THE COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF' SIGNSOSn{BOLS ldentification <strong>and</strong> analysis of the visual vocabulary that formulates our thoughts <strong>and</strong> dictates our reactions to the world around us MARK O'CONNELL AND RAJE AIREY I.^"^.^ I ugntvtss
INTRODTJCTION ABovE The ancient Egyptian ankh is an early manrleslalron ol tne cross symbol. The rvord 'slmbol" rs denved from the ancient tireck srmballein. me.rnrng t() thro\r toBclher. lt5 figuratir-e use onglnated ln ihe custom o[ hre rkrnu .r.'l.r' t rhl,,r r.r mtrk the conclusron of a coniracr or agreement. each party to the 1dya,hr., "..'"1,1 1.. ,-i. -n onc of rhe brokcn ni...p< L' '1..' lllllt) J! J llllSJlrtE \Ut'r!(r".'6 rn inrrirhla par' rhrr rs need(d to rchrcve <strong>com</strong>pletion or wholeness. \\'hether consciouslv or unconsclousl)'. the sr.mbol carnes lhe sense oI i,)rninr rhinu< tns.rh.r r,) .rprrr a u hole sra:t"r J"...,..b th rn rh" irrm , rl rtc n2rl\ rq lh:d.< n[ mpnrno "''*' ' " b accrue to produce a <strong>com</strong>plex idea. .\ .ign. On thr ._,iher h<strong>and</strong>. mav bc undersioOo .ls slrmcf hlng lhal st<strong>and</strong>s Ior. .rr pornts to. ;omclhlng clsc tn I m\\re llrcrxl u ar .\ stgn exLsts f Lr -ofl\ pv rnformJrion .rbout a speci[lc obJcct or rdea. r.r'hrle a sr,:mbol tends to tngger a series of perceptrons, beLrefs lnrl cmnilonai rcsponses For cxample. ds J si.{n. the r,vord rree' means a parlicular type of plant that develops a permanent wood,v structure \L1lh a trunk <strong>and</strong> branches. roots <strong>and</strong> Leaves. As a svmbol. f he rrec mer. hrre mJnv mcJnlnBs. rt aJn represent t'rurtfulness <strong>and</strong> the bount,v of nature, endurance <strong>and</strong> longevrtv or the web oi lamrly reLatronshrps, as a Chnstran s,r.rnbol ri can refer to the cross, <strong>and</strong> rn man,v traditions it represents rhe 'tree of hfe' thar links Lhe er.'ery,day world w.ith the w.orld of splnt. Nerther srgns nor s,,mbols have intnnsic meanrng. The same tree can be descnbed b,v manl' ditferent rvords rn different languages. rnJ irs meanrngs .is a sr.mbol rrc formed through human intcructron urth rr. B(rth irgns <strong>and</strong> srmbtrls hrve bceome part oI human social <strong>and</strong> culturaL identrtl.. changing <strong>and</strong> evolving as we do. Thev are vehicLes tor rnformation <strong>and</strong> meantng, operatlng on manl- different levels - the universal <strong>and</strong> particular. intellectual <strong>and</strong> emotronal, spatral <strong>and</strong> temporal. spintual <strong>and</strong> matertal. Thev are a \ ;a! of makrng sense oi expenence. lf we could not classifv the rvorld using s1-rnboh codes ancl structures we q,ould be ovcnvhclmed br senson Jat.r. \\e need r u'av of descnl'lng ilhar happens to us in order to underst<strong>and</strong> it. .\s n'clI as bcing an esscnu:l part of human socrcl\. ;igns <strong>and</strong> sl,mboLs appear rn narure. <strong>and</strong> mav reter to pre-consclous informauon. as rn the case of smoke signifving a fire nearbr'. or rrjck; .,tpnn,rst ''*'"- rrr rl^e arr\rn,.> -'b"rnnmrrrlr ,_nnrr..rrl .^.th '_-- 'L ' L ,rf : nrrricrrlr rrrmal Thrs book rs r.....