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The Book of Signs contains 493 classified and documented illustrations, collected, drawn, and explained by the celebrated typographer Rudolf Koch. Divided into 14 different categories, it includes General Signs, The Cross, Monogram of Christ, Other Christian Signs, Monograms of Medieval Church and State Leaders, Stone Masons' Signs, The Four Elements, Astronomical Signs, Astrological Signs, Botanical Signs, Chemical Signs, House and Holding Marks, Miscellany, and Runes.
"Provides the contemporary artist with a rich design vocabulary on which to improvise."—Art in Focus.
"An inspiration to graphic artists everywhere."—Graphis.
"An artistic and typographical achievement of considerable beauty and worth."—Psychiatric Quarterly.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780486153902 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 06/14/2012 |
| Series: | Dover Pictorial Archive |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 112 |
| Sales rank: | 801,494 |
| File size: | 9 MB |
Read an Excerpt
The Book of Signs
By Rudolf Koch, Vyvyan Holland
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-15390-2
CHAPTER 1
General signs.
The dot is the origin from which all signs start, and is their innermost essence. It was with this idea that the Masonic lodges of old expressed the secrecy of their guilds by means of the dot.
The vertical stroke represents the one-ness of God, or the Godhead in general; it also symbolizes power descending upon mankind from above, or, in the opposite direction, the yearning of mankind towards higher things.
In the horizontal stroke, on the other hand, we see the Earth, in which life flows evenly and everything moves on the same plane.
The angle, or the meeting of the celestial and the terrestrial. As they possess nothing in common, they touch, but do not cross one another, This sign represents the reciprocation between God and the World. In Masonic lodges of Middle Ages the right angle was the sign of Justice and Integrity.
In the sign of the Cross God and Earth are combined and ace in harmony. From two simple lines a complete sign has been evolved. The Cross is by far the earliest of all signs, and is found everywhere, quite apart from the conception of Christianity.
The circle, being without beginning or end, is also a sign of God or of Eternity. Moreover, in contrast with the next sign, it is a symbol of the sleeping eye of God: "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
The open eye of God, the purpose of Revelation: "And God said, Let there be light."
The passive female element; what has been there from the beginning of all things. "And God divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament."
The active male element; what comes from on high; the effective clement in time." And God divided the light from the darkness."
As the male element pervades the female, so creation takes place, since everything belonging to the living world is compounded of the confluence of male and female. In remote ages in the East, and also in early northern mythology, this sign of the wheel-cross was a symbol of the Sun.
The triangle is an ancient Egyptian emblem of the Godhead, and also a Pythagorean symbol for wisdom. In Christianity it is looked upon as the sign of the triple personality of God. Again, in distinction from the next sign, it is another sign for the female element, which is firmly based upon terrestrial matters, and yet yearns after higher things. The female is always earthly in its conception.
The triangle standing upon its apex is, on the other hand, the male element which is by nature celestial, and strives after truth.
Both figures now start moving towards one another, and as they touch each other with their apexes they form another figure, entirely new in appearance, without, however, either of the original figures being damaged or interfaced with in any way.
When, however, they pass through one another, the nature of both is fundamentally altered and, as it appears, is practically obliterated. A complicated and entirely symmetrical pattern is formed, with new and surprising sections and correlations, in which six small distinct triangles are grouped around a large central hexagon. A beautiful star has appeared, through, when we examine it, we see that both the original triangles still retain their individuality. Thus it is when a perfect marriage binds man and woman together.
We now carry the movement of the triangles a step further, so that they part again and form a square standing upon one of its corners. The triangles have a common base line, but they point away from each other instead of towards each other as before. This figure is the simple sum of the two triangles lying next to, but quite clear of, each other. This sign also stands for the four Evangelists.
The square is the emblem of the world and of nature. As distinct from the triangle it is the Christian emblem of worldliness, In it is symbolized the number four; this has a host of significations, as: the four elements, the four corners of the Heavens, the four Evangelists, the four rivers of Paradise.
Three triangles all touting at a central point to form a new figure. This is on old symbol for the Godhead. Beyond this nothing is known about it.
