ymbols and ymbolism

18.  Symbol & Symbolism Websites

Legend:  Text only = Site only has text descriptions and narratives;   = Site has graphics and text;   = Site has only graphics, any text is limited to labels

General:

• Dream Symbols.  Dream emporium.   URL: http://dreamemporium.com/dream_symbols.html. (Text only)
• Lyricalworks.  Lyricalworks.  URL:  http://www.lyricalworks.com/homepage.htm  
  A collection of works on symbols and symbolism, myths, dreams, and stories, not necessarily by authorities.

  Online Symbolism Dictionary.  University of Michigan Fantasy and Science Fiction.  URL:  http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/  

  Mainly text only entries with occasional graphics.

  Symbol.  Wikipedia.  URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol  (Text only)

  Symbols.com:  Encyclopedia of Western signs & ideograms.   Symbols.com.  URL:  http://www.symbols.com/  

  "SYMBOLS.com contains more than 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics. In 1,600 articles their histories, uses, and meanings are thoroughly discussed."

  Symbols.net.  Url:  http://www.symbols.net/.

  An index to many symbol sites, well categorized.  Available in many languages.

  Symbolism.org: Symbolism of popular culture. Symbolism.Orf.  UR: http://www.symbolism.org/   Text only.

  A site of analytical works on symbolism and symbols.

Africa:

• Adinkra Symbols of West Africa  Well-tempered Design.  URL: http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra_index.htm  
  38 graphic and labelled symbols briefly defined.

American Native Tribes:

• Government of Nunavut:  About the Flag and Coat of Arms.  Government of Nunavut, Canada.  URL:  http://www.gov.nu.ca/Nunavut/English/about/symbols.shtml  
• Powerful Symbols.  Powersource, Inc.  Url:  http://www.powersource.com/gallery/objects/default.html.  
  Uses 8 animals to explain their meaning, especially as relates to various Native American tribes.

  What Does This Indian Symbol Mean?.  Collector's Guide.  URL:  http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa040.shtml  

  This page concentrates on symbols from the Southwest.

Anatomy & the human form:

• Iris Symbols and Iris Cardinals. Iris Studies for Better Health.  URL: http://www.iris-ward.com/_HTM/SITE/SYMB/1053-UDJT.htm  
  A very detailed study of historical and anthropolical use of circular structures/forms, and their relation to the iris of the eye.

Animals:

• See also:  Heraldry
• The Bestiary.  Suzetta Tucker.  URL: http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/beast.htm (text only)
• Beetles as Religious Symbols.  Bugbios.  URL:http://www.insects.org/ced2/beetles_rel_sym.html
• Chinese Zodiac Symbols.  Feng Shui Jade Charms.  URL:  http://www.chinese-zodiac-symbols.com/  
• Powerful Symbols.  Powersource, Inc.  Url:  http://www.powersource.com/gallery/objects/default.html.
  Uses 8 animals to explain their meaning, especially as relates to various Native American tribes.

Architecture:

• See also:   Death, Graves, and Tombstones, below.
• Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture.  http://home.att.net/~wegast/symbols/symbols.htm  
  This is a rather extensive site, well organized, with articles about symbolism and the Church, as well as an alphabetical encyclopedia of symbols, showing the symbol beside an in-depth explanation.   Well crossreferenced, a rarity on the web that makes it so easy.

Australia:

• Oceania Mythology.  Jane Resture.  URL:  http://www.janeresture.com/oceania_myths/
  Includes Australia, Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.  Navigation bar to left allows easy navigation between regions and/or specific cultures.

China:

• Chinese Paper Gods.  C.V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University.  URL:  http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/eastasian/paper_gods//  
  A collection assembled by Anne S. Goodrich in 1931, while a missionary in Beijing.  The collection is divided into those images for display (arranged by where they were to be displayed) and ceremonial (arranged by category.)

  Chinese Zodiac Symbols.  Feng Shui Jade Charms.  URL:  http://www.chinese-zodiac-symbols.com/  

  A commercial site with some interesting information about the various years, their animal signs, and significances.