-'..... ....,. ilqns tnat nJve e consclous Jr unconsclous meanrng for humans. but as w'e are roored in narure. we will se. [i1at the re mar- be cleeper connecllons betw"een natural phenomena <strong>and</strong> the sr,mbols that are meanrngful to us. 1r'L l -: '- ' - I I v llltq :l3ll> "-L dllu >\ illuurr ,ls c,tn ien e r ,ts ar manq Lilaf' r or wr notnlcrs y ln crendar. or consensus. realrtv rhe ;rrnbols of ihe dream or spLnl worlds can help us to nav-rgate the psvchospirltual terrarn of non- , onqinsltq ra:) rlr' (rrn'i:tnd dre:lm ltgure. are undcrstood ro gutde us or <strong>com</strong>pensate for some part of our wholeness as yet unljr cJ The srgnrficance uf such slmbols <strong>and</strong> srgns fundamenralll r]cnrnrlc nn ,rrrr frepd.rm ' -'-- '- | ' ' L *-r- '-' -' _ _ *- rU " tgSPUl tu LU LLL(tLi The rbilitv to grve meanlng to srgns <strong>and</strong> s,vrnbols led to the possibrhtv of <strong>com</strong>munrcation <strong>and</strong> reflection, <strong>and</strong> has enabled human beings to pass dor,r.n their hrstories, mythologies <strong>and</strong> worldviervs b,u- means of storytelhng, art <strong>and</strong> the wntten word. :runs :n,l srrh,,lc h:rra nleved r . nre rel nert in frrrthcrino nrrr ,..5 "", sclentilic underst<strong>and</strong>ing of the u'orld <strong>and</strong> have helped us to rlaVal,rn rncreasrnslr , .rmnlex teehnolosres rdr rncrnu Irnm the rnvention of pnmitrve tools to <strong>com</strong>puters <strong>and</strong> spacecraft. Rehgious <strong>and</strong> sprnrual trrdrtLons harr use,-l sr mbolrsm io help on 'he journev towards an underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong> experience oi the dinne <strong>and</strong> tou'ards "nght linng" In ps,v-chology', approaches have been darelcnrd.ht' ,r;a lmh,tlrSm lJ nurk lguards 1[s rlrunmort nf mrnd. bodv <strong>and</strong> nature. ABOUT THIS BOOK This book explores the use <strong>and</strong> pow'er of srrnbols. whether thel are exploited [or rndivrdua] or socrai well-being, or tow-ards dinsrve or manipula[lve ends. lt rs drnded into three sectlons. Part One provrdes an overr,ieu' o[ the uses, meaning <strong>and</strong> clevelopment of signs <strong>and</strong> symbols as seen lrom a number of different perspectives: histoncal, cross-cultural, sociologlcal <strong>and</strong> ps\-chologrcal. Par. h,r'o l.roks at the applrcaLrons of s)mbois rn many areas of lile. <strong>and</strong> rncludes chaprers on culture <strong>and</strong> <strong>com</strong>munication. abstract sl.rnbols. m,vth <strong>and</strong> the cosmos. plants <strong>and</strong> anlmaLs, the human hfe cycle. <strong>and</strong> the earth Finall)'. Part Three. the reference directory contains more than l,t-r00 signs <strong>and</strong> slmboLs. each with its or.r'n ideograph <strong>and</strong> a bnef explanation of its meaning <strong>and</strong> application. it rs hoped thar the infbrmatron in this book w.rll sttmulate reaclers rnteresl in this proiound <strong>and</strong> <strong>com</strong>plex sub.1ect. promprlng them to look be1'ond the superficial meaning of everydav ob1ecrs <strong>and</strong> ideas to arrive at a greater underst<strong>and</strong>ing of rhe wa1's in rvhich so much of dariy life, <strong>and</strong> the rvav lve <strong>com</strong>munrcate with each other, ls informed bv the richness of srgns <strong>and</strong> slmbols.
Change language