Image Source: http://www.medart.pitt.edu/_medart/image/glossary/GREEKCR.JPG
- This symbol, a cross with arms of equal length, is a symbol whose origin cannot be traced back to a single culture but to many. The cross is found in every part of the world including in prehistoric caves and on engraved rocks .
- The symbol has a variety of meanings, and these meanings vary for different societies. In pre-Columbian America, the sign seems to have been associated to the four points of the compass (north, south, east, & west) and the weather gods. Contrastly, the symbol means perfection or 10 (the most perfect number) in China. Additionally, to alchemists, this was a sign where the four elements (water, wind, fire, air) were represented by the four arms.
- This image can be classified as ambiguous because of the variety of its meanings.
- Problems of knowledge include misinterpreting the meaning or being unable to understand the meaning if someone is not a member of a particular cultural group (i.e. not alive in pre-Columbian America, not Chinese or not an alchemist.) People may also mistakenly believe that this symbol represents only the Christian cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment