Solar symbol
Encyclopedia
A solar symbol is a symbol
which symbolises the Sun
. Solar symbols can have significance in psychoanalysis
, symbol
ism, semiotics
, astrology
, religion
, mythology
, mysticism
, divination
, heraldry
, and vexillology
, among other fields.
Some solar symbols include:
or circular disk can be a solar symbol, as in the flag of Japan
, the flag of Bangladesh
, and the Australian Aboriginal flag
, or in three-dimensional form as part of the Trundholm sun chariot
.
This is an ancient solar symbol featuring a circle with its center marked with a dot
(Unicode U+2609 ☉ preferably or U+2299 ⊙). It is the astronomical symbol/astrological symbol for the Sun, and the ancient Egypt
ian sign for "sun" or "Ra
" in the hieroglyphic
writing system. The character for "sun" or "day" in early Chinese script was similar, but it has become square in modern script: 日 (ri).
(See Circled dot
for non-solar meanings.)
The "sun cross" or "solar wheel" is often considered to represent the four seasons and the tropical year, and therefore the sun (though as an astronomical symbol it means "earth").
See article Sun cross
for main discussion.
The swastika
can be derived from the sun cross, and is another solar symbol in some contexts.
It is used (not necessarily as a solar symbol) among Buddhists, Jains, and Hindu
s (see manji
) and many other cultures in addition to Nazi
associations. Also see Malkh-Festival
.
Varying forms of an eight-pointed star (but usually having only fourfold symmetry) with solar meaning appear on the flags of several Russian subdivisions – such as Udmurtia
, Mordovia
, Mari El
, and Chuvashia
– and had a similar meaning on the 1959–1963 flag of Iraq. It is an ancient symbol of Uralic tribes.
Other version of the "sun cross", in the form of an eight-spoked wheel.
or triskelion
signs are considered to be solar symbols. The triskelion on the flag of Ingushetia
is given this meaning.
– the Sign of Perun (slavic Jupiter), Hungarian solar symbol and popular decoration element (a rosette of the "flower of life
" pattern). It's also widely found on traditional art and ancient architecture as decorative motif in different parts of Castille
(Spain
) http://usuarios.lycos.es/noceuetno/estilo_villaviciosa.htm http://usuarios.tiscali.es/_poe_/lena.html http://www.1romanico.com/004/foto.asp?codf=00003483&prov=013&monumen=001205&hoja=3.
Although the rosette is still normally seen as a traditional symbol without political implications, in Asturias
the symbol is nowadays used by some nationalist movements, together with other asturian traditional solar symbols.
solar symbol found on the Zbruch Idol
as a symbol of Svantevit, the Slavic God of war.
, the flag of Kiribati
, some versions of the flag of Argentina
, the Irish Defence