Colors:

• Color Matters.  Color Matters.  URL:  http://www.colormatters.com/entercolormatters.html   
  A site with a variety of information about color and its use.  Most relevant to symbolism is the section on psychology, "Color and the Brain," which includes a section on symbolism.

Cultural/national symbols, ancient and modern:

• See also:  Egypt
• See also:  Ireland
• Canada Online: Symbols of Provinces of Canada.  Susan Munroe.  URL:  http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/symbolsprov/  
  Links to various sites related to symbols and signs of Canada and its provinces.

  Colorado State Archives Symbols & Emblems.  Colorado Dept. of Personnel and Administration.  URL:  http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/history/symbemb.htm  

  Emancipation and Independence: National Symbols.  Government of Jamaica.  URL:  http://www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/Independence/symbols.html  

  Government of Nunavut:  About the Flag and Coat of Arms.  Government of Nunavut, Canada.  URL:  http://www.gov.nu.ca/Nunavut/English/about/symbols.shtml  

  National Symbols of Estonia.  Estonian Institute.  URL: http://www.einst.ee/publications/symbols/  

Death, graves, and tombstones:

• Guardian Guide to Memorial Selection - Symbolism.  Guardian Memorials by Granite Industries of Vermont: http://www.granitevermont.com/index.html. 
  Shows examples of symbols with their meanings.  Unfortunately transliterates Greek letters a bit clumsily in Cyrillic(?), rather than using Greek or Roman alphabets, thus making some of their explanations a bit cumbersome.  (E.g. ΞΡΙΣΤΟΣ as XPICTOC rather than the more understandable CRISTOS or CHRISTOS.

  Tomb with a View. (Main site) url:  http://members.aol.com/TombView/symbol.html.   Text only.

  Has two links: one to an extensive list of gravestone symbols and their meanings, the other to personal significances of trees.

Egypt:

• Ancient Egyptian Symbols/Symbolism.  Ancientnile.co.uk:  http://www.ancientnile.co.uk/index.html  
• Egyptian Symbols and Definitions.  Richard Deurer.  URL: http://members.aol.com/egyptart/symlst.html  

Gems, minerals, etc.:

• Birthstones, Crystals, Minerals, Jewelry, Semi-Precious Stones and ....  Jewelry Supplier.com:  http://www.jewelrysupplier.com/index.html. 
  Choose the stone and this site explains the interpretations, including astrological, associated with that stone.

Heraldry:

• Heraldry Symbols: The Symbols of Irish Heraldry Explained  Irish Surnames.com.  URL: http://www.irishsurnames.com/heraldiccharges.htm
  A well organized site, with separate pages for colors, line, shields, beasts, birds, plants, and "other" forms in heraldry.

  The Meanings Behind the Symbols.  Fleur-de-lis Designs.  URL: http://www.fleurdelis.com/meanings.htm

  Includes pages on family crests, mottoes, school crests, and clan tartans & badges.

  Symbolisms of Heraldry.  Heraldry on the Internet: http://digiserve.com/heraldry/index.htm.

  This page explains the significance of possible elements in coats of arms.

India:

• Hinduism: Symbols We Live With.  Subhamoy Das.  URL:  http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa121400a.htm 

Ireland:

• CAIN: Symbols Used in Northern Ireland.  CAIN Web Service. URL: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/images/symbols/  
• Heraldry Symbols: The Symbols of Irish Heraldry Explained  Irish Surnames.com.  URL: http://www.irishsurnames.com/heraldiccharges.htm  
  A well organized site, with separate pages for colors, line, shields, beasts, birds, plants, and "other" forms in heraldry.

Japan:

• Ghosts, Demons and Spirits in Japanese Lore  Norman A. Rubin; Asianart.com.  URL: http://www.asianart.com/articles/rubin/  
• Japanese Mythology  Artelino Art Auctions  URL: http://www.artelino.com/articles/japanese_mythology.asp  

Myths and mythology:

• Bullfinch's Mythology: The Age of Fable
• The Encyclopedia Mythica
• Japanese Mythology  Artelino Art Auctions  URL: http://www.artelino.com/articles/japanese_mythology.asp  
• Mythology in Western Art (images)
• Myths and Legends
• The Probert Encyclopaedia (mythology section)
• Internet Sacred Text Archive.  John Bruno Hare.  URL:  http://www.sacred-texts.com/
  Includes everything from Tarot and myths (by culture) to major religions' scriptures to "New Thought" to Tolkien to DNA.  Although it includes numerous graphics, concentrates on the Texts.