The furca, or fork, a mediaeval symbol for the Trinity, is also a Pythagorean emblem of the course of life, in the form of a rising path with fork roads to Good and Evil. This sign is very ancient in origin, and is probably connected with the next sign:
This is an old emblem for the sun, with three rays. The cross strokes at the ends of the rays symbolize the vault of Heavens.
The pentagram, a five-pointed star drawn with one stroke of the pen: this sign belongs, as do many others depicted here, to the most primitive of mankind, and is certainly much older than written characters. Signs of this kind are quite the most ancient human documents toe possess. The pentagram has had several different significations at different times in the history of man. The Pythagoreans called it the pentalpha, and the Celtic priests the witch's foot, It is also Solomon's seal, known in the Middle Ages as the goblin's cross. It also represents the five senses; the male and female principles are also conveyed by the arrangement of the five points. Amongst the druids it was the sign of Godhead, and to the Jews it signified the five Mosaic books. This sign was also popularly believed to be a protection against demons, and, by analogy, a symbol of safety. It is believed too to be the emblem of happy home-coming, whence its employment as an amulet. In ancient times it was a magic charm amongst the people of Babylon.
The octogram, an eight - pointed star drawn with one stroke of the pen. No explanation of this sign is known.
The fork. This sign, with which we have already dealt, has a further meaning, namely, the expectant soul, man gazing aloft with outstretched arms.
The same sign, inserted, in contrast with the previous sign, expresses salvation descending from above and spreading other the world below.
The two signs approach one another and form a new figure. As they come into contact they enclose a space between them.
They proceed to intersect, the prongs of the forks appearing once more in the figure.
The intersection is complete, and results in another six-pointed star. The two original figures, which were so definite in their impulse towards union, are completely absorbed by the new figure, which radiates strength on all sides from a central point, and point, and which, though itself motionless, generates motion all a round it.
As the lost five signs expressed the fate of the soul, so the next five symbolize the nature of the human intellect:
The three lines, whether they run vertically or horizontally, or whether they move together or independently, achieve nothing, emerging from the void and returning to the void whence they came. Only the creative intellect encloses a space and forms a definite figure, the three body-less lines becoming a real object of which the triangle is the symbol. When the intellect is scattered, the figure dissolves once more and the lines return to the void, cutting through each other in general disruption.
The next is a series of signs illustrating the vicissitudes of family life:
Man and Woman united for procreation.
The woman becomes pregnant,
and bears a child.
The family; man with his wife and children.
Apart from family life there is friendship between men.
Men quarrel and fight.
The man dies.
The widow and her children.
One child dies.
The forlorn mother with her remaining child.
The mother dies, leaving
one surviving child, bearing within himself the germ of a new family. The true essence of the sexes and their relationships, and the main private incidents of family life, are shown in the most inspired form in these signs, and it mould be impossible to disclose the simple story of the life of mankind mote lucidly in any words.
The next series of signs illustrates the waxing and waning of human life.
The unborn child.
From the moment of birth the inner life begins to develop; the circle is the body enfolding it.
The trinity of body, mind and soul is now fully manifested. The immoral essence, the soul, is the point in the centre. The inner circle represents the intellectual life, the mentality of man, whilst the outer circle represents corporeal man.
The intellect becomes disordered and turns its strength against itself and the body.
It breaks right through the confines of its mortal frame and the man dies, whereupon the soul becomes homeless and returns to the place from whence it first came.
The sign of simple activity. The efforts of mankind fill the space assigned to them, traversing it throughout.
The multiform activities of mankind are shown by repeating the preceding figure several times over, indifferent compartments.
Orderliness. The square is itself a sign of order, and fits perfectly into a similar figure, and that is also the fundamental principle of every thing with which we surround ourselves.
This is destruction, or disorder, in which all concord disappears, and confusion takes the place of harmony.
The triceps, an old Nordic sign. A symbol of heavenly power. By tracing its perimeter from the apex back to the apex we realize the meaning of the words: "The Will of God, descending upon the world, sways to and fro over the Earth and returns again on high."
CHAPTER 2The Cross.
