The Symbol on the Spine, Is it alchemy, ancient runes, or other? |
 Mar 29 2007, 09:16 AM
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Inquiring about Double-ended Newts  Posts: 987 Joined: 9:17am June 21, 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada    |
The symbol on the spine of the new Deathly Hallows book is a triangle, with a circle inscribed in it. There's a line that passes from base to vertex of the triangle...
What could this mean? Is it an alchemical symbol? Or perhaps it represents a symbol used in making horcruxes. Or maybe Ancient Runes will have their day. Start the discussion! -------------------- "How do you spell 'belligerent'?" said Ron, shaking his quill very hard while staring at his parchment. "It can't be B-U-M-?"
"No, it isn't," said Hermione, pulling Ron's essay toward her. "And 'augury' doesn't begin O-R-G- either. What kind of quill are you using?" "The Unknowable Room", HBP |
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Mar 29 2007, 09:33 AM
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#2
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Perusing the Magical Menagerie Posts: 97 Joined: 7:57am January 16, 2007 Location: North America |
When I first saw the symbol, I immediately thought of a pyramid.
The circle seems askew, like one side is bigger? Maybe the sun and the moon? I'm not familiar with alchemy symbols and have only glanced at rune symbols. The triangular shape could allude to the trio. |
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Mar 29 2007, 09:35 AM
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#3
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Knight Bus Driver in Training  Posts: 550 Joined: 3:19pm December 21, 2006 Location: In training to perform ninja wandwork.  |
Just to get things going I have a first idea:
Triangle symbolizes two opposite views and a middle. So Harry and Voldemort (the circle) are bound by two views (left and right points of the triangle being something like love and hate) and within it are divided by the line down the middle. I kind of like this interpretation. I haven't found that symbol anywhere already in use but I did find something similar on the site listed here: http://www.levity.com/alchemy/secret_s.html It is far down the page and has the following written under it: An eternal holy fire - An infinite God sent flame - A heavenly secret - The great indescribable spirit of fire, inexplorable in eternity. I can't read the words on the symbol (they look greek but how can we tell?). This site is very religious and indicates a man/ heaven / hell connection to the triangle and the circle seems to be eternal life. I read the whole page and didn't get anything too decisive from it. But the continual reference to a flame fits in well with the presence of orange like flame on the cover of both the UK and US books. My gut tells me that all the possible interpretations of this symbol lead to the same basic idea. The idea of good versus evil being divided. And the idea of eternal life being either unnaturally broken or cheated in some way. Can someone tell me if this triangle is pointing up or down? I thought "up" at first but upon reading on the web it seems that it is considered to point down (female). Is that correct? --------------------  Shipping Lupius to the end! “Happy St. Dumbledore’s Day to all and to all a good night!” |
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Mar 29 2007, 09:40 AM
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#4
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Knight Bus Driver in Training Posts: 573 Joined: 9:04am January 29, 2007 |
I imagined the equilateral triangle divided into two right triangles and a cricle whose diameter is shown
I took it to be a symbol of Harry, Ron and Hermione...the boys each being the right triangle, the girl being the circle...and equally making up a whole. |
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Mar 29 2007, 09:42 AM
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#5
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Inquiring about Double-ended Newts Posts: 987 Joined: 9:17am June 21, 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
The triangle is pointing 'up'. That means its base is parallel with, say, the bottom of your screen.
I will admit to having spent some free time searching through alchemical symbols - the symbol as a whole means nothing in particular. But the triangle with the point up means fire. And the circle with the line COULD be construed as the sun. The problem with this theory is that I don't think JK picked a totally random, or overly symbolic icon. I believe that the WHOLE of the symbol is important - breaking it into pieces will just lead us on a million different possible leads. -------------------- "How do you spell 'belligerent'?" said Ron, shaking his quill very hard while staring at his parchment. "It can't be B-U-M-?"
"No, it isn't," said Hermione, pulling Ron's essay toward her. "And 'augury' doesn't begin O-R-G- either. What kind of quill are you using?" "The Unknowable Room", HBP |
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Mar 29 2007, 09:50 AM
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#6
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Knight Bus Driver in Training Posts: 550 Joined: 3:19pm December 21, 2006 Location: In training to perform ninja wandwork. |
I love the idea of the symbol being Harry, Ron, and Hermione but I don't think it fits with the context of a struggle of good vs. evil in the same way as a Voldemort / Harry connection. I think the final battle will come down to just Harry facing Voldemort and that the division in the symbol indicates this struggle.
