the philosophical movements that existed in China even before its unification (221 BC). Gradually intertwining with the traditions of Buddhists and Taoists, the teachings of Confucius acquired a religious overtones. According to Confucius, one must live in such a way that human behavior reflects the laws of the Universe, which exists according to a certain order. “The master teaches his students four disciplines: culture, behavior, loyalty and faith” (book “Lun Yu”, 7.25).

Taoism

Tai Chi (yin-yang circle)

Taoism is literally the “School of Tao.” (Tao means “way”). It is an integral part of the philosophical and religious triad (Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism). The Chinese put all three teachings into practice depending on their life situation. In his personal life, a Chinese professes Taoism, but when it comes to social norms of behavior, he becomes a Confucian, and when faced with troubles and adversities in life, he turns to Mahayana Buddhism.

Graphically, the concept of Taoism is expressed by Tai Chi (in some sources - Tai Shi) - a symbol of a single limit.

Shintoism (Shinto)

Horin-rimbo - wheel of law (Japan)

Shinto is the Japanese national religion, its name comes from the Chinese word “sheng-dao” (“sacred path” or “way of the gods”). Shintoism is based on the cult of nature deities and ancestors. The highest deities are Amaterasu (the Sun Goddess) and her descendant Jimmu. Jimmu is the first emperor of Japan, the mythical ancestor of the Japanese emperors. The day is February 11, when, according to myths, in 660 BC. e. Jimmu ascended the throne, is considered the day the empire was founded and is celebrated as a holiday.

Crosses: the most common forms

The cross is a cosmic symbol that should be studied and treated with the utmost respect.

"The Science of Initiation"

The common symbol of humanity is the cross. It can be found in the most ancient religions, in the most ancient civilizations: in Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, etc. Who invented the cross? Nobody - because he exists in nature. This is an ancient universal symbol and, above all, a symbol of the connection between the micro- and macrocosm, spirit and matter in their connection. The cross symbolizes the involvement of the spirit (vertical line) in time (horizontal line).

The shapes of the cross are varied. They differ in the number of crossbars, the number of ends of the cross, and proportions.

Greek cross

Greek cross

The cross has the simplest form: square, with ends of equal length, the horizontal crossbar is located in the middle of the vertical one. Cross of St. George. This sign, also called the crux quadrata, has been used since prehistoric times in a variety of meanings - as a symbol of the sun god, the rain god, and the elements from which the world is created: air, earth, fire and water. In early Christianity, the Greek cross symbolized Christ. It is also a symbol of secular, earthly power, but received from God. Used in medieval heraldry.

Hammer cross

Hammer cross

The hammer cross is a type of Greek cross. One of the main heraldic crosses, named so from the French potenee - “support”, since its shape is similar to the supports used in antiquity.

Latin cross

Latin cross

Another name for the Latin cross is the long cross. Its horizontal crossbar is located above the middle of the vertical crossbar. It is the most common Christian symbol in Western world. It is believed that it was from such a cross that Christ was taken down, hence its other names: the cross of the Crucifixion, the cross of the West, the cross of Life, the cross of Suffering. This form, so similar to a man with outstretched arms, symbolized God in Greece and China long before the advent of Christianity. For the Egyptians, a cross rising from the heart symbolized kindness.

Saint Peter's Cross

Saint Peter's Cross

The cross of St. Peter is an inverted Latin cross. Since the 4th century it has been one of the symbols of St. Peter, who is believed to have been crucified head down on an inverted cross in 65 AD. e. during the reign of Emperor Nero in Rome.

An inverted Latin cross, that is, the cross of St. Peter, with pointed ends, is the emblem of the Templar Order.

St. Andrew's cross (oblique cross)

St. Andrew's cross (oblique cross)

It is also called diagonal or oblique. On such a cross I accepted martyrdom Apostle Saint Andrew. The Romans used this symbol to mark a border beyond which passage was prohibited. The oblique cross also symbolizes perfection, the number 10. In heraldry, this cross is called the saltire.

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Russia, and when Peter the Great created the Russian navy (in the 1690s), he adopted a blue oblique cross on a white background for the navy's flag.

Tau Cross (St. Anthony's Cross)

Tau cross

Saint Anthony's Cross

The Tau Cross is so named because of its resemblance to the Greek letter "T" (tau). It symbolizes life, the key to sovereignty, the phallus. In Ancient Egypt it was a sign of fertility and life. In biblical times, it was a symbol of protection. The Scandinavians have Thor's hammer. In Christian churches - the cross of St. Anthony (founder of Christian monasticism, 4th century). From the beginning of the 13th century - the emblem of Francis of Assisi. In heraldry this is the Almighty Cross. Also known as the "gibbet cross" because of its resemblance to a gallows, as it was made in ancient times.

Ankh (Egyptian cross)

Ankh - the key to the gates of death

The Ankh is the most significant symbol among the ancient Egyptians, also known as the “handled cross.” This cross combines two symbols: a circle (as a symbol of eternity) and a tau cross suspended from it (as a symbol of life); together they mean immortality, eternal life. The Ankh also represents “the life that will come,” “the time that will come,” hidden wisdom, the key to the secrets of life and knowledge, and the key that opens the gates of death. Perhaps it symbolizes the Tree of Life, as well as the sun rising above the horizon.

Maltese cross

Maltese cross

The Maltese cross is also called eight-pointed. It symbolizes the four great gods of Assyria: Ra, Anu, Belus and Hea. Emblem of the Knights of the Order of Malta. The white cross of this form on a black background was from the very beginning the emblem of the military and religious order of the Hospitallers (Johannites), who moved their headquarters to Malta (in 1529) - hence the name.

In philately, the Maltese cross was the first postmark, which was used to cancel postal items from 1840 to 1844.

Patriarchal cross

Patriarchal cross

The Patriarchal Cross is used by archbishops and cardinals. It is also called the Catholic cardinal's cross and the double-bar cross. The top crossbar represents a titulus (a board for writing a name), introduced by order of Pontius Pilate. Called the archbishop's cross, it is often found on the coats of arms of archbishops.

This cross is widespread in Greece and is sometimes called the Angevin or Lorraine cross. It is sometimes mistakenly called the Cross of Lorran.

Papal cross

Papal cross

The papal cross with three horizontal bars is also known as the triple cross. Used in processions in which the pope participates. The three crossed lines symbolize power and the Tree of Life.

Russian cross

Russian cross (cross of St. Lazarus)

This eight-pointed cross is the cross of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is also called the Eastern cross or the cross of St. Lazarus. Symbol of the Orthodox Church in the Eastern Mediterranean, eastern Europe and Russia.

The upper of the three crossbars is the titulus, where the name was written, as in the patriarchal cross, the lower crossbar is beveled.

Cross of Constantine (Chi-Rho sign)

Cross of Constantine

Magic seal with the symbol "Chi-Rho" (Agrippa, 1533)

The Cross of Constantine is a monogram known as "Chi-Rho" ("chi" and "rho" are the first two letters of the name of Christ in Greek). Legend has it that Emperor Constantine saw this cross in the sky on his way to Rome, and along with the cross he saw the inscription “By this victory.” According to another legend, he saw a cross in a dream the night before the battle and heard a voice: “With this sign you will win”). They say that it was this prediction that converted Constantine to Christianity. And the monogram became the first generally accepted symbol of Christianity - as a sign of victory and salvation.

Rosicrucian cross

Cross with rose (Rosicrucian)

Another name is the cross of a rose (five-petalled). Emblem of the Rosicrucian Order. Symbol of harmony, center, heart. The rose and cross also symbolize the Resurrection and Atonement of Christ. This sign is understood as the divine light of the Universe (rose) and the earthly world of suffering (cross), as the feminine and masculine, material and spiritual, spiritual and sensual love. The cross with a rose is a symbol of an initiate who, thanks to work on himself, has managed to develop in himself love, life-giving and transforming matter.

Masonic cross

Masonic cross (cross in a circle)

The Masonic cross is a cross inscribed in a circle. It means a holy place and a cosmic center. The four dimensions of space in the celestial circle symbolize the totality that includes the Great Spirit. This cross represents the Cosmic Tree, spreading horizontally over the Earth and touching Heaven through the vertical central axis. Such a cross was either made in stone or depicted on the walls of Roman Gothic churches, symbolizing their sanctification.

