D.R. McElroy - Signs & Symbols of the World: Over 1,001 Visual Signs Explained (Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia, 4)

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First published in 2020 by Wellfleet Press,
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Digital edition: 978-1-57715-186-9
Softcover edition: 978-0-76036-608-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: McElroy, D. R. (Debra R.), author.

Title: Signs & symbols of the world : over 1,001 visual signs explained / D.R. McElroy.

Other titles: Signs and symbols of the world

Description: New York, NY : Wellfleet Press, 2019.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019029954 (print) | LCCN 2019029955 (ebook) | ISBN 9780760365786 | ISBN 9780760365786 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Signs and symbols--Dictionaries.

Classification: LCC GR931 .M44 2019 (print) | LCC GR931 (ebook) | DDC 302.2/223003--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019029954

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019029955

Publisher: Rage Kindelsperger
Creative Director: Laura Drew
Managing Editor: Cara Donaldson
Senior Editor: John Foster
Art Director: Cindy Samargia Laun
Cover Design: Jay Smith, Juicebox Designs
Page Design: Danielle Smith-Boldt, Miss Ds Designs

Thumbs up sign.

D o you recognize this symbol? Of course, its the thumbs up sign. In the Western world, this is a symbol for something positive. It may mean OK, Yes, or I will. It might even mean Good. In the Middle East, however, it is considered an extremely rude up yours gesture. Every day of our lives, signs and symbols give us information that we can instantly file away or put to immediate use. We take for granted these things that we see every day, but imagine what life would be like without them. The world would be covered in billboards that spelled out every little thing we need to do on a daily basis. Imagine traffic without directional, guiding, or even STOP and GO lights?

Symbols that we encounter every day include traffic signs, business logos, infographics, directions, and locations. Clocks are symbols that we use to mark the passage of time, as are calendars. Our cars tell us how fast we are going, how much gas we have left, and even whether our seat belts are buckled. At the store, aisle contents are marked, prices are displayed, and receipts show us what weve purchased. We decorate our bodies with jewelry, tattoos, and piercingsall of which have meaning for the wearer. Tattoos are often chosen for their cool factor, without the wearer having any idea what the symbol means. Jewelry is not only symbolic on its own (e.g. wedding rings), but how its worn may affect the wearers purpose, too. There are many different ways to represent things visually, but lets start with some sign and symbol definitions.

Amulet

An amulet is an ornament or small piece of jewelry thought to give protection against evil, danger, or disease. Examples of amulets include this gorgeous Egyptian scarab. By wearing or carrying an amulet, individuals can protect themselves, with physical barriers against evil or misfortune. If an individual fails to have the amulet on their person, misery can befall them at any time.

Egyptian scarab amulet.

Emblem

An embelm is a heraldic device or symbolic object used as a distinctive badge of a nation, organization, or family. Emblems are heraldic in nature, meaning they contain images whose individual parts have meaning outside of their use in the emblem. For example, in the case of these motorcycle emblems, wheels and pistons are representative of motorized vehicles. Even standing by themselves the objects have meaning. Emblems are specific to the group they representheraldic emblems represent a particular family or house, and sometimes a particular individual. Numerous heraldic shields include the image of a lion, the meaning of which changes depending on what color it is, which direction its facing, and if its standing up or lying down. In this case, the lion is standing on one rear leg with the other three in the air and its tail up. It is described as a black lion rampant.

Motorcycle emblems.

A black lion rampant heraldic shield emblem.

Glyph

A glyph is a hieroglyphic symbol or character, a pictograph. A glyph is typically a vector or line drawing that shows a picture that has meaning other than what it directly represents. These glyphs, for example, are actually just lines and triangles, but here they are representing different metaphysical states by combining the shapes into symbols that have been adopted and recognized by the group or groups that utilize them most. Glyphs are frequently abstract, and their meaning must be determined by research or by gaining access to the knowledge of the group that determined them. Alchemy, religion, and business make frequent use of glyphs; whole books have been written on the symbols of alchemy alone. Current research indicates that there are nearly 5,000 known glyphs for alchemy.

Lines and triangles form these glyphs that represent metaphysical states.