By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
Diamonds have long been regarded as the most precious of all of the precious gemstones. For this reason, diamonds often symbolise perfection, purity, and rarity; however, because of the durability of diamond – it is famously capable of cutting glass – diamonds also sometimes symbolise imperviousness and indestructibility. The word adamant, used of someone who is unwavering and committed, is from an Old French word meaning ‘diamond’.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The symbolism of the phoenix ought to be a straightforward matter. There are two things most people know about the phoenix: that it’s a mythical bird, no more real than dragons or unicorns; and that it’s famous for rising from the ashes of its own funeral pyre, symbolising resurrection.
However, there are a number of other symbolic details associated with the phoenix, details which are less well-known. Let’s take a closer look at the symbolism of this legendary bird.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
Apples are a common fruit, and so it’s little surprise that apples have come to have powerful and distinctive symbolic properties in works of literature, religion, and myth over the centuries. But there are a number of misconceptions and wrong assumptions about apple-symbolism. How can we tell the bad apples from the rest? In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at the suggestive symbolism of apples in literature and myth.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
After the number three, seven is perhaps the number that is filled the most religious significance around the world. There are seven deadly sins, seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, seven virtues, seven arts and sciences (comprising the quadrivium and trivium), and seven ages of man. Of course, there are seven days in the week, too, so the number seven is possessed (literally) of everyday significance.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
Although perhaps the most famous symbolic quality associated with the colour white is ‘purity’, this summary doesn’t take into account the complexity and ambiguity of colour symbolism when it comes to the colour white: a colour which is at once all colours and no colour. In this post, we’re going to analyse the symbolism and meaning of the colour white as it has been used in works of literature and as it appears in mythology and religion.