Pacifist cross

Pacifist cross (peace cross)

This symbol was developed by Gerald Holtom in 1958 for the then emerging movement for nuclear disarmament. To develop the symbol, he used the semaphore alphabet: he made a cross from its symbols - for "N" (nuclear, nuclear) and "D" (disarmament, disarmament) - and placed them in a circle, which symbolized a global agreement. This cross soon became one of the most common signs of the 60s of the twentieth century, symbolizing both peace and anarchy.

Images of time

The wise turn years into months, months into weeks, weeks into days.

Everything is perishable in this world.

The image of inexorable time is the road. The symbol of time is sand flowing through your fingers. Attributes of measured time - a clock, a burning candle; it is a symbol of the elusiveness of the present moment.

The pantheon of gods of almost all ancient cultures necessarily includes the God of Time.

Abraxas

Abraxas – symbol of time (Gnostic gem)

Abraxas is the personification of the divine cycles of the solar year. This is the mystical image of the Supreme Being, the highest of the seven. It consists of five emanations (radiations): Nus (Mind), Logos (Word), Phronesis (Mind), Sophia (Wisdom), Dynamis (Strength). The human body in the image represents God. The two snake supports emerging from it are Nous and Logos (intuition and quick understanding). The head of the rooster signifies foresight and vigilance (mind). Two hands hold the symbols of Sophia and Dynamis: the armor of wisdom and the whip of power.

Kalachakra

Namchu-vanden - Kalachakra emblem

Kalachakra literally means “wheel of time,” “passage of time.” The sacred doctrine in Vajrayana Buddhism. An astrological and astronomical system that penetrated into Tibet from India. Kalachakra introduces the idea of ​​cyclical time with periods of 12 and 60 years (Tibetan calendar). According to legend, the Kalachakra teachings were given by Shakyamuni Buddha. According to other sources, this teaching was brought to Tibet by Pitop, or the Great Kalachakrapada, who, miraculously arriving in Shambhala, was initiated there by King Kalki into the Kalachakra teaching.

Kronos

Kronos (Roman Saturn), 15th century

The ancient Greek symbol of time - the titan Kronos - in the Russian language became the ancestor of many words (the particle “chrono” is part difficult words, indicating their relationship to time): chronic, chronology, chronometer, etc.

Kronos (Roman Saturn) - the god of Time, in the image of fading autumn or the departing Sun, sometimes along with his sickle also has a hood, which symbolizes invisibility, death and retreat. Since the hood covers the head, it also signifies thought and spirit.

Ourobor (snake biting its own tail)

Ouroborus as an emblem of death (from George Withere's book "Collection of Emblems, Ancient and Modern", 1635)

The most obvious meaning of the symbol is related to the concept of time: the passage of time is accompanied by destruction, since the past seems to be irretrievably lost. This is reflected in the fact that the serpent "devours" its own tail, just as time seems to consume itself. We can say that time has a cyclical nature (day follows night, seasons repeat, etc.), and this is expressed in the form of a serpent, in the fact that it is curled into a circle. The symbol of the emblem can be expressed by the phrase: “In my beginning lies my end” or “The end is in the beginning.”

Tempus

Image of Time – Tempus (Rome)

The Romans depicted time in the form of a male winged figure with goat legs, with a scythe in his hands (“the inexorable scythe of time”) - this is Tempus (from the Latin tempus - time).

The figure of Tempus personifies the frailty and transience of all living things, and therefore is associated with the symbol of Death.

"Clock" of our body

“Clock” of our body (numbers in the inner circle - time of day)

The Chinese consider it useful to influence the organs of the body at a strictly defined period of the day (stimulate during activity, and vice versa).

Twelve major organs, according to medical practice, have two hours of activity (see figure). Designations: GB – gallbladder: (from 23 to 1 o’clock); Liv – liver; Lu – lungs; Li – large intestine; St – stomach; Sp – spleen; H – heart; Si – small intestine; UB – bladder; K – kidneys; P – brain; TW – spinal cord.

Symbolism of the plant kingdom

The beauty of plants is the common heritage of the world, that is, it is always macrocosmic and not microcosmic.

The symbol of the plant kingdom is a tree. Its branches, representing diversity, extend from a common trunk, which is a symbol of unity. A green, blooming tree is a symbol of life; dead, withered - a symbol of death. An old, gnarled tree can mean wisdom and strength.

The flower is an emblem of the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. Flowers represent beauty (especially female beauty), innocence, divine blessing, spring, youth, but also the brevity of existence. Everything in a flower can carry a certain symbolism: its shape, the number of petals, color, and smell...

Vine

Ornament – ​​grapevine motif

Grapes are one of the oldest symbols of fertility, abundance and vitality. The vine is one of the symbols of Christ. The importance of wine in many religious rituals is based on the grape's symbolic connection with Divine blessing. The vine was the first plant Noah planted after the flood.

Grape juice resembles human blood. In some mysteries, grapes are a symbol of lust and debauchery, greed and drunkenness. A bunch of grapes is sometimes represented as a phallic symbol. But grapes are also seen as a symbol of the solar spirit.

Cherry

Sakura (19th century Japanese print, Utagawa Kunisada)

In Christian iconography, a cherry is sometimes depicted instead of an apple as a fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; sometimes Christ is depicted with cherries in his hand. In China, the cherry tree is a symbol of good luck, spring (due to early flowering) and virginity; The vulva is called the “spring cherry.” Cherry blossoms (sakura) are a symbol of Japan; it is cultivated as an ornamental tree; its fruits are inedible. The Japanese identify cherry blossoms with the rising Sun. Cherry, in addition, is the emblem of the samurai.

Pomegranate

Exploding Garnet

The opening pomegranate (fruit) symbolizes the Easter Resurrection of Christ, giving Christians confidence in forgiveness, faith in the future life and resurrection. Due to the abundance of seeds, pomegranate is a symbol of fertility. It is also an ancient oriental emblem of the sun god and an emblem of life, a divine symbol called the “forbidden secret.”

The remains of the flower (thorn) on the upper part of the fruit serve as an image of the crown in heraldry. The garnet is always depicted as golden. And there are always twelve pomegranate seeds - a number that has symbolized perfection since ancient times.

Oak and acorn

Acorn

Oak is a symbol of power, endurance, longevity and nobility, as well as glory. In Ancient Rome, a wreath of oak leaves was the highest reward for a victorious commander.

As an emblem of valor and courage, oak (oak leaf, oak branch, oak wreath, oak garland) is used in military insignia in many countries.

An oak with acorns is an emblem of maturity, full of strength. An oak without acorns is an emblem of young valor. The acorn is a symbol of fertility, prosperity, spiritual energy growing from the grain of truth.

Kabbalistic Tree

Kabbalistic Tree (drawing from the book of R. Fludd, 1574–1637)

This is an inverted Cosmic Tree. Its crown touches the ground, and its roots are strengthened in the spiritual world and feed on the spiritual energy of the sky, spreading it to the outside world and down. This is a favorite image in Kabbalism and other mystical and magical teachings. It testifies that human life is the descent of the spirit into the body and back. It is also a symbol of philosophical growth, growing inward.

In the Bhagavad Gita, an inverted tree means the origin of everything from a single root; in Islam, it is a symbol of happiness and good luck.

Cypress

Seven cypress trees and twelve branches - the personification of the universe and its eternal truths (Istanbul, Türkiye)

In the West, cypress is a mystical symbol of death and mourning, the personification of sadness and grief, as it was used in embalming the body and for making coffins. In Asia it is a symbol of longevity and immortality. The Arabs call the cypress tree the Tree of Life. In Greece, cypress has always had a dual reputation: it was a symbol of the gloomy god of the underworld Hades, but at the same time also of more cheerful gods - Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite and Hermes. Therefore, it became a symbol of rebirth and life after death. In China, the smoke of cypress branches is a symbol of light forces, a talisman against misfortune.

Clover

Four leaf clover

The three-leaf form of clover (trefoil) is a symbol of the Christian Trinity. The rare quatrefoil is a symbol of good luck; There is a belief that Eve took one quatrefoil as a memory of her lost paradise. But a five-leaf clover brings bad luck.

In China, clover is the emblem of spring. The Irish use clover leaves as a national emblem, which probably dates back to the Celts' veneration of the plant for its vigorous growth in the spring.

Roots

Seed and roots

A symbol of connection with the earth, with family.

“A man with roots,” they say about a man who stands firmly on his own two feet.

“Look at the root” - pay attention to the most essential, delve into the essence.

“The root of evil” is the source, the core of evil.

“Uproot” means taking a life, cutting off access to food, radically solving a problem.

Laurel

Laurel wreath

The laurel symbolizes immortality, but also triumph, victory and success. It represents peace, purification, protection, divinity, secret knowledge. According to ancient Greek myth, the god of the Sun, dawn and poetry, Apollo, pursued the nymph Daphne, who, running away from him, turned into a laurel bush (in Greek “laurel” is “daphne”). In the arms of Apollo there was a tree, with the branches of which he decorated his head and lyre. That is why in Ancient Greece musicians, poets, and dancers, whose patron was Apollo, were awarded laurel wreaths. The Romans extended this tradition to military victors.

Lily

Fleur-de-lys, coat of arms of the French kings

One of the most multifaceted and even contradictory symbols. The triple lily is a symbol of the Trinity and three virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity. Lily is an attribute of many saints, including Archangel Gabriel. White lilies can sometimes symbolize death. The lily is also associated with fertility and erotic love due to its pistil, which has an arrow-shaped or spear-shaped (phallus-like) shape, and a specific strong aroma. The lily is a sign of prosperity and royal power in Byzantium, and later the emblem of the French kings.

Palm branch

Palm branch

This is the main symbol of victory and triumph (“palm”).

In Ancient Greece, a palm branch was given along with a wreath to the winner of the Olympic Games as a personal wish for health and longevity. In Ancient Rome they were also awarded to victorious soldiers and gladiators. During Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem, priests distribute blessed palm leaves in the shape of a cross. In Russia, they are replaced by willows. The palm branch is a symbol of longevity and one of the emblems of peace, and unlike the dove, it is a secular emblem.

Rose

Ten petal rose

The rose has polar symbolism: it is heavenly perfection and earthly passion, time and eternity, life and death, fertility and virginity. It is also a symbol of the heart, the center of the universe, the cosmic wheel, the divine, romantic and sensual love. The rose is completeness, the mystery of life, its focus, the unknown, beauty, grace, happiness, but also voluptuousness, passion, and in combination with wine - sensuality and seduction. A rosebud is a symbol of virginity; withered rose - transience of life, death, sorrow; its thorns are pain, blood and martyrdom.

Heraldic roses

Heraldic roses: 1 – Lancaster; 2 – York; 3 – Tudor; 4 – England (badge); 5 – German rose Rosenow; 6 – Russian stamp

The heraldic medieval rose has five or ten petals, which connects it with the Pythagorean pentad and decanate. A rose with red petals and white stamens is the emblem of England, the most famous breastplate of English kings. After the "Wars of the Roses", named after the badges of the families fighting for the English crown, the scarlet rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York were combined in the form of the "Tudor Rose". The bright crimson rose is the unofficial emblem of Bulgaria. The famous tea rose is the emblem of Beijing. Nine white roses are in the coat of arms of Finland.

Sprouts

Fern sprouts (four-part diagram)

Sprouts (heart-shaped pattern)

The sprout is a symbol of the awakening of life. The simplest type is a grain “hatching from its shell,” a sprout resembling a curled fern leaf. These images are accompanied by a round or heart-shaped stripe. The heart-shaped pattern (point up) is a stable expression of agricultural ornament. A four-part composition with fern sprouts (a sacred plant among many peoples), the leaves of which are directed in all directions, is widely used.

Pumpkin

Painted gourd, vessel and talisman (China, 19th century)

The gourd pumpkin in Chinese culture is a symbol of health, wisdom and even the entire universe.

In America, pumpkin is the main attribute of the traditional holiday of evil spirits - Halloween. For this holiday, faces are carved on pumpkins, candles are inserted inside the pumpkins, and people go from house to house with these “lamps.”

In degraded symbolism, a pumpkin is a head.

Thistle

Thistle

Emblem of Scotland

Thistle means challenge, asceticism, vindictiveness, misanthropy. Donkey food. It also symbolizes sin, sorrow, the curse of God during expulsion from paradise; According to the Book of Genesis, Adam was punished with thistles. In Christian art, the thistle is an emblem of martyrdom.

But there is another side to the thistle's symbolism. Like some others thorny plants, it is considered a talisman and is endowed with the ability to heal wounds. This is a plant with strong magical properties.

Apple tree, apple

The sovereign apple is one of the symbols monarchical power

The apple tree is a symbol of fertility, one of the symbols of Mother Earth. A blooming apple tree means eternal youth, and in China - peace and beauty. The apple is a symbol of bliss, especially sexual, a symbol of restoration of potential, integrity, health and vitality. The apple represents love, marriage, spring, youth, longevity or immortality; in Christianity it is associated with temptation, the fall of man and his salvation. A bitten apple is a symbol of sin, anarchy, but also knowledge and hope. In art, an apple in the mouth of a monkey or snake is a symbol of original sin.

Symbolism of the animal kingdom

The animal kingdom in its different breeds embodies different impulses of the human psyche.

N. P. Rudnikova

In human consciousness, animals (animals, birds, fish, insects, etc.) act as symbols, on the basis of which figurative pictures of certain aspects of existence are compiled. The symbolism of animals extends to the higher foundations of man himself (thus, ideas about the soul are expressed in the form of a bird).

The ancient Egyptians believed that certain animals could embody cosmic and divine energies. The twelve animals of the zodiac are archetypal symbols and represent a closed cycle of energies.

Stork

“He who has acquired immortality flies on a stork into the sky” (the stork and the crane are symbols of immortality)

The stork symbolizes new life, the arrival of spring, good luck, filial or filial affection. In Christianity, the stork represents purity, chastity, piety, and vigilance. In the East, the stork is a symbol of immortality. Among the Slavs, the stork is an ancient totem bird, a symbol of the homeland, family well-being, home comfort, love for home. The punishment for destroying a nest or killing a stork is a fire that incinerates the killer’s house or himself. There is a belief that a stork brings newborn babies. A stork carrying a baby is a symbol of christening.

Butterfly

Butterfly image

Currently, the symbolism of the butterfly is dominated by the meaning of the anemone, a carefree creature, but also pure joy. In ancient times, it was represented as a symbol of transformation and immortality due to its life cycle: life (bright caterpillar) - death (dark chrysalis) - rebirth (free flight of the soul). The butterfly is a symbol of the soul in many regions of the world. In China, it is a symbol of light entertainment and a sign of lovers. In Japan, the butterfly is a symbol of a fickle and flighty lover, as well as female fussiness and the craft of a geisha; two butterflies - marital happiness.

Ram (Aries)

Ram head

One of the most important symbols and one of the most common emblems in the world (in variants: lamb, golden fleece, ram's head, ram's horns). The ram symbolizes fire, solar energy, ardent passion, courage, impulsiveness, stubbornness. In many cultures since ancient times it has meant male strength and sexual potency. A symbol of the elements - both creative and destructive, requiring sacrifice.

In modern everyday usage, the word “ram” is often synonymous with stupidity or stupid stubbornness.

Bull

Sacred Bull Apis (Egypt)

Symbol of the fertility of the earth. The most common symbol of sexual power, as well as violence and rage. This is the embodiment of power, power, male fertility. A symbol of divinity, royalty, elemental forces of nature, changing meanings in different eras and in different cultures. The bull's horns are a sign of the full moon, its huge body is the support of the world in Islamic and Vedic traditions; its abundant seed is nourished by the Moon in Iranian mythology; its mooing, stamping of hooves and shaking of horns are universally associated with thunder and earthquakes.

Wolf

She-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome (bronze figure, 6th–5th century BC)

The symbolism of the wolf is dual.

Negative symbolism: ferocity, deceit, greed, cruelty, evil, gluttony and sexuality. Stories of witches turning into wolves and men becoming werewolves represent fears of demonic possession and male violence.

