Hum2310 mythological meanings unmasked decoding the symbolism of myth part i
•
1 like•451 views
The document discusses the symbolic meanings of various animals and colors in mythology across different cultures. It provides examples of how animals like crocodiles, apes, bats, bees and others symbolize traits like aggression, cunning, wisdom. Colors are also examined, with red representing passion and danger, and blue representing tranquility. The document serves to decode some of the symbolic representations found in mythology and art.
More Related Content
What's hot
Viewers also liked
Viewers also liked (19)
Similar to Hum2310 mythological meanings unmasked decoding the symbolism of myth part i
Similar to Hum2310 mythological meanings unmasked decoding the symbolism of myth part i (20)
More from ProfWillAdams
More from ProfWillAdams (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Hum2310 mythological meanings unmasked decoding the symbolism of myth part i
- 1. Mythological Meanings Unmasked Decoding The Symbolism Of Myth Mythology in Art & Literature Professor Will Adams Valencia College
- 4. Symbolic Animals • The following animals appear in a variety of cultures and represent a variety of things. • In one case an animal might symbolize something good, while in another culture might consider it representative of evil.
- 7. Symbolic Animals: Crocodile/Alligator • Depending on the culture one examines, alligators and crocodiles may represent: • Aggression • Survival • Adaptability • Cunning • Deception
- 8. Symbolic Animals: Apes & Monkeys
- 9. Symbolic Animals: Apes & Monkeys
- 10. Symbolic Animals: Apes & Monkeys • A common ancestor of human beings, apes and chimps are often associated with human-like qualities such as: • Mischief • Mimicry • Cunning • Benevolence • Humanity • Nurturing
- 13. Symbolic Animals: Bats • As guardians of the night, bats are often viewed as: • Cleaners • The unknown • Messengers • Duality • Bringers of happiness • Symbols of good luck, longevity, & peace • They may also represent hypocrisy, melancholy, revenge, or wisdom.
- 16. Symbolic Animals: Bees • Bees, who act as pollinators, often symbolize: • Immortality • Rebirth • Industriousness • Order • Messengers between worlds • Secret wisdom • Mothers & priestesses
- 19. Symbolic Animals: Birds • As inhabitants of the sky, the realm only recently accessible to humans, birds often represent: • The soul
- 20. Symbolic Animals: Birds • As inhabitants of the sky, the realm only recently accessible to humans, birds often represent: • The soul • Transcendence
- 21. Symbolic Animals: Birds • As inhabitants of the sky, the realm only recently accessible to humans, birds often represent: • The soul • Transcendence • The spirits of the air
- 22. Symbolic Animals: Birds • As inhabitants of the sky, the realm only recently accessible to humans, birds often represent: • The soul • Transcendence • The spirits of the air • Communication
- 23. Symbolic Animals: Birds • As inhabitants of the sky, the realm only recently accessible to humans, birds often represent: • The soul • Transcendence • The spirits of the air • Communication • Freedom
- 26. Symbolic Animals: Bears • As fearsome alpha predators, bears have long been regarded as: • Primal power • Motherhood • Cunning • Gentle strength • Dreaming • Sovereignty • Intuition married with instinct • Nurturing & protection
- 29. Symbolic Animals: Bulls • Although they were also hunted as food sources by early humans, cattle – and especially bulls – wielded great physical strength. • As a result, humans have historically associated them with:
- 30. Symbolic Animals: Bulls • Although they were also hunted as food sources by early humans, cattle – and especially bulls – wielded great physical strength. • As a result, humans have historically associated them with: • Wealth • Potency • Male procreative strength • Kingship • The taming of the masculine and animal nature • Destructive force
- 33. Symbolic Animals: Butterflies • Butterflies must pass through many physical transformations to reach their truest, mature forms; resultantly, they are associated with: • Metamorphosis • Transformation • Immortality • Rebirth • The soul
- 36. Symbolic Animals: Felines • Initially, cats were competing predators, but eventually humans were able to domestic cats – at least partially. • The cats’ grace, mystery, and independence have come to represent:
- 37. Symbolic Animals: Felines • Initially, cats were competing predators, but eventually humans were able to domestic cats – at least partially. • The cats’ grace, mystery, and independence have come to represent: • Guardianship • Detachment • Sensuality • Stealth • Liberty • Magic • Vanity
- 40. Symbolic Animals: Coyotes • As untamed predators even today, coyotes have long been viewed as: • Pranksters • Playfulness • Duality and the ability to present both sides of an issue • Clowning and humor, perhaps sarcastic
- 43. Symbolic Animals: Canines • Domesticated dogs, perhaps the first species of animal to undergo that process, are often seen as symbolizing: • Guidance • Protection • Loyalty • Fidelity • Watchfulness
- 46. Symbolic Animals: Dolphins • Extremely intelligent and friendly when it comes to humans, dolphins and porpoises may represent: • Kindness • Saviorship • Intelligence • Communication
- 49. Symbolic Animals: Dragons • Mythical, fantastical creatures like dragons are actually metaphors that represent forces early humans were able to quantify, such as: • The power of Earth • The breath of life • Supernatural power, magic, & strength • Wisdom • Guardianship
- 52. Symbolic Animals: Eagles • As alpha predators of the sky – again, a realm largely inaccessible to humans – eagles symbolize: • Divine spirits • The power of the air & the sun • Power in battle • Clear vision • Success, prosperity, or wealth • Intelligence & courage
- 55. Symbolic Animals: Elephants • Long-lived, physically powerful, and majestic in their size, elephants are symbols of: • Strength • Fidelity • Memory • Patience • Wisdom & intelligence
- 58. Symbolic Animals: Goats • Hardy and formidable, goats – as an early- domesticated species – have come to represent: • Vitality • Fertility • Abundance • Lust
- 61. Symbolic Animals: Horses • Another species domesticated quickly by early humans, horses have played a vital role in the evolution of humankind; as a result, they are icons of: • Stamina • Mobility • Coping under difficult circumstances • Love, devotion & loyalty • Nobility • Freedom & wildness
