The Linguistic Communication Of Symbols Inwards Africa

Spider spider web symbol for wisdom inwards West Africa, Ananse

Symbols are visual keys that accept pregnant to people amongst a mutual heritage around a given symbol. The Gospel of Saint Philip states that "truth did non come upwards into the Earth naked, only it came inwards types too images. One volition non have the truth inwards whatever other way."

Important iconic symbols arose inwards many human groups across the globe. The symbol was designed to communicate too exactly remind its viewer of concepts inwards the world. They may serve equally roadsigns, maps or instructionals for the viewer. Not surprisingly, symbols accept had a deep behavior upon on human psychology too spiritual life, relaying the intuitive wisdom of the ancients.

In Africa, where tape of the oldest human communities lie, in that location are many tribal families that locomote symbols to tell stories too supply information, reminders too lessons. These symbols are considered sacred, too were primarily used inwards ceremonial too religious contexts.

EAST AFRICAN SYMBOLS

Among the oldest cast of surviving written script is a symbolic ane -- hieroglyphics, a mixture of symbols too signs. Some pictures inside a hieroglyphic may easily live recognizable to a viewer equally acts of humans or human-made objects. Some symbols select really specific pregnant that volition live unknown to an outsider who has non studied the pregnant of the epitome inside the context it was initially relayed. Other symbols inside hieroglyphic writing accept phonetic value.

An of import symbol inwards ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics is the ankh, represented here. The ankh combines the symbols of Osiris (the T cross) too Isis (the oval) to symbolize immortality. Osiris too Isis -- blood brother too sister-- were the 2 earliest God too Goddess inwards ancient Egyptian tradition. Isis is the start ancient Egyptian goddess to look inwards surviving East African cultural history. Isis represents the divine woman nurture too protector. She is equally good depicted inwards ancient Egyptian symbols equally a kite, a cast assumed to search for the dismembered trunk of her blood brother Osiris. 

The patriarchal Christian cross borrowed it's iconography from the older ankh symbol, removing the woman individual Isis representation. The ancient Egyptian ceremonies often line gods ceremonially carrying the ankh, much similar the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians locomote the cross symbol inwards its processionals.

The goddess Isis gives pharaoh Seti I breath of life, inwards the cast of an ankh

Other Nile Valley symbols were the Sun disk too the pyramid. The winged-sun disk symbol represents the Sun god Ra. Ra rules the Sun too the skies, equally the creator of the world. The pharaohs (kings) honored Ra equally sons (suns) inwards their iconography. Ra is said to accept resided inwards Heliopolis, an ancient Egyptian city. The symbol for Ra too his attributes is the obelisk too the Sun rays. The pyramid represents some other of import East African symbol. The ancient Egyptians used the pyramids for initiations into the mystery schools, equally good equally homes for those who transcended through the duat. It symbolizes the highest score of spiritual attainment, an ascent of the hierarchy of enlightenment.

WEST AFRICAN SYMBOLS

There were equally good many symbols used inwards West Africa to select messages too values inside community. The Akan too the Asante tribes of West Africa both locomote Adinkra symbols. The symbols are constitute ofttimes inwards the West African Earth of Ghana. The symbols are incorporated into fabrics too on interior wall designs, or on pottery.

Used ofttimes past times pre-colonial Ghanaian people, the Adinkra stamps were made from gourds too used to select of import concepts. These symbols may exhibit upwards inwards jewelry designs to select pregnant to those inside the civilization equally clearly equally phonetic text represents meaningful words to those who are native to European languages, such equally English.

For example, inwards Republic of Ghana the aya or "fern" adinkra symbol represents endurance too resourcefulness. "An private who wears this symbol suggests that he has endured many adversities too outlasted much difficulty," states W. Bruce Willis inwards his mass The Adinkra Dictionary. The aya represents a known West African works life that tin grow inwards hard places. It tin withstand dry out reason too various weather condition conditions too shortly came to correspond human perseverance inwards life. Among the Ghanaians, this is a symbol of hardiness, endurance too defiance.

Africa’s rich too various artistic traditions vividly limited a spiritual sentiment of the world. The position out of symbolic systems inwards Africa is beyond this writer's capacity to fathom, based on the important cultural variety inside the African continent. Symbols may arise on masks too ornaments, inside architectural designs or inwards hairpieces too clothing. From East Africa to West Africa -- Southern Africa to Northern Africa -- the people of Africa accept a broad array of symbols waiting to live examined past times those interested inwards learning to a greater extent than well-nigh African history too its ancient, various cultural heritage.