The Latin Cross, Crux ordinaria, in early times called God's mark. The most exalted emblem of the Christian faith, the Sign of all Signs. By far the greater number of signs in the Western world are based on the shape, or part of the shape of the Cross, whether they be imperial monograms, masonic signs, family signs, chemical symbols, or trademarks.
St. Peter's Cross. According to legend, St. Peter died on an inserted Cross.
St. Andrew's Cross, upon which St. Andrew suffered a martyr's death. Also called the Crux decussata. The boundary Cross of the Romans, derived from the Cross used by them as a barrier.
St. Anthony's, or Egyptian Cross; Crux commissa. Also called the Tau Cross, from the Greek letter "T", tau. St. Francis used this as his signature.
The Greek Cross, Crux immissa quadrata, from this and the Latin Cross the following forms were derived in the middle ages for heraldic purpose:
Cross patée
Maltese Cross
Cross botonnée or treflée
Cross fleury or Cross of Cleves
Cross pomée or pommelly
Cross patée fitchée
A common figure appears in this connection as the fork or furka Cross, also called the thieves' Cross.
The patriarchal Cross, or Cross of Lorraine.
The papal Cross, or the triple Cross of the Western peoples.
The broken, or chevron Cross
The Cross potent
Another form of the Cross potent. Allied to this is the Cross moline, which is met with in two forms:
The eight-ended Cross of the Russian Orthodox Church. The lower cross-bar represents a footrest.
The Russian Cross with a slanting footrest.
The Cross crosslet, also called the holy Cross or the German Cross. Amongst the Gnostics, the sign of the fourfold mysteries.
The Crusaders', or Jerusalem Cross.
The Svastika, or Fylfot Cross. Derived from the Sun wheel:
by breaking the circumference of the circle:
Amongst Early Christians, this, as well as many other of the symbols that follow, was used as a disguised Cross during the persecution of the Christians. Hence its name Crux dissimulata. It was also called Crux gammata, from the fact of its being made up of four Greek gammas.
An elaborated form of the Svastika.
The Cross voided, or gammadia, so called from being composed of four gammas. Closely related to this is the beautiful badge of the German gymnastic clubs:
composed of four "F"s, standing for: "Frisch, fromm, fröhlich, frei." (Hardy, godfearing, cheerful and free.)
This Cross, either hewn in the stone or painted on the walls of Roman Catholic Churches, denotes that they have been consecrated. This is also met with sometimes in the form of a detached Cross within a circle:
Roman sacred Cross
The Egyptian symbol of life, the ansated, or looped Tau Cross, Also called the key of the Nile.
A Christian ansated Cross, derived from the Egyptian sign.
The anchor Cross was, like the last one, a disguised Cross. In it we see the Tau Cross concealed beneath the common symbol of the Anchor.
Coptic Cross, with the four nails. The raised Cross occupied a large place in the early Christian representations of the Cross:
The Earth, upon which the Cross was erected, is here represented by a dot. Sometimes there were six dots, representing grains of sand:
from an old coin.
The Cross erected on three steps.
The Cross erected on a column
A Cross standing upon four lines. Why there should be four is difficult to explain. They may symbolize the four Evangelists.
Two raised Crosses which were also designed as Archangelical Crosses.
A raised Cross with a hand beside it; from an old coin.
CHAPTER 3The Monogram of Christ or Chrismon
The Gnostic Sun monogram. The cross-strokes at the ends of the rays represent the vault of the Heavens.
Chrismon composed of an "I" and a Greek "X".
The double Cross is also a very early Christian symbol. It consists of the Greek "X" and the Cross.
A very ancient pagan Sun wheel, interpreted by the Christians as a Chrismon. "I"-Jesus, "X"-Christ.
The double Cross in a circle. See above.
The foregoing sign with a second circle. The outer may be interpreted as the finite, the inner as a sign of Eternity.
The Monogram of Jesus. Instead of the first three Greek letters of the word Jesus, IHC. Later the H was regarded as a Latin letter, and the meaning attributed to the monogram became: "In hoc signo", i. e. "In this sign." It also denotes: "Jesus Hominum Salvator", i.e.: "Jesus Redeemer of Mankind". A very common interpretation in Germany today is:" Jesus Heil und Seligmacher". (Jesus, Saviour and Redeemer.)
