Symbolism : a comprehensive dictionary

237 Pages·2012·7.77 MB·English

by  Olderr, Steven

SYMBOLISM
SECONDEDITION
ALSOBYSTEVENOLDERR
The Pan American Games / Los Juegos Panamericanos:
A Statistical History, 1951–1999, bilingual edition /
Una Historia Estadística, 1951–1999, edición bilingüe
(McFarland, 2003; paperback 2009)
Reverse Symbolism Dictionary:
Symbols Listed by Subject
(McFarland, 1992; paperback 2005)
S
YMBOLISM
A Comprehensive Dictionary
SECOND EDITION
Steven Olderr
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Olderr, Steven.
Symbolism : a comprehensive dictionary /
Steven Olderr—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-7864-6955-0
softcover : acid free paper
1. Symbolism—Dictionaries.
I. Title.
CB475.O38 2012 302.2'22303—dc23 2012004954
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2012 Steven Olderr. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Front cover images © 2012 Shutterstock
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
Pour
Patricia Pingatore Olderr
toujours une rose sous un autre nom
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Preface
1
THE DICTIONARY
3
vii
This page intentionally left blank
Preface
If you are new to the use of symbolism, it is well to remember that it is an
art, not a science. The meaning of a symbol is always affected by its context. Dif-
ferent people use symbols in different ways even within the same culture or genre.
For the sake of convenience, however, symbols herein are usually listed under the
culture or genre where they first appeared or have their greatest use. It doesn’t
mean the symbol hasn’t migrated to other cultures. The information is offered
primarily as a starting point for your analysis.
Symbols that are in general use or whose source is unknown are listed directly
after the headword and before specific cultures or genres. For example:
azaleatransitoriness; the ephemeral; fire • Chinesegreat abilities; feminine
grace; tragedy • heraldictemperance; passion • Japaneseassociated with
April
The order of listings within a heading is largely random and should not be
taken to mean an item has greater or lesser importance.
Please note that this is a historical work; regrettably, some symbols may be
offensive.
A Few Subheading Conventions
• Christianincludes the New Testament. Old Testament symbols are generally
listed under the subheading Jewish, unless they have a specifically Christian
application, such as Adam being considered a precursor of Jesus.
• Greek and Romancultures intermingled greatly, and as such, these symbols
are usually combined under the heading Greco-Roman.
• Indic is used for those symbols that cannot be pinned to a specific religion
in India. Listings for the country of India are far more likely to be under the
headings Hinduor Islamic as their meanings can be quite distinct.
• Jewishincludes all Jewish culture, including the early Hebrews and the Old
Testament
Further Information
The unique feature of this dictionary is its breadth. There are more than
15,000 entries—more than any other source. While space constraints preclude
1