Positive symbolism: courage, victory, caring for the family's food. The wolf is a common symbol of knowledge through experience, the emblem of warriors.

IN heraldry The wolf is a symbol of anger, gluttony, and greed.

Raven, crow

The raven on the shield is a symbol of purification

“Daughters of Jerusalem! I am black, but beautiful" (alchemical symbol)

Raven and crow have similar symbolism. On the one hand, ravens are associated with war, death, desolation, evil and misfortune. Because of their blackness, they are considered symbols of chaos and the darkness that preceded the light of creation. On the other hand, the raven is a symbol of wisdom and justice. The raven has a connection with the world of the dead; he is able to get living and dead water. There is an opinion that the raven is a travel assistant and a fortuneteller. There is a belief that when crows begin to leave their nests, it portends famine or other misfortunes.

Pigeon

Dove as a symbol of peace

Peace, purity, love, serenity, hope. Traditional Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit and baptism. There is a legend that the devil and witches can turn into any creature except a dove and a sheep. Pigeon cooing is associated with both sex and the birth of children. A pair of doves is a symbol of sexual harmony; therefore, the dove became the personification of a tender wife. A dove with a laurel branch is a symbol of peace, a dove with a cornucopia is a happy accident. In the East, the dove is one of many symbols of longevity.

Dolphin

“Boy with a Dolphin” (Andrea del Verrocchio, 1475. Sculpture for a fountain)

The dolphin symbolizes love, the power of the sea, speed, salvation, transformation. This is man's friend in the sea element and its symbol. The dolphin is also a symbol of boundless joy, playfulness, unpredictability and even spiritual enlightenment. In Ancient Greece, the lord of the waters, Poseidon (Roman equivalent - Neptune), was often depicted in a cart pulled by dolphins. As a symbol of Christ's sacrifice, the dolphin is often depicted as pierced by a trident or an anchor (the secret symbol of the cross). Intertwined with the anchor, the dolphin is a symbol of caution, speed limits: “Hurry slowly.”

Toad, frog

Stylized image of a frog

The toad is one of the attributes of witchcraft. According to European superstitions, it is a companion of witches, reminiscent of the death and torment of sinners. At the same time, the toad, which in the Middle Ages personified darkness and evil, greed and lust, is associated with birth and rebirth. A symbol of ugliness, behind which a beautiful soul may be hidden. It also symbolizes longevity and wealth: the toad, like a snake, is believed to carry a gemstone in its forehead that attracts good luck.

The frog is a widespread symbol of fertility, a harbinger of spring rains and the awakening of nature.

Crane

Dancing cranes (bracelet from Kyiv)

In China and Japan, the crane symbolizes vigilance, longevity, wisdom, devotion, and honor. The image of a crane flying towards the Sun is a symbol of social aspirations, its snow-white body is a symbol of purity, its red head is the fire of life. In India and some Celtic regions, the crane is a symbol of betrayal, a harbinger of misfortune. In Rus', cranes, along with storks and nightingales, are considered “birds of God”; their symbolism is associated with the Sun.

Throughout the world, the crane is a symbol of communication with the gods.

Snake: general symbolism

Python (Greece)

The snake is the universal and most complex of all animal symbols, as well as the most widespread and perhaps the most ancient of them. The snake signifies death and destruction, but also life and resurrection. This is both the solar principle and the lunar principle, light and darkness, good and evil, wisdom and blind passion, healing and poison, preserver and destroyer. This duality of symbolism forces us to balance between fear and worship; the snake appears either as a hero or as a monster.

Snake: positive symbolism

"Snake Power"

An example of the positive symbolism of a snake is the concept of kundalini: a symbol of internal strength, psychic energy, a snake-like ball of vital energy dormant at the base of the spine. Kundalini energy is called "snake power". Sometimes she is depicted as a coiled snake with heads at both ends. In India and other regions, snakes are often considered guardians of shrines, water sources and treasures. This tradition is associated with the symbolism of fertility inherent in the snake, and with the belief that precious stones are the congealed saliva of snakes.

Snake: negative symbolism

Illustration for the “Poem of Gilgamesh” (seal of the Sumerian-Akkadian kingdom)

If we consider the frightening part of the symbolism of the snake, then it is a clear prototype of dragons and sea ​​snakes or snake-like hybrids, symbolizing the many dangers that await a person in life. The snake is one of the worst omens, a symbol of darkness, evil, hatred, sin, temptation, deception. The snake is accused of causing people to lose God's gift of eternal life.

Snakes were an indispensable attribute of witches; witches' potions included some parts of snakes.

Snake: cosmogonic symbolism

Snake and egg (image of a snake supporting the world)

The snake is primarily a magical symbol of the forces that gave birth to life. A snake biting its own tail is a symbol not only of eternity, but also of divine self-sufficiency. The image of a snake guarding the eggs it has laid is associated with a huge snake entwining the whole world and supporting it or helping the earth's disk to float in the surrounding Ocean. The snake is in constant contact with the forces of earth, water, darkness and the underworld - lonely, cold-blooded, secretive, capable of rejuvenating by shedding its skin.

Snake as a symbol of wisdom

A snake coiled around a rod

Totemic symbolism, combined with the belief that snakes know the secrets of the earth and can see in the dark, endows snakes with wisdom or the gift of divination. “Be wise as serpents and simple as doves,” Christ told his disciples (Gospel of Matthew 10:16). The Greek word for "dragon" (which not only refers to a monster, but also means "snake with a piercing gaze") is etymologically related to vision. In art, the snake is an attribute of the goddess of wisdom Athena (Minerva) and the allegorical figure of Prudence, meaning the gift of foresight.

Snake: Alchemy and Healing

Rod of Mercury (caduceus)

Staff of Asclepius (Aesculapius)

The snake coiled around the rod is the alchemical symbol of Philosophical Mercury in its primary state.

According to mythology, Hermes (Mercury), the messenger of the gods, received a caduceus - a winged staff with the power to reconcile opponents. When he placed it between two fighting snakes, they peacefully wrapped themselves around the staff and calmed down. Snakes entwined around the caduceus symbolize the interaction of opposing forces. The snake coiled around a gnarled staff is the emblem of the Greek god of healing, Asclepius (Aesculapius), who is believed to have even been able to resurrect the dead.

Ibis

Ibis (Egyptian papyrus from the 19th Dynasty, 1295–1186 BC)

The ibis is the sacred bird of the Egyptians. Symbol of wisdom. In Ancient Egypt, the ibis was considered the incarnation of the lunar deity Thoth, the greatest god of Egypt, the patron of occult knowledge, who gave writing to humanity. He is depicted as a man with the head of an Ibis. This bird is also called the harvest keeper. Killing an ibis, even by accident, was considered a terrible crime.

It is believed that the ibis can only live in Egypt and, transported to other countries, dies there of melancholy.

Goat

Goat

The goat is a symbol of potency, vitality, masculinity, but also cunning, lust and stupidity; he personifies the destructive tendencies in a man. In the Western tradition, an old, lustful man is often referred to as a goat. In China and India, the goat is a positive male symbol. In Christianity, a goat is the personification of impurity and base lust.

The goat is often used for sacrifice ("scapegoat"). The goat is closely associated with Dionysus (Bacchus).

Cow

sacred cow

For many peoples, this animal symbolizes fertility, prosperity, as well as patience and passive endurance. The cow is an ancient symbol of mother's milk and (like the bull) the cosmic forces that created the world. In many cults, from Ancient Egypt to China, the cow personifies Mother Earth. She also symbolizes the moon and the sky, as her horns resemble a crescent moon, and her milk is associated with the Milky Way. The heads of moon goddesses in various cultures are decorated with cow horns. The cow is held in exceptional esteem in India.

Lion

Leo is a symbol of the Sun

The lion, universally called the king of beasts, has been one of the most common symbols of strength and majesty for thousands of years. General symbolism: divine, solar energy (symbol of fire and the Sun), royal power, strength, courage, wisdom, justice, protection, protection, but also cruelty, all-consuming ferocity and death. The lion is the image of all the great and terrifying forces of nature. He is considered both a destroyer and a savior, and is capable of representing both evil and the fight against evil. Leo is one of the forms of the Sphinx.