The most widespread and best-known Chrismon. It was probably originally developed from an ancient oriental representation of the rising sun, in which, in a way which seems odd to us, the ball of the sun is shown over a Cross representing its rays:
from this, at a later date, came the sign:
Closely related to this stands the ansated Cross:
The so-called Mirror of Venus, the symbol of the planet Venus:
is also related to an old oriental symbol for the Sun, formed thus:
According to legend the Chrismon:
appeared in a dream to the Emperor Constantine accompanied by a voice saying: "In this sign shalt thou conquer." He accordingly had the sign emblazoned on his mat banner. This banner is called the Labarum.
The sign is composed of the two Greek initial letters of the name Christ: "X" and "P". It is also called the Signum Dei, and is, possibly, as a Christian symbol, older than the Cross itself.
A form of Chrismon frequently encountered, in which the "P" is simplified into a hook. Here we have a Cross in place of the "X".
A sign with which we have already met as the octogram, which is here to be considered as the intersection of four "X"s. It represents a concealed Chrismon.
Two signs widely used in the Christian Church from very early times, namely, Alpha and Omega, after the passage in the Apocalypse: "I am the Alpha and the Omega". The letters often appear with the cross proceeding from them. In the next example the form of the Omega has altered:
The two letters are used in connection with the Cross in many different ways, of which the above sign is a good example. It is also frequently met with in conjunction with the Chrismon.
A combination of the Chrismon with "I" and "C", Jesus Soter, Jesus Christ, Saviour.
Here the Greek "P" is replaced by the Latin "R".
The Tau Cross with the Alpha and Omega. This, like all the other monograms illustrated here, is definitely connected with Christ.
In this example the Latin "H" is added, which may well stand for HOC.
A beautiful Chrismon reminiscent of the Egyptian ansated Cross. The variety of these monograms is very great, and the inventiveness shown by the Early Christians in their design is boundless.
Monogram of Jesus, beneath an old sign denoting Redemption, or the Holy Ghost.
The line above the monogram represents the Holy Ghost in this example also.
Here "Y" takes the place of "I". This was not unusual in the Middle Ages.
This, like the next sign, is a further development of the Chrismon.
It is sometimes questioned whether the rosette in this figure has any particular significance. One theory is that the Omega beneath the rose should be read as an "S" and that the sign means Rosa Rosarum, one of the names by which the Virgin Mary is known. In that case the meaning of the rose itself also becomes clear.
The fish sign is a symbol used from the very earliest days of Christendom. The letters forming the word "fish" in Greek, (Ichthys), are the initial letters of five Greek words meaning: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour."
The Chrismon in conjunction with the Greek word for fish. The following sign appears as an impression on Greek Communion wafers, and means: "Jesus Christ, conquer!"
The following sign is taken from a mosaic in the Catacombs. The Chrismon in three different sizes, superimposed upon one another.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Book of Signs by Rudolf Koch, Vyvyan Holland. Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
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Table of Contents
This unusual collection of primitive and medieval symbols provides one of the most fertile single sources of decorative ideas available today. It is also a graphic history of the development of written communication and offers a singular insight into the psychology of the primitive mind.The Book of Signs contains 493 classified and documented illustrations, collected, drawn, and explained by the celebrated typographer Rudolf Koch. Divided into 14 different categories, it includes General Signs, The Cross, Monogram of Christ, Other Christian Signs, Monograms of Medieval Church and State Leaders, Stone Masons' Signs, The Four Elements, Astronomical Signs, Astrological Signs, Botanical Signs, Chemical Signs, House and Holding Marks, Miscellany, and Runes.
"Provides the contemporary artist with a rich design vocabulary on which to improvise."—Art in Focus.
"An inspiration to graphic artists everywhere."—Graphis.
"An artistic and typographical achievement of considerable beauty and worth."—Psychiatric Quarterly.
Unabridged republication of the English translation originally published by the First Edition Club of London, 1930.