In different situations a person encounters symbolism, and many signs have a truly ancient origin and are interpreted by modern society incorrectly. For you, we picked up the most popular characters and their real meaning.
In ordinary life, a person encounters different signs, for example, card suits, infinity, a medical sign and many others. However, very few really know the true origin and significance of the drawings. Let's correct this defect and we'll figure it out.
1. Heart
The most romantic symbol, which means love and warm feelings. If we compare the sign of the heart and the organ itself, it is clear that they are not similar, and there are several theories of the appearance of such an image. One version is based on ancient drawings that represent the heart symbol in the form of ivy leaves, and this plant is associated with fidelity.
There is an even more plausible explanation - the symbol of the heart arose from the already extinct silphium plant. It grew on the territory of North Africa and was revered for its medicinal properties, and used it as a means of birth control.
Another theory related to the human body came from the Middle Ages. Aristotle in his works described the heart as something consisting of three chambers and a hollow. In the 14th century, the Italian physician Guido da Vigevano made a series of drawings on which the heart was depicted in a well-known form. Distribution symbol received in the Renaissance and it began to perceive as the embodiment of love.
2. Tricvetre
The ancient symbol includes three petals, enclosed in a circle. By the way, he is known for many thanks to the popular TV series "Enchanted", so he is associated with magic. Trikvetr has an ancient history. So, even in the Bronze Age in Europe it was used to refer to the position of the sun in the sky: the sunrise, zenith and sunset, as well as the phases of the moon. The symbol was popular among the Celts and Scandinavians.
3. The international flag of the planet Earth
Since it is believed that astronauts do not speak for a country that finances the flight, but for the planet as a whole, a special flag and symbol was invented, representing seven intertwined white rings on a blue background. The symbol appeared long ago, it stands for the "Seed of Life", and it is considered a part of "Sacred Geometry". Use this term to denote the universal geometric patterns found in nature. By the way, "Seed of Life" has a similarity to the cellular structure during embryonic development. One of the most ancient images was found in the temple of Osiris in Egypt, its age is 5-6 thousand years.
4. Icons "play", "pause" and "stop"
There is no unanimous opinion as to who first came up with these signs. According to one version, it was a painter Vasily Kandinsky, and the other was Rain Veersham, who created the first cassette tape. It is also known why such figures were chosen: the square is a symbol of stability, and the triangle is a movement. As for the sign "pause", it has a connection with the musical icon "caesura", which is used to separate musical phrases.
5. Yin-Yang
A well-known symbol in the philosophy of China, which spread throughout the world. The basic concept of Yin-Yang is two sides of the same coin: good and bad. At the same time, Yin can turn into Yang and vice versa. Yin is used to refer to the feminine, and Ian is male.
6. Skull and bones
The basic association with the skull is death, but its image is also used as a symbol of eternal life, since the bones are incorruptible. This sign can be seen on the gates of cemeteries, icons, paintings and so on. Interestingly, the symbol of the skull and bones is not pirated, since the sea robbers did not have a single symbol. "Jolly Roger" is the sign of pirate Edward Ingland. Distribution was a sign thanks to the work of Robert Stevenson's "Treasure Island".
7. The Red Cross
To many, the symbol of the International Red Cross is similar to the flag of Switzerland and it is not just that, since the idea of creating an organization was born in this country. Interestingly, the Muslims refused to use the symbol, because they associate it with Christianity. For them an equivalent badge was proposed - a red crescent. Both options were not suitable for the people of Israel, for whom a neutral option was invented - a red crystal.
8. Ihtis
Many saw this symbol, which is a primitive image of a fish with an abbreviation in the center of ΙΧΘΥΣ, but the meaning of this figure is not clear to everyone. In fact, ichthys has a connection with faith and is an ancient symbol of Christ. The presented abbreviation stands for Ἰησοὺς Χριστὸς Θεoς Υιὸς Σωτήρ (Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior), and in translation from the Greek language it means "fish". The symbol was chosen in times of persecution, because Christians could not openly write the name of Jesus Christ, they painted fish and wrote an abbreviation.
9. Bluetooth symbol
In translation from English, bluetooth translates as a "blue tooth" and here there is quite a natural question - what connection does it have with wireless technology. The very method of data transmission was invented in 1994 by the Ericsson telecommunications company in Sweden. If you focus on the past of the Vikings, in Sweden this symbol connects two runes: H and B.