Heraldic lions

Heraldic lions

In heraldry, it is the most common and favorite image of an animal. Attributes of a heraldic lion: bow and arrows, saber, sword, axe, axe, halberds, etc. The main heraldic form is a lion on its hind legs and in profile. In this case, one eye and one ear are indicated on the head. A bloody tongue sticks out of the mouth. This lion is a symbol of strength, courage, generosity. There are other image options. In state emblems, a crowned lion is an emblem of power over subjects.

Bear

Heraldic bear

The bear is a symbol of good nature and rage, heroic strength and clumsiness, laziness and tender maternal feelings, gluttony and asceticism (albeit involuntary: it sleeps all winter without any food, “sucks its paw”). The bear represents unpredictability, bad temper, evil, rudeness, greed, sinfulness, the devil, as well as brutal primitive force. Warriors sign Northern Europe and Asia.

In addition, the bear is a symbol of the Moon and resurrection. K. Jung believes that the bear symbolizes the dark sides of the subconscious.

Mouse, rat

Mouse wedding

In Russia, the mouse is often called the “gray thief.” The mouse is also a symbol of timidity and invisibility. The mouse helps to find the loss in the house: “Mouse, mouse, play and give it back.” The mouse gives growth. In China, the mouse is one of the popular deities of wealth.

General symbolism of the rat: it is destruction, aggressiveness, greed; The rat is associated with disasters (pestilence) and death, but it is also the embodiment of perseverance, dexterity, cunning and fertility, and also has the gift of foresight (the legendary ability to foresee the death of ships).

Monkey

Hanuman, the monkey god playing with the peaches of immortality (from a Chinese dish)

The symbolism of the monkey is controversial. Most often, the monkey personifies sin, in particular physical sin. She is also a symbol of cunning, deceit, desire for luxury, malice, laziness (due to her angular movements), drunkenness, and sometimes a symbol of learning. The monkey (along with the white elephant and cow) is the third sacred animal in India. Even now, insulting a monkey by action causes great resentment among religious people. In Japan, the cry of a monkey is a symbol of deep melancholy. Carvings of three monkeys are considered in the East to be a talisman that protects against slander.

Deer

Stag (breastplate of Richard II, late 14th century)

A universal symbol associated with the East, sunrise, light, purity, renewal, creation and spirituality, but also with loneliness. The characteristic qualities of a deer are swiftness, grace and beauty. Deer are wonderful messengers and guides. They are credited with healing powers, especially the ability to find medicinal herbs. Deer is also a symbol of caution and keen hearing. In China, deer is associated with wealth (abundance) and good luck. Deer is a strong magical protector, one of the patron spirits of the Siberian peoples.

Eagle

Eagle as a symbol supreme authority and the solar nature of the lord of the heavens and the head of all gods Zeus (painting on a Greek bowl, 6th century BC)

The eagle is the ruler of the air, the embodiment of power and speed. Solar symbol of the Sun gods, rulers, warriors. Associated with greatness, power, dominance, courage, inspiration. Represents the midday Sun, liberation from bonds, victory, pride, contemplation, royal origin, height. It is believed that the eagle is able to fly to the Sun, which is why it is called the messenger of heaven. Double-headed eagles can mean omniscience and double power. An eagle with a snake in its claws symbolizes the victory of the spirit. In this fight, the eagle is the personification of the force of good, and the snake is the force of evil.

Heraldic eagles

Double-headed eagle (Russian embroidery)

Eagle - emblem of the USA

In heraldry, the eagle is a symbol of power, dominance, generosity and foresight. On coats of arms, the eagle is most often depicted flying with its chest forward, with its wings raised up, or soaring. It can be one- or two-headed. Since the time of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, he has been depicted on standards as the “bird of Jupiter.” After the Christian conquest of Palestine, the double-headed eagle became the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, and later the Austrian (Austro-Hungarian) and Russian empires. The American bald eagle with outstretched wings has become the emblem of the United States.

Peacock

Peacock (medieval Persian design)

This is radiant glory, immortality, greatness, incorruptibility. The magnificent tail of a peacock is a symbol of the all-seeing Sun and eternal cosmic cycles, as well as the starry vault of heaven and, as a result, unity and interconnectedness. In ancient Rome, the peacock was considered the emblem of the empress and her daughters, while the eagle was the bird of the emperor. In Islamic decorative arts unity of opposites (the Sun at its zenith next to full moon) is depicted as two peacocks under the World Tree. In Christianity, the peacock, on the one hand, is a symbol of eternal life, and on the other, a symbol of pride, luxury and vanity.

Spider

Spider depicted on an American Indian amulet

Feminine. The Great Mother, in her terrible form as the weaver of fate, is sometimes depicted as a spider. All lunar goddesses are spinners and weavers of fate. The web that the spider weaves, weaves from the center in a spiral, is a symbol of the creative forces of the Universe, a symbol of the universe. The spider in the center of the web symbolizes the center of the world; The sun is surrounded by rays; The moon, representing the cycles of life and death, weaving the web of time. The spider is often associated with luck, wealth or rain. Killing a spider is a bad omen.

Pelican

Redstone plate showing a pelican feeding its chicks with its blood (Staffordshire, circa 1660)

The pelican symbolizes self-sacrifice and parental love, as well as mercy. In heraldry, this bird is usually depicted as resembling an eagle or crane, standing in a nest and trying to feed its chicks with its blood. Early Christian writers compared the pelican, feeding its offspring with its flesh, with Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his blood for the salvation of mankind. The pelican is also a symbol of European occultism (primarily alchemists and Rosicrucians), expressing the feat of self-sacrifice and the eternal rebirth of life.

Rooster

Rooster - sun bird (amulet image, China, 20th century)

The Rooster is vigilance, courage, courage, foresight, reliability. Herald of the dawn, symbol of the Sun and spiritual rebirth. These qualities of his prevail over pride, arrogance, and lust, which are also inherent in him. To the Romans it means “the third watch of time”: between midnight and dawn. The Rooster is a protector from all kinds of evil. It is believed that night ghosts and evil spirits disappear with the first cry of the rooster. The red rooster keeps fire away from the house, and the white rooster keeps ghosts away. Before moving into a new house, the Eastern Slavs would fly a rooster there. If he spent the night safely, then he could move in.

Bee

Young woman collecting honey from bees (15th century herbalist)

The bee represents hard work, diligence, organizational and creative abilities, cleanliness, sociability, modesty, spirituality, courage, wisdom, dedication, eloquence (“honey speeches”). In Greek, Middle Eastern, and Islamic traditions, the bee is an allegory of the soul. The Chinese associate the bee with the fickle nature of “choosy brides.” Among the ancient Slavs, the bee was a symbol of love, as it combined “the sweetness of honey and the bitterness of the sting.” Queen bee, mother goddess, symbol of supreme power, fertility.

Scorpion

Scorpio (Gnostic gem)

Scorpio is a symbol of evil, self-destruction, death, punishment, retribution, vindictiveness, betrayal, but also a deep understanding of the world. Sometimes the scorpion serves as a talisman and amulet - Paracelsus advised people suffering from diseases of the reproductive system to wear it. In Africa, it was believed that the scorpion itself secretes remedies against its poison, so it was a symbol not only of killing, but also of healing. The red star Antares on the “back” of the celestial constellation Scorpio was considered in Europe the worst fire in the sky.

Elephant

White elephant

The huge mass and clumsiness of the elephant have now become metaphorical. However, the elephant, first of all, is a symbol of power: both tender, loving, and furious, destructive. Elephants are considered to be vindictive because they never forget the insults and cruel treatment inflicted on them. The thick skin of an elephant symbolizes spiritual invulnerability. The elephant is also a symbol of power, insight, prosperity, happiness, personifies the element of Earth, memory, wisdom, longevity, fidelity, patience, compassion. The elephant is often depicted on good luck amulets.

Dog

Nether Anubis (dog god)

In some countries, a dog is a sacred animal, in others it is considered an unclean, greedy, even vile creature and personifies evil. According to Islamic beliefs, angels will never visit a house where a dog lives. But more often than not, a dog is a symbol of protection and self-sacrifice. And also hunting (sometimes this symbol has a negative connotation - bullying).

