What is the significance of teeth in religion, mythology, and literature? There should be a link: teeth are obviously, like the tongue, instrumental and essential in oral culture and so we might expect to find a strong link between teeth and the composition of poems and songs. And sure enough, […]
Horses have been the close and useful companions and servants of humans for many millennia, and over that time they have become associated with a number of symbolic properties. But what is the symbolic significance of the horse in literature and mythology? Let’s take a closer look at the symbolism […]
The poster-boy of existentialism, Sisyphus has become associated with laborious and pointless tasks, because he was condemned to roll a boulder up a hill, only for the boulder to roll back down to the bottom just as he was about to complete the task. He was thus doomed to repeat […]
Ivy possesses some curious symbolism in literature, religion, and myth. Its associations with immortality and romantic loyalty are firmly established, but are worth exploring in more detail, with reference to some specific examples from the world of literature. Ivy can sometimes be poisonous, and sometimes medicinal, but its cultural significance […]
Doves are well-known symbols of peace. Although such symbolism is strongly associated with Christianity, the associations between doves and peace go back much further than this: in ancient Mesopotamia, doves were symbols of Inanna-Ishtar, the goddess of love, sexuality, and (perhaps surprisingly) war. Indeed, the ancient Greek word for ‘dove’, […]