For questions relating to mythical symbols or depictions in artwork.
Questions tagged [iconography]
18 questions
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3 answers
Which god holds a shepherd's crook?
Which, if any, god(s) in the ancient world is depicted as holding a shepherd's crook? I am looking for gods depicted in such ways in statues, idols, drawings, etc...
Reb Chaim HaQoton
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9
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2 answers
Contribution of ancient Greek pottery to mythology studies
I was wondering if the study of ancient Greek pottery art has contributed to the field of Mythology, and how, besides the cool illustrations:
Heracles and Athena. Source pic: Wikipedia.
For example, has ancient Greek vase painting challenged any…
Rodia
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9
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Why does the astrology sign for cancer seem to represent a yin and yang?
This somewhat represents mythology around cancer specifically.
Why does the astrology sign for Cancer seem to represent a yin and yang?
According to this
This is also seen as two crab's claws, intertwined in a way which
represents the dual nature…
William
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8
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1 answer
Who is the female figure in the Nirgul tablet?
The Nirgul tablet (also known as Cerberus relief) was a Parthian relief carving of the Mesopotamian god Nergal, a three-headed dog and a seated female figure:
According to Wikipedia, which cites Lucinda Dirven's paper A Goddess with dogs from…
yannis
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What is the significance of the three stars in Ruben's Saturn painting?
What is the significance of the three stars in Peter Paul Ruben's Saturn devouring a Son painting?
Peter Paul Rubens
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1 answer
What culture does this duality symbol belong to?
While browsing today I came upon this symbol tagged as duality, but I am unable to identify it.
Does anybody recognize where this symbol comes from? Is it part of a culture/religion or just something an artist doodled?
Miha Šušteršič
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What is the significance of the two cities on the Shield of Achilles?
In Book 18 of the Iliad, Homer describes the Shield of Achilles. The second layer from the shield's centre features scenes from two cities. In the first city a wedding and a tribunal are taking place:
He wrought also two cities, fair to see and…
yannis
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Did ancient Greek authors describe any consistent details of the Olympians' appearance (hair/eye color, relative height, etc)?
Obviously there are tons of statues of various gods, but these can usually be summed up as "muscular men and beautiful women." There's not a ton of detail in terms of facial appearance, compared with busts of historical figures (e.g. Augustus,…
Nerrolken
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What symbol is on the staff of The Sorceress by Georges Merle?
This painting depicts a number of symbols from various cultures. It was shown at a Paris exhibition in 1883, and I suspect the painting is more imagination than an accurate depiction of any sorceress. That said, the subject holds a staff with a…
creative-username
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What is this Norse symbol?
It is possibly Icelandic but I can only find it in one place with no name or explanation. Similar to a helm of awe but with an A in the middle and the ends are alternating circles and crescents.
Fiona
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What do we know about the winged male figures representing the souls of warriors in the weighing of souls?
The pictured black-figured lekythos features Hermes (in his role as a psychopomp), weighing the souls of Achilles and a Trojan warrior (Memnon or Hector):
What I find particularly interesting in the scene is the two winged male figures on the…
yannis
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Was the Grim Reaper originally depicted with a scythe or a sickle?
Was the Grim Reaper originally depicted with a scythe or a sickle? I have seen both versions of the Angel of Death's weapon and was wondering which one is considered the older, more original version.
Related question: What is the origin of Grim…
Reb Chaim HaQoton
- 1,399
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4
votes
1 answer
Why was Nekhbet depicted as a vulture?
Nekhbet, a predynastic goddess that eventually became the patron of Upper Egypt, was commonly depicted in art as a vulture.
Why is that? The vulture seems - at least to me - like an odd choice for one of the holiest of deities in the Egyptian…
yannis
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Who is the figure holding a cross next to Christ fallen with the cross in the statue at Budapest 2, Pasaréti tér?
Christian iconography question. This is about a 1936 life-sized statue of Jesus Christ fallen beneath the cross, by sculptor Somló Sári. The statue is at Budapest 2. ker. Pasaréti tér, next to the Franciscan roman catholic church of Pasarét…
Matt Cloudy-grid
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3
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Why is the constellation Capricornus depicted as a sea-goat?
The constellation Capricornus is often represented in the form of a sea-goat:
Why is that? Are there tales that attempt to explain how this curious hybrid came to be?
yannis
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