In ancient Egyptian mythology, dogs, as good guides and guardians in the afterlife, were considered the companions of Anubis, depicted with the head of a jackal or dog.

Owl

Wise owl – attribute of Athens (Greece)

The owl is a traditional symbol of wisdom, an allegorical figure of Night and Sleep. In some ancient cultures, especially in China, the owl has ominous symbolism, signifying darkness, personifying the yang principle with a negative, destructive connotation. Due to its silent flight at night, glowing eyes and eerie cries, the owl is associated with death and occult powers. She is also credited with the gift of prophecy. Currently, the owl is mainly a symbol of insight and book erudition. “Scientific owls” are people of mental work.

Falcon

Falcon - image rising sun

The falcon, like the eagle, is a solar symbol of victory. The personification of superiority, strong spirit, light, freedom. In Ancient Egypt, the falcon was a sacred symbol of the Sun; temples were dedicated to it; killing a falcon was considered a grave sin. In Western tradition, the falcon is a symbol of hunting. A falcon with a cap on its head is a symbol of hope for light and freedom. The falcon as a symbol of aggression is rare. Among the Slavs, this bird is a symbol of strength, courage, and a good fellow. The falcon is contrasted with the crow (as the embodiment of evil forces): “Where falcons fly, the crow is not allowed in.”

Ostrich

Australian coat of arms

In Ancient Egypt, an ostrich feather was an attribute of the goddess of truth and justice, Maat. This feather, according to legend, was placed on a scale when weighing the souls of the dead to determine the severity of their sins. Because ostrich feathers are the same length, they were used as a symbol of justice. The belief that an ostrich hides its head in the sand when danger appears (a symbol of avoiding problems) probably stems from the threatening pose of the ostrich when it bends its head towards the ground.

In the Australian coat of arms, the emu is a shield bearer along with the kangaroo.

Tigers

“Tiger Spring contains a tiger. Having mastered the contents of the tiger cave, a perfect man who has subjugated yin and yang."

The tiger is a symbol of energy, strength, speed and talent. This image is both lunar and solar. He is both creator and destroyer. A tiger fighting a snake is a symbol of solar power. In a battle with a lion or dragon, it becomes a lunar symbol, cruel and ferocious. In Europe, the tiger is a symbol of power and bloodthirstiness. In the Far East it is a symbol of nobility and happiness. In the cultures of Asia and India it can be a symbol of aggression and protection, life and death, evil and good.

Turtle

Turtle entwined with a snake

The turtle symbolizes strength, patience, endurance, constancy, slowness, fertility, longevity, senile strength, and wisdom. In many cultures, the turtle is the oldest symbol of cosmic order, surrounded by special reverence. According to ancient ideas, a turtle entwined with a snake is a symbol of the creation of the world. In India, the symbolism of stability is expressed by the idea that the Earth rests on four elephants, which stand on a huge turtle slowly making its way through chaos. The turtle is also a symbol of protection from fire and water.

Lizard

Gourd pumpkin with a lizard image

This nimble, fast animal is a symbol of agility, elusiveness, and also rebirth (the latter) is associated with the lizard’s ability to leave its tail to the person who catches it, which then grows back. Lizards, because they hide in the shade during the heat of the day, are considered the guardians of shadows, as well as the guardians of sleep and dreams. The lizard, in addition, can symbolize the subconscious and the shadows of our inner world.

The lizard was considered a good sign in Egypt and the ancient world, where it was sometimes associated with wisdom. It became an attribute of allegorical images of Logic. Symbol of Mercury, messenger of the gods.

Mythical creatures

Imaginary animals are found throughout the world in myths and folklore... They give us the opportunity to clearly characterize phenomena that would be difficult to define in any other way.

J. Tresidder

Mythical creatures are, as a rule, a combination of several animals, which allows the human imagination to endow them with unusual capabilities, including freedom from the usual principles of our world. Monsters, combining the appearance of several different animals, are a symbol of the original chaos or terrifying forces of nature; they also personify the evil forces in the nature of man himself. Fairy-tale animals are often depicted as guarding treasures or intimate, secret knowledge.

Ba (bird)

Bird of the soul Ba, bending over a mummy before flying to another world (Egypt)

The Ba bird is an Egyptian symbol of the human soul, which flies off to another world after his death. This bird has the body of a falcon (according to some sources, a hawk) and the head of a man.

Basilisk (cockatrice)

Basilisk with the head of a rooster

The basilisk is one of the deadliest creatures of medieval symbolism. According to some sources, the basilisk is similar in appearance to simplicissimus, but with the head and legs of a rooster. In occult and magical symbolism, the basilisk is depicted as a crowned serpent. Since, as is commonly believed, the basilisk destroys everything it looks at with its gaze, it has been adopted as a magical symbol of wisdom, devouring a person with it symbolizes the process of initiation. It is believed that the only way to defeat a basilisk is to place a mirror in front of it.

Harpies

Harpy (XVI century)

These are half-women, half-birds (female head and chest, and vulture claws) of a disgusting appearance. Associated with sudden death, whirlpools and storms. The feminine principle in its destructive aspect.

Garuda

Garuda (coat of arms of Thailand)

Bird of Life, Heaven, Sun, victory. Sometimes identified with the Phoenix. She is also the vehicle of the god Vishnu, the creator and destroyer of everything ("the horse of Vishnu"). She emerges from the egg as an adult and nests in the Tree of Life, which fulfills all wishes. The head, chest (female), torso, legs up to the knees of the garuda are human, the beak, wings, tail, hind legs (below the knees) are eagle.

Garuda is often depicted fighting nagas (snakes), the personification of evil.

Hydra

Hydra (Greece, 16th century)

In Greek mythology, Hydra is a serpent dragon with seven heads. She symbolizes the difficulties in the fight against evil: as soon as one of her heads is cut off, a new one immediately grows. Blind, animal force of life.

Griffin

Griffin protector (XVI century)

A solar hybrid creature combining the head, wings and claws of an eagle with the body of a lion, these animals represent power over the air and earth (the king of birds and the king of beasts), therefore the griffin is a symbol of strength and vigilance. In Greece, the griffin was dedicated to Apollo, whose chariot he drove across the sky; for Athena, he personified wisdom, and for Nemesis, retribution. Legends say that griffins guarded the gold of India and the Scythians. There is also a legend that griffins living in the Far North guard the gold of Zeus, located in the country of the Hyperboreans.

Dragon

Chinese dragon Chiao, symbol of a happy occasion

The dragon - a “winged serpent”, but only with paws like an eagle - combines snake and bird, spirit and matter. This is one of the universal and most complex symbols. The dragon can be solar and lunar, good and evil. This is the keeper of treasures and secret knowledge. Symbol of longevity. In the East, the dragon, as a rule, is the Heavenly Power that brings good, in the West it is a destructive and evil force. In Russia, the dragon is a sign of Satan, the devil. Victory over the dragon means the victory of light over darkness, over one’s own nature.

Unicorn

Heraldic image of a unicorn

Unicorn - mystical creature, an animal with the body of a horse or deer, having a long sharp horn. In general, it symbolizes the feminine, lunar principle, purity, purity, chastity. In China it represents abundance and longevity. According to legends, it can only be caught by a chaste maiden sitting alone in the forest: sensing her purity, the unicorn can come up to her, lay his head on her lap and fall asleep. Based on these legends, it became a symbol of purity, in particular female purity.

Centaur

Centaur, hunter of knowledge

According to Greek myths, a centaur is a creature with the body of a horse and the torso of a man. This is a symbol of man’s lower nature (lust, violence, drunkenness), his bestial nature, connected to a higher nature by human virtues and the ability to judge. It is a symbol of the conflict between the fierce and good aspects of human nature.

There is also a version about morally impeccable centaurs (among them Chiron), descended from Kronos. They symbolize the superiority of reason over instinct.

Makara

Makara

In the Western tradition, makara is a fantastic sea monster of enormous size (a fish with the head of a crocodile). A symbol of the power of the seas and oceans, rivers and lakes. In Hinduism, makara has the appearance of a fish with the head and front legs of an antelope. This is one of the creatures on which Vishnu travels. This is a positive symbol associated with the rainbow and rain, with the lotus growing from water, the return of the Sun after the winter solstice. Makara in a number of legends is associated with deities who act as guardians of the world - lokapala (Varuna, Soma, Indra, Kubera...).