- 64. Symbolic Animals: Owls • Mysterious and inquisitive guardians of the night, owls are symbols of: • Wisdom & truth • Darkness • Divination • Solitude & detachment • Clairvoyance & mysticism
- 67. Symbolic Animals: Serpents • Chthonic creatures like snakes, that are bound to the earth and continually shed their forms, have earned reputations for: • Life • Rebirth & resurrection • Healing & harm • Preservation & destruction • Malice & fertility
- 70. Symbolic Animals: Spiders • As nature’s master artisans – as well as skillful predators in their own right, spiders are symbols of: • Creativity • Patterns in life • Connecting the past with the future • The creation of possibilities
- 73. Symbolic Animals: Unicorns • Mythological creatures who are thought to be both uncatchable and untameable, unicorns represent: • Chastity • Purity • Dreams • Strength • Magical healing
- 74. Symbolic Colors In Myth
- 75. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Red
- 76. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Red
- 77. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Red • Red has traditionally symbolized excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence - all things intense and passionate.
- 78. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Orange
- 79. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Orange
- 80. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Orange • The vibrant color orange represents energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrancy, expansiveness, flamboyance • It also visually demands attention.
- 81. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Yellow
- 82. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Yellow
- 83. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Yellow • Yellow has many different meanings, depending on the culture. • It often represents joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.
- 84. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Green
- 85. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Green
- 86. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Green • Another color associated with a basic element of the earth – the land – green has come to represent nature, the environment, health, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.
- 87. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Blue
- 88. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Blue
- 89. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Blue • Blue – a color associated with the most basic elements of the earth, sea and sky – is symbolic of: peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.
- 90. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Purple
- 91. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Purple
- 92. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Purple • Long a highly-prized color because of the difficulty required to obtain its pigment, purple is representative of royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mystery, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, or mourning.
- 93. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Brown & Tan
- 94. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Brown & Tan
- 95. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Brown & Tan • The third elemental hue, brown symbolizes the Earth, stability, the hearth, home, the outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.
- 96. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Black
- 97. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Black
- 98. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Black • Black represents the absorption of all colors, and as such is associated with power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, and death in Western cultures.
- 99. Symbolic Colors In Myth: White
- 100. Symbolic Colors In Myth: White
- 101. Symbolic Colors In Myth: White • The reflection of all light’s wavelength’s, white is a shade associated with reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage in Western cultures. • It represents death in many Eastern cultures.
- 102. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Pink
- 103. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Pink
- 104. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Pink • Pink symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.
- 105. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Beige & Ivory
- 106. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Beige & Ivory
- 107. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Beige & Ivory • Beige and ivory symbolize unification. • Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness.
- 108. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Beige & Ivory • Beige and ivory symbolize unification. • Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. • Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.
- 109. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Turquoise
- 110. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Turquoise
- 111. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Turquoise • Turquoise symbolizes calm. • Teal symbolizes sophistication.
- 112. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Turquoise • Turquoise symbolizes calm. • Teal symbolizes sophistication. • Aquamarine symbolizes water.
- 113. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Turquoise • Turquoise symbolizes calm. • Teal symbolizes sophistication. • Aquamarine symbolizes water. • Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.
- 114. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Lavender
- 115. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Lavender
- 116. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Lavender • A more bluish-grey shade of purple, lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance.
- 117. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Grey
- 118. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Grey
- 119. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Grey • A neutral and enduring color, grey represents security, reliability, intelligence, staidness, modesty, dignity, maturity, practicality, old age, or sadness. • Silver symbolizes calm.
- 120. To Be Continued…