The subject of ‘life’ is indeed interesting and one that has gotten quite a lot of attention over the years. For decades, people have used various symbols to depict life. Many of these are products of multiple religions and cultures, while some are universally recognized. The concept of life has been there from the start. …
Ancient History
Change is inevitable. It is an agent of nature, the due diligence of which is absolute; the ripples it causes are too profound. What we stand as today, who we are, is true due to the fact that we are constantly changing — so is the world. Sometimes, this change can be tremendous; sometimes too …
There exists no bond more sincere or love more pronounced than what a person carries for their family. As valid in the past, as it is today, the institution of the family is integral to the proper development of children into functioning adults, transmit of culture and guarantee the continuity of the human species – …
Throughout history, the heart of human communication has been symbols, allowing for the efficient flow of information across time and space. Throughout history, they have served as a means to better facilitate the understanding of various concepts, ideas, or any piece of gathered knowledge. In this article, we have compiled the top 20 symbols of …
Despite two-thirds of the Earth’s surface being covered in water, only 0.5% is available for our needs. Throughout human history, the ready availability of water has always been the biggest issue societies have struggled to manage. Even today, the majority of humanity still finds difficulties in gaining access to clean water. Given its importance to …
Today, many of us may take it for granted, but throughout most of history, for the common person, freedom has been perceived as an exception rather than a fundamental basic right. Only in the Age of Enlightenment, when the discourse was deliberately created by thinkers of the notion that every individual is created equal and …
Chinese culture is one of the most ancient and complex ones in the world. Even today, many Chinese values are derived from Taoism, Confucianism, and other ancient Chinese philosophies. As a result, Chinese history is riddled with innumerable symbols that carry multiple meanings and have profound influence in the culture. Below is a list of …
Throughout history, symbols have served as a vehicle for humankind to better facilitate their understanding of the wilder world around them. Each civilization, culture, and time period has brought with it its own symbols representing various concepts, ideologies, and natural phenomena. Among these have been those symbols associated with positive human traits. In this article, …
It is said that that a picture is worth a thousand words. In an attempt to better and more quickly convey complex abstracts, ideas, and concepts, people of various cultures have made use of signs and symbols. And this too goes in the case of emotions such as joy, merriment, and happiness. In this article, …
The entire history of humankind can be best summed up as a dialectic of control and helplessness. People have always sought to control others and nature, but have never really managed success in this pursuit. In their state of helplessness, they have sought refuge in the supernatural as a means to regain a sense of …
Perhaps the most popular mythical creature, the dragon is a highly complex symbol with various meanings in different cultures. Typically depicted as a large beast with serpentine and reptilian traits, the dragon may also have features of other animals as well as humans. In Christianity, the dragon is a symbol of evil and sin. In …
In ancient times, the concept of religion was widely different from what is considered religion today. Religion did not have a separate and distinct role and people did not operate independently of their religious beliefs in a secular society. Instead, religion was fully integrated into the lives of the commoners, gentry, nobility, and even the …
It is estimated that in only 8 percent of recorded history have humans been entirely free of conflict. (1) Yet, the concept of war and aggression as we know and understand could not have existed without us having first conceptualized peace. Throughout the ages, various cultures and societies have come to employ different symbols to …
Natural disasters, diseases, vicious wildlife, and conflicts – humans have always known the world to be a dangerous and frightening place. Where physical protection could not be guaranteed, people have often come to seek safety in the supernatural – rituals, incantations, and symbols. The third, being the oldest practice and most universally featured in all …
Throughout history, humanity had made use of analogies and symbols as a better means to communicate complex ideas and concepts. By associating the intelligible or incomprehensible with what is already known, the former became easier to interpret. Such has been the practice with societies trying to define human traits as well. In this article, we …
Frogs belong to the category of ‘amphibians.’ These cold-blooded animals hibernate in the winter and go through bits of transformation during their life cycle. This begins with mating, laying eggs, growing into tadpoles in eggs then as young frogs without tails. This is why frogs have been linked to the mythologies of creation in ancient …
Goddess Heket, also known as Hekat and Heqet, is the Egyptian goddess of fertility and grain germination. She is commonly associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The meaning behind her name is vague, but sources believe that it is derived from the word “heqa,” which means “ruler” or “scepter.” Often portrayed as a woman with the …
Symbols can serve as powerful visual means to communicate and link various ideas and concepts. Since the beginning of mankind’s history, symbols have served as evocative vehicles of the conception of all human knowledge. Strength and power, the capacity to exert great force or resist it, has been among the most primordial of understood concepts …
The theme of rebirth always surrounds us. Over time, through cultivation, we learned that plants that die in winter come alive in spring, symbolizing death and rebirth. Our ancient ancestors have also recognized themselves in this pattern of nature, believing that human beings, too, are reborn in some form when they die. Below are 14 …
Ancient Egypt spanned nearly 3,000 years. To better understand the ebb and flow of this vibrant civilization, Egyptologists introduced three clusters, splitting this vast period of time firstly into the Old Kingdom, then the Middle Kingdom and finally the New Kingdom. Each time period saw dynasties rise and fall, epic construction projects initiated, cultural and …
Geography shaped how ancient Egyptians thought of their land. They perceived their country to be divided into two distinct geographical zones. Kemet the black land comprised the fertile banks of the Nile River, while Deshret the Red Land was the sprawling barren desert that spread out of much of the remainder of the land. The …