Medusa Gorgon

Medusa Gorgon (Greece) – horror

Medusa Gorgon is a monster feminine with snakes for hair, boar teeth, golden wings and bronze legs. This is the most blatant personification of hostile evil, the Great Mother in her terrible destroyer aspect, the embodiment of horror. One look at her turned people to stone, so her image later became a protective amulet. After Perseus cut off the head of the Gorgon Medusa, the giant Chrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus were born from her blood.

Naga

Buddha sitting on a coiled naga, symbolizing the knowledge hidden in instinct (statue from the temple of Angkor)

In Hinduism, these are demigods depicted with a snake body and one or more human heads (sometimes they are simply multi-headed snakes). According to legends, they belong to the underworld - patala, where they guard the countless treasures of the earth. According to legend, nagas washed Gautama Buddha at his birth and also protected his remains after death. Nagas are guardians of treasures and esoteric knowledge, snake kings and queens, vital forces of water, passionate nature. These are guardians of natural forces that can be controlled.

Pegasus

Pegasus (XVI century)

This is the winged horse of the Muses, which emerged from the neck of Medusa when Perseus cut off her head. Pegasus, on which Bellerophon defeated the Chimera, personifies the combination of lower and higher nature, striving for the highest, and symbolizes the superiority of the spiritual over the material. It is also a symbol of eloquence, poetic inspiration and contemplation. In European heraldry, Pegasus is depicted on the coats of arms of thinkers. Nowadays it is often used as an emblem of air transport.

Mermaid

Mermaid (XV century)

A Pisces woman capable of living in the human world and the supernatural world. Magical symbol of initiation. The mermaid is the sea version of the Centaur. However, it also has more positive symbolism, according to the stories of sailors. In Slavic mythology, mermaids (bathes, waterworts, rags, pitchforks, undines) are harmful creatures, especially dangerous in mermaid week (following Trinity). Mermaids are often confused with such creatures of ancient Greek mythology as Nereids, Naiads, and water nymphs. But these eternally young maidens do not, unlike mermaids, have a fish tail.

Salamander

Salamander on fire

A salamander is a mythical creature in the form of an ordinary animal, but with supernatural powers. The salamander is usually depicted as a small lizard or wingless dragon, sometimes with a human- or canine-like figure among flames. These creatures are considered the most poisonous of creatures, their bite is fatal. The salamander is a fire element and is able to live in fire because it has a very cold body. This is a symbol of the fight against sensual temptations. Since the salamander is considered a sexless creature, it also symbolizes chastity.

Simplicissimus

Harold's emblem

Simplicissimus is a fictional beast similar to a dragon, but with two eagle legs and a pike-shaped tail twisted in a loop. Symbolizes war, envy, stench, disaster, Satan, but also vigilance.

The simplicissimus was the personal emblem of King Harold (on the French carpets from Bayeux, which tell the story of the Battle of Hastings and Harold's death in 1066, the simplicissimus is depicted twice).

Dog Pho

Dog Fo (China)

Translated from Chinese, “Fo” means “great luck.” It is a symbol of valor and energy, a talisman for the home. Pho dogs should be purchased in pairs and placed side by side. If you place them (or hang their images) in front of the front door, they greet everyone who enters and protect each family member from troubles and failures. Placed in the wealth zone (southeast part), Pho dogs contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the home. Located in the central sector, they will quickly bring wealth to the house.

Sphinx

Egyptian coin with the image of the Sphinx

The Sphinx is a creature with the body of a lion and a human head (male or female) or the head of a ram. The oldest and largest is the Great Sphinx of Giza (Egypt). This ancient image, personifying the mysterious, solar power, a symbol of dignity, the royal power of wisdom, power, a symbol of the union of physical power with the highest intellect.

The Egyptian Sphinx has nothing in common with the later Greek legend of the "riddle of the Sphinx", which made it a symbol of mystery, the keeper of ancient wisdom, but Jung considered the sphinx a symbol of female greed, as well as the "Terrible Mother".

Scylla and Charybdis

Scylla (Greece) – danger

In Greek mythology, these are two monsters of the Sicilian Sea, who lived on both sides of a narrow strait and killed sailors passing between them. Ruthless embodiments of the forces of the sea. Once beautiful nymphs, they were turned into monsters with six heads, three rows of teeth in each head, and ugly long necks. These roaring, rumbling monsters swallowed the sea and spat it back (an image of the gaping depths of the sea). To be between Scylla and Charybdis means to be exposed to danger from different sides at the same time.

Triton

Triton (Greece) – wave calmer

Depicted as an old man or a young man with a fish tail instead of legs. In Greek mythology, she is considered a sea deity - the son of Poseidon and the mistress of the seas, Amphitride. Triton blows a horn from a shell and rules the forces of the waters. A marine version of a mermaid, but male.

Phoenix

Phoenix (XVI century)

The Phoenix is ​​the most famous of all symbols of resurrection, the ancient symbol of immortality, the Sun. An animal that has an ordinary appearance, but with supernatural powers. This legendary bird is reborn from the ashes in fire every 500 years. The Phoenix has become an emblem of the rebirth of the human spirit in the eternal struggle with the difficulties of the material world. From Ancient Egypt, this symbol passed completely intact into Slavic mythology (Firebird, Finist-Clear Falcon).

Chimera

Chimera (Vatican)

According to Homer's description, this is a monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a snake. She feeds on fire and was killed by Bellerophon, who ruled the winged pegasus.

In heraldry, the chimera is sometimes depicted with the head and chest of a woman and the tail of a dragon.

The Chimera causes winds and storms on land and sea. Symbolizes danger, as well as delusion (can give rise to illusions). It is also a symbol of non-existence.

Each ancient culture left behind a large number of symbols. They arose as a way of depicting deities, supernatural and ordinary phenomena in the life of the people. Most often, symbols were directly related to religion, with the help of which the bearers of a particular culture learned and explained the world around them. Intricate images were used in various rituals. Many of them were solved by historians and archaeologists only after lengthy research.

Ancient Slavs

They are known for their love for various images. Ancient symbols of this people can be found on a vast territory from the Volga to Germany and the Balkans. Even before it was divided into tribal unions and groups, common drawings appeared in everyday life. These include the symbols of Ancient Rus'.

The Sun played a great role in the images. There were several signs for him. For example, it was a caroler. It was worn mainly by men who wanted to gain wisdom in battle and everyday life. God Kolyada was responsible in the Slavic worldview for the constant renewal of the world and the victory of light over darkness.

Overcome grass was used as a talisman against evil lower spirits. It was worn on clothes, armor, weapons, etc. The symbols of the ancient Slavs included the ratiborets. It was the sign of a warrior, for whom the most important thing was courage, bravery and honor. It was believed that the warrior bestows these qualities on everyone who sincerely and passionately loves their homeland and home. Most often he was depicted using engraving - an art in which the Slavs knew a lot. Like many other ancient symbols, the ratiborets was a solar sign, a little like the Sun. In this series, the swastika stands out especially, denoting the eternal cycle of the Universe. The person wearing it recognized his allegiance to the higher forces of nature.

The symbols of the ancient Slavs were also identified with the family - the smallest unit of any society. It was a wedding ceremony, meaning the fusion of body, soul, conscience and spirit of those who enter into a marital union.

Symbols of the elements among the Slavs

Many ancient symbols came from the tradition of worshiping fire as the greatest element. Several of these can be cited. Yarovrat was worn by worshipers of God Yaro, who, with the help of the powers of fire, controlled the weather, which means he was in charge of the harvest. Therefore, those wishing to obtain a large number of crops used this sign. Doukhobor also symbolized fire, but only internal fire. This was the symbol of the flame of life. If a person in the tribe fell ill, he was covered with bandages with Doukhobor. The thunderstorm helped protect churches and houses from bad weather, thunderstorms, storms and other disasters.

The symbol of the earth among the ancient Slavs is solard. The soil was also associated with the cult of motherhood, which was practiced by some tribes. The prosperity of the land meant a stable growth of food and a satisfying life for the family.

Runic alphabet

Scandinavian runes were used by numerous Germanic tribes. They had a developed mythology with their own unique images associated with harsh conditions life of this people. Runes were not only symbols, but also written signs. They were applied to stones to convey one or another message. They wrote epic sagas telling about the history and myths of the Germans.

However, each sign, if considered separately, also had its own meaning. The runic alphabet consists of 24 runes, divided into three rows of 8 each. About 5 thousand surviving inscriptions in this amazing language have been found in the world. Most of these artifacts are found in Sweden.

Examples of runes

The first rune, Fehu, meant livestock, and in a broad sense - any personal property of a German. Uruz symbolized a bull or bison. Thus, the difference between the first and second sign was that in one case a domestic animal was meant, and in the second a wild and free one.

Thurisaz meant a sharp thorn or hammer of Thor, one of the main gods of the Germanic pantheon. It was used to ensure that the person wearing it had good luck, as well as protection from hostile forces. Ansuz is an image of open lips, that is, a replica or spoken wisdom. In addition, this is a sign of caution, since the Scandinavian peoples believed that a smart person would never be rash.

Raido is the cart or path ahead of the wanderer. The ancient symbols and their meaning among the Germans often had a double meaning. Kenaz is a sign of fire. But this flame is friendly. Most often, such a fire meant a torch that would warm a person and give him a feeling of comfort and homeliness.

The next two runes symbolize joy. Gebo is a gift and generosity. He was depicted as a sign of good intentions. If runes were used in fortune telling, then the Gebo that fell out was a great success for a person who was in for a pleasant surprise in the future. Ancient signs and symbols even now often become material for the occult ministries of neopagans. Vunyo means joy. It was often used in conjunction with Gebo. If it was written next to another rune, then this meant success or good luck in the sphere that the neighboring sign symbolized. For example, Vunyo and Fehu were an omen of a large increase in livestock.

Some runes were synonymous with natural elements, their presence can be found in almost all peoples and cultures. For example, Laguz is a symbol of water, a lake, or even intuition in a figurative sense.

Development of runic writing

Interestingly, over time, the common runes split into several variants of the alphabet for different peoples, from the borders of the Roman Empire to the extreme polar north of Norway. The most common is the so-called Proto-Scandinavian version, from which all subsequent ones came. It was used until the 8th century AD, which corresponds to the Iron Age in these territories. Most often such runes are found on ancient weapons, armor and roadside stones. Such symbols were used in magical and religious rituals in the future. Sacred and memorial inscriptions are still found in necropolises and thickets.

In Eastern Europe, Gothic runes brought here from Scandinavia became widespread. They can be found even in Ukraine and Romania. After some Germanic people settled in the British Isles, they developed their own variation of this writing system. This was due to isolation from their former homeland and assimilation with the “natives” - the Angles, Saxons, etc. They acquired new runes, many of which began to denote double sounds in writing (linguists call them diphthongs). These have been preserved even in modern German.

They are considered especially exotic. They appeared on a distant island, which was then considered the northwestern edge of the world. They are characterized by the use of dotted lines. These runes were in use until the 14th century. As for the Scandinavian signs, they disappeared with the advent of Christianity in the kingdoms of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The use of runes was considered heresy and was severely punished by the authorities.

Ancient Egypt

One of the most famous symbols of Ancient Egypt is the Ankh. This is a cross, which is crowned with a ring on top. It symbolized life and eternity. There are also interpretations of the cross and the ring as signs of the rising sun, the union of the masculine and feminine principles. The Ankh was used in burial rituals, as the Egyptians believed that those buried with the Ankh in the sarcophagus would receive an eternal afterlife.

In everyday life, a rounded cross also meant prosperity and happiness. It was often carried with them as a talisman and a talisman for good luck. The ankh was used to protect against dark magic. In addition, his images were even found on the walls of river canals. The Egyptians were very dependent on how the Nile would flood and what the harvest would be. That is why the Ankh was painted inside the canal, so that no harm would happen to it, and the natural elements remained friendly to the inhabitants.

It is curious that after the ancient Egyptian culture faded into oblivion, Ankh managed to survive. For some time, ancient culture triumphed on the banks of the Nile, and later Islam came. But back in the first centuries AD, Christians appeared here and founded their Coptic community. It was they who adopted the Ankh because of its external resemblance to the cross.

Eye of Horus

Another important Egyptian symbol is the all-seeing eye. The image of a painted eye is a reference to the god Horus, who is the master of the sky. The spiral that was drawn under the eye meant the eternal movement of energy. This symbol was often used as a talisman against troubles and evil spirits.

In Egyptian mythology, there is a story about the battle of Horus and Set. This is a common metaphor for the struggle between good and evil. Since Horus was the personification of everything bright, healers and priests began to use his sign to treat the sick and those injured in battles. The Egyptians also had developed mathematics. The Eye of Horus found its application here too - it denoted a fraction.

Scarabs and Isis

Another popular symbol of Ancient Egypt is the scarab. The beetles that lived in dung and made balls out of it represented hard work. In addition, they were associated with the sun god Ra, who, like insects, moved this light source every day. Scarabs were popular talismans, seals and even medals for services to the pharaoh. Beetle figurines were used in afterlife ceremonies. They were placed in the sarcophagus of the dead or even placed in the place where the heart used to be (all organs were cut out and placed in separate vessels). Ancient symbols often had such a dual use - in everyday life and at funerals. Residents of the banks of the Nile had a reverent attitude towards death.

Figurines of the goddess Isis often came across treasure hunters in treasuries. It was a symbol of land, fertility and prosperity. Isis is one of the most revered gods of this pantheon. The symbol of water in Egypt meant life. And it is not surprising, because this culture was based on the banks of the Nile, beyond which there was a dead and merciless desert.

The symbols of Ancient Egypt entered modern culture after the fashion for art deco appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1920s, all of Europe and the United States watched with bated breath the discoveries of archaeologists. These were pyramids and hidden tombs, the most famous of which were left on the walls as stories and omens.

Rome

The Roman Empire was built around its capital. For many centuries, the capital was a symbol of the center of the ancient world. Therefore, in the Roman pantheon there was a special cult of this city. Its symbol was the Capitoline wolf.

According to myth, the founders of Rome, the brothers Romulus and Remus, were royal children. After their uncle came to power during the coup, he ordered the babies to be thrown into the river. This was done, but they survived after they were found by the Capitoline wolf, who fed them. When the children grew up, Romulus founded Rome and became king of a new state that lasted for another millennium.

That is why all the symbols of Ancient Rome faded in front of the she-wolf. Her bronze sculpture stood at the capital's forum, where the most important government decisions were made. The image became iconic and was often used by townspeople.

In Rome, ancient symbols and their meanings were often associated with power. For example, when it was still just a small republic, magistracy played a big role in it. This was an elected position for one year. The lictor had a symbol of power that distinguished him from the general row of townspeople. These are fascias - bundles of birch or elm twigs covered with a belt or cord. An ax was also used as a symbol, which meant that the person carrying it could execute the guilty.

Ancient Greece

Roman mythology was largely formed under the influence of another great culture - Greek. Therefore, some of the designations of Hellas were also relevant for the Italians.

For example, the symbols of Ancient Greece include the image of the staff of Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. According to legend, he was called by a Cretan who asked him to resurrect his prematurely dead son. Asclepius walked into the palace with a staff in his hand. At some point, he was attacked by a snake, but the man killed it with his stick. Following the first, a second reptile crawled up, which had grass in its mouth. With her help, she resurrected the snake. Then Asclepius took this plant with him to the palace and helped Minos. Since then, the staff with the snake has become

Another variation that exists in modern times is the cup of Hygeia with a snake. This girl was the daughter of Asclepius. The symbol has become an international sign of medicine.

Another image of a staff common in Greece and adopted by Rome is the Caduceus. used by heralds who announced the end of war between states (for example, between Athens and Sparta). Therefore, the Caduceus became used by both the Greeks and the Romans. The image migrated to medieval European heraldry.

Ancient love symbols in Greece included the butterfly. This beautiful insect was associated with family harmony and happiness.

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