  Traditions of Magic in Late Antiquity (University of Michigan)

Oceania:

• Oceania Mythology.  Jane Resture.  URL:  http://www.janeresture.com/oceania_myths/
  Includes Australia, Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.  Navigation bar to left allows easy navigation between regions and/or specific cultures.

Peace:

• Thousand Cranes Peace Network - Peace Symbols.   Thousand Cranes Peace Network.  URL: http://rosella.apana.org.au/~mlb/cranes/symbols.htm  
  Many of the symbols described include a history as well as cultural connections.  Note, however, the page is  s l o w  loading.

Plants and vegetation:

• Tomb with a View. (Main site) url:  http://members.aol.com/TombView/symbol.html.   Text only.
  Has two links: one to an extensive list of gravestone symbols and their meanings, the other to personal significances of trees.

Religion: General:

• The Encyclopedia Mythica
• Internet Sacred Text Archive.  John Bruno Hare.  URL:  http://www.sacred-texts.com/
  Includes everything from Tarot and myths (by culture) to major religions' scriptures to "New Thought" to Tolkien to DNA.  Although it includes numerous graphics, concentrates on the Texts.

Religion: Christianity:

• Christian Legends & Symbols.  Suzetta Tucker.  URL: http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/   Text only .
  In addition to a site including Easter symbols, a bestiary, and various Catholic materials, The main page has an enormous number of links, apparently in random order, to symbolism sites, from Hittite and Greek mythologies to Catholic catechisms to general dictionaries of fable and myth.

  Early Symbols of the Eucharist.  The Catholic Encyclopedia.  URL: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05590a.htm (Text only.)

  Easter Symbols & Food.  Intermrifica.  URL:  http://www.intermirifica.org/easter/eastsymbol.htm  

  Principle Christian Symbols: The Fish (Ichthus), Cross, and Crucifix. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.  URL: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_symb.htm  

  Discussions of the origins and meanings of the ichthus, cross, and pentagram.

  Symbols in Christian Art & Architecture.  http://home.att.net/~wegast/symbols/symbols.htm  

  This is a rather extensive site, well organized, with articles about symbolism and the Church, as well as an alphabetical encyclopedia of symbols, showing the symbol beside an in-depth explanation.   Well cross-referenced, a rarity on the web that makes it so easy.

Religion: Hinduism:

• Hinduism: Symbols We Live With.  Subhamoy Das.  URL:  http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa121400a.htm  

Religion: Mysticism and/or Occult:

• Byzant Symbols - Library of Esoteric Symbols.   Byzant.com.  http://www.byzant.com/symbols/
  Combining a bit of several traditions, this site arranges symbols by either cultural area or major movement (very limited choices), then defines some of the major symbols.   In the Kabbala, each of the spheres in the Tree of Life has a separate explanation.

  Chinese Zodiac Symbols.  Feng Shui Jade Charms.  URL:  http://www.chinese-zodiac-symbols.com/  

Religion: Other:

• Book of Symbols.  Doctrine of Neutral Inclusivity.  URL:  http://www.trinp.org/MNI/BoS/4/2/1.HTM (Text only)

Math, Science, and Technology signs & signals:

• Earliest Uses of Various Mathmatical Symbols.   Jeff Miller.  URL:  http://members.aol.com/jeff570/mathsym.html . 
• The History of Mathematical Symbols.  Douglas Weaver and Anthony D. Smith, Taperoo High School.  URL: http://www.roma.unisa.edu.au/07305/symbols.htm . 
• Math Symbols and Symbolism.  Colby Community College, Mathematics Department:  http://colbycc.edu/www/math/math.htm. 
  An indepth list and meanings of various mathematical signs.

Collections of various graphics:

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Steve Morris' Home Page

FIU Library Page

Steve Morris' Compositions TOC

Symbols & Symbolism: Title Page & TOC