First Incantation: Putting Hermione inside Harry and Ron would be belittling symbolically, each should overlap and have their own space. So a circle at the point overlapping at the point of a divided triangle for example could symbolize what you said but a circle within removes Hermione from having space for her own self. Do you see what I'm saying here? QUOTE(faerenach @ Mar 29 2007, 10:42 AM) [snapback]1157025[/snapback] The triangle is pointing 'up'. That means its base is parallel with, say, the bottom of your screen. I will admit to having spent some free time searching through alchemical symbols - the symbol as a whole means nothing in particular. But the triangle with the point up means fire. And the circle with the line COULD be construed as the sun. The problem with this theory is that I don't think JK picked a totally random, or overly symbolic icon. I believe that the WHOLE of the symbol is important - breaking it into pieces will just lead us on a million different possible leads. Actually this site: http://altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa062003a.htm says that it is a downward triangle and female. I don't get that but that's what it says. -------------------- Shipping Lupius to the end! “Happy St. Dumbledore’s Day to all and to all a good night!” |
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Mar 29 2007, 10:31 AM
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Perusing the Magical Menagerie Posts: 82 Joined: 4:46pm March 5, 2006 Location: the Fab Forest |
I don't know why, (I've had insomnia for ages, so it can't be that!), but it just seems kind of like a JKR take on Alpha and Omega. The "real" alpha is like a lower case "a", and the "real" omega is like an upside down "u" with the open ends pinched together and curled back...but the "real" delta is a triangle, and the "real" phi is a circle with a long line through and past both ends of it...useless...
The runes I've found are all angular so far... It looks like it's all drawn with graphite, silverpoint or vine charcoal and shaded, so when it's printed in blue and white, the background looks like a sky, and the icon/logo/thing looks 3D and floating. Actually, I first thought it was a regular publishing-logo-on-the-book-spine thing. They've got us guessing! Maybe it will be JKR's new publishing logo! --------------------  I took off my shoes and walked into the woods I felt lost and found with every step I took -- Conor Oberst |
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Mar 29 2007, 10:33 AM
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#8
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Perusing the Magical Menagerie Posts: 97 Joined: 7:57am January 16, 2007 Location: North America |
I put "symbol of a divided circle within a triangle" in my search engine and I noticed this from: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.geome...nit9/unit9.html.
QUOTE Magic Rings Rings of Jasper or Bloodstone were worn by Egyptians for success in battle or other struggle. The Koran says Solomon had a magic ring which could give him power over enemies, and transport him to a celestial sphere where he could rest from the cares of state. Romans wore rings dedicated to the goddess Salus (Hygeia) engraved with a pentagram and a coiled snake, to ensure good fortune. Rings made of nails from coffins or church doors were popular talismans in the Middle Ages for curing cramp and other disorders. Other examples include Reynard the Fox, the wily hero of the medieval verse cycles known as the Beast Epics, claimed to have a magic ring bearing three mysterious Hebrew words, that would make him invisible and shield him from witchcraft. In Orlando Furioso by Ariosto, Ruggiero arrives on a Hippoghriff and places a magic ring on Angelica's finger to protect her. Maybe the circle represents a magical ring? Same site: QUOTE The circle is the symbol for infinity, because the circle is endless, and may be considered a polygon with an infinite number of sides. The snake or dragon with its tail in its mouth continually devouring itself and being reborn from itself is a symbol of eternity and of the cyclic nature of the universe. It expresses the unity of all things, which never disappear but change form in a cycle of destruction and re-creation. It is also the alchemical symbol for chemical change. A dream about this serpent gave the chemist von Stradonitz the notion of the benzene ring, in the 19th century. |
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Mar 29 2007, 11:22 AM
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The Talking Mirror in Room 7 Posts: 1,782 Joined: 3:34am October 31, 2005 Location: Stealing radishes in the Gorgs' garden |
I'm not sure how much this symbol has to do with alchemy. But I'm pretty sure it's a Masonic Symbol. Representations of this symbol are often used in conjunction with Secret Societies. The Symbol for the Free Masons is a compass with a circle in it. You can also see a representation of it on the back of the American dollar bill, a Pyramid, with an eye in it, with the phrase "New World Order" in Latin underneath. Some cospiracy theorists say that you can see representations of this symbol in large modern corporation, such as the AOL logo. I'd reccomend looking for it in Masonic Symbols, or checking out Knights Templar. It's definitlely and old symbol, but I don't have time to much research right now. If I find anything I'll be back later.
ETA: back, here's an intersting link http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/symbolism/eye.html This post has been edited by MokeyMagoo: Mar 29 2007, 11:27 AM -------------------- There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. -Shakespeare
 "I love you too" -Tim Robbins (to me) RCMH, NYC 8.2.06. |
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Mar 29 2007, 01:23 PM
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#10
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 8 Joined: 1:41pm November 2, 2006 |
The triangle symbol on the spine is very interesting!
frome the website http:// altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa062003a.html I found these discriptions the circle: eternity, the soul, boundary, completion, returning cycles the vertical line: man, the body, the path from the earth to heaven, the realm of spirt the triangle: fire, rising up, male force just thought you all might want to know. |
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