Ancient Symbols

Com um apanhado bíblico-histórico-teológico, pretende-se c ver as várias concepções sobre Cristo, conhecê-lo enquanto homem e Deus, saber de sua obra salvífica na cruz e proporcionar uma visão sintetizada, porém, fundamental e essencial sobre aquele que é o cabeça da Igreja. O grande oceano da história questiona o Cristo e ligeiramente caí-se nas mesmas perguntas dos primeiros séculos da Igreja. Este trabalho almeja lembrar que Jesus Cristo é o Senhor, lembrando credos e afirmações existentes na Bíblia, história e teologia.

A szimbólumalkotás az emberre alapvetően jellemző tulajdonság, csakúgy, mint az analógiákban való gondolkodás, a hasonlatok használata vagy az elméleti modellek létrehozása. Azt mondhatjuk tehát, hogy a szimbólumalkotás az emberre jellemző megkülönböztető jegy, szakszóval élve differentia specifica.

Chased by a Unicorn. Re-Studying and De-Coding the Parable of the Futile Life in the Novel Barlaam and Josaphat(Medieval Greek Version)

The parable of the Futile Life, which is an excerpt of the medieval, multilingual novel Barlaam and Josaphat, conceals a unique interpretative approach, in terms of symbolism, of an ancient and intercultural mythological symbol, that of the unicorn. From a first examination of the cultural environment – textual and iconographical – of the unicorn’s appearance, it would seem that the symbolic substance of this animal motif was imbued with the notions of the high virtues of the Christian ideological system (e.g. virginity, purity, salvation). However, the parabolic narrative of the Futile Life reveals another aspect. This is the aspect of the inward cruel power that drives a man to the wrong choice, preventing him from finding the proper spiritual way out to save himself after his physical death in the vanity world in which he lives transiently. Probably, the beauty of a unicorn now symbolizes something not so pure. Indeed, the story of the Futile Life is transformed into one of the most common iconographic themes in monumental Christian painting, and, at the same time, it raises reasonable concerns while seeking adequate explanations. So, through a list of relevant examples of monumental and miniature art, we will look for the beginnings of the two aspects of this ancient symbol, with an emphasis on the parable under examination, offering a new perspective on the semiotic analysis of Antiquity during the Middle Ages.


Perseguido por um Unicórnio. Re-Vendoe Des-Codificandoa Parábola da Vida Fútil no Romance Barlaão e Josafat(Versão Grega Medieval)

A parábola da Vida Fútil, que constitui uma parte do romance medieval multilíngue Barlaão e Josafat, esconde uma abordagem interpretativa única, em termos de simbolismo, de um símbolo mitológico antigo e intercultural, o do unicórnio. Um primeiro exame do ambiente cultural – textual e iconográfico – da aparência do unicórnio dá a entender que a substância simbólica deste motivo animal terá sido imbuída de noções decorrentes das altas virtudes do sistema ideológico cristão (por exemplo, virgindade, pureza e salvação). No entanto, a narrativa parabólica da Vida Fútil revela outro aspecto. Trata-se do poder interior cruel que leva o homem à escolha errada, impedindo-o de encontrar o caminho espiritual adequado para salvar-se após a sua morte física no mundo de vaidade em que vive temporariamente. Provavelmente, a beleza do unicórnio simboliza agora algo que já não é tão puro. Na verdade, a história da Vida Fútil tornou-se num dos temas iconográficos mais comuns da pintura cristã monumental, incluindo a presença do unicórnio, o que levanta, ao mesmo tempo, preocupações razoáveis e a necessidade de explicações adequadas. Assim, através de uma lista de exemplos relevantes de arte monumental e em miniatura, procuraremos identificar o início dos dois aspectos deste antigo símbolo, com ênfase para a parábola estudada, oferecendo uma nova perspetiva sobre a análise semiótica da Antiguidade durante a Idade Média.

Orfanidis, G. (2021). Chased by a Unicorn. Re-Studying and De-Coding the Parable of the Futile Life in the Novel Barlaam and Josaphat (Medieval Greek Edition). Medievalista, 29(1), 183-209.

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Find it also in the following digital libraries:

Dar Al Kutub’s (National Library), United Arab Emirates – well known as "Maktaba", which belongs to the Department (Ministry) of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.
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Find it also in the following digital libraries:

Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Portal Dominicano de Información Científica, Tecnológica, Humanística y Social, República Dominicana.
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This article traces the spread and development of the motif of the ourobóros, or circular serpent, and proposes that it originated in descrip-
tions of an intense aurora. The earliest artistic examples of the ourobóros date to ±5000–±3000 BCE. The theme proliferated in Egypt and spread to the classical world during the Hellenistic period. In the earliest traditions, emphasis was on the ourobóros’ associations with the sun god, the creation of the world, the circular ocean, darkness or underworld thought to surround the earth, and a mythical combat. From late antiquity onwards, the ourobóros acquired more sophisticated meanings, including a link with the ecliptic band or the zodiac, the lunar nodes, the alchemical process, and eternity. In China, the ourobóros largely remained a purely decorative motif, while its most common role in the equatorial regions of America, Africa and Oceania was as a form of the cosmic ocean.  In reviewing hypotheses concerning the origin of the motif, we consider the antiquity of the theme, its near-universality, its geographic link with the outermost boundary of the visible world, and aspects of the dragon’s prosopography—such as its precious orb, its filamentation, its twin aspect, and its radiant color scheme. It is proposed that the archetype was inspired by a surge of intense auroral phenomena including a plasma instability type known as a diocotron instability, witnessed by human beings towards the end of the Neolithic period.

The following notes are just an attempt to present a list of the main Gandharan male figures adorned with jewellery. Contrary to men of today, men in Gandhara and India profusely adorn themselves from top to toe. This fact is attested both in literary and archaeological sources. The research, which was part of a wider PhD program, was conducted throughout selected specimens of Gandharan art male sculptures housed in different Museums in Pakistan.

„Quam te velim, imitatricem esse huius apiculae.“ Die Biene als Symbol bei Ambrosius, in: D. Engels/C. Nicolaye (Hgg.), Ille operum custos. Kulturgeschichtliche Beiträge zur antiken Bienensymbolik und ihrer Rezeption, Spudasmata 118, Hildesheim e.a. 2008, 165-181