10. Card suit
It's difficult to find a person who would never have seen a map, but many do not know the meaning of suits. In fact, the suits are stylized images of specific objects: tambourines are coins, worms are goblets, clubs are wands or clubs, and peaks are swords. Why these symbols were on the cards is not known. There is a version that since the cards came from China, suits could designate different classes: military (swords), noblemen (wands), merchants (coins) and clergy (cups).
11. The Pentagram
To date, this symbol is used to refer to modern witchcraft, Satanism and Freemasonry. The pentagram is more ancient than these practices, for example, a drawing was found on the cave wall of Babylonia. For some time, the pentagram was used even as a seal of Jerusalem, and in the Middle Ages it was the symbol of the five wounds that Jesus received during the crucifixion. With Satanism, the pentagram became associated only in the 20th century.
12. The symbol of hairdressing salons
Who was in Europe and America, they could notice near some institutions signs in the form of red-blue-white candy, and this is not a simple decoration. In fact, this sign is a symbol of hairdressing salons. It appeared at a time when hairdressers were still a few doctors and conducted bloodletting and other primitive procedures. As a result, the red color in this sign is a symbol of blood, and white - bandages. After a while, blue color was added to this tandem.
13. Symbol of medicine
Many will be surprised by the fact that a cane with wings and two snakes has become a symbol of medicine due to an error. According to the myths of Ancient Greece, the god of Hermes had a rod identical to this symbol, and he used it to stop disputes and reconcile people, that is, with medicine he had no connection. The mistake of image selection occurred more than 100 years ago, when US military doctors confused the staff of Hermes with the staff of Asklepius (the ancient Greek god of medicine), which has no wings and only one snake.
14. The Olympic Rings
Many know that the five multi-colored rings on the main symbol of the Olympic Games, represent the continents: yellow - Asia, red - America, black - Africa, blue - Australia, and green - Europe. But few people know that the creator of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, did not invest in this symbol of any significance, and its meaning is that colors of rings and white background can make flags of all countries in the world.
15. The Star of David
The history of this symbol is very ancient - it was widely used for 3 thousand years before our era. The Star of David combines two differently directed triangles, which embody the feminine and masculine. This symbol also refers to the heart chakra.
16. The Inverted Cross
Many perceive it as a strong anti-Christian sign, but there is another version. According to the legend, after the death of Jesus, the apostle Peter also wanted to crucify, who said he was not ready to perish in the same way as the Son of God. In the end, he asked to be crucified upside down. In Christianity, an inverted cross is a symbol of humility and patience, so it can be seen in some Christian churches.
17. The symbol "OK"
For our people, this sign has a positive meaning, and we show it when we want to express approval or consent, but this interpretation is not used everywhere. It is important to know that in some countries of Europe "OK" is perceived by a person, as a hint that he is "zero." Even more negative in the Mediterranean and South American countries, where such gesture is perceived as a symbol of the anus. If you look at history, in fact it is a ritual gesture used in Buddhism and Hinduism.
18. Symbol of peace
Many people are sure that this symbol has a direct connection with the hippy movement, which was common in the 1960s. Ready to be surprised? So, Gerald Holt thought up this sign to bring to the world the message that Britain had abandoned nuclear weapons. The man claims that the drawing represents a person frightened by a nuclear race. After a while, the symbol was supplemented by several lines and a circle. Holt did not protect the symbol with copyright, so through time it was used to embody freedom and peace.
19. Female and male characters
To designate the male, use the sign "Mars" and it is a circle with an arrow coming out of it in the upper right part. In addition to being a symbol of the planet Mars, it is also an image of a shield with a spear. As for the female symbol, it is called "Venus" and serves as a reminder of the inclusive nature of the universe and personifies the womb of a woman. By the way, the cross was added in the XVI century, it is located at the bottom of the circle, and its meaning - to indicate that any matter is born from a "spiritual and loving womb."
20. "Check"
This flag is used in many countries to mark something correct, tested or completed. Interestingly, this symbol appeared long ago, even in the era of the Roman Empire. At that time, the letter "V" was used to shorten the word veritas, which means "truth." The right side of the symbol at writing was longer than the left, because at that time feathers were used and at the beginning of the letter the ink did not immediately fall on the paper. Here is an unexpected explanation for the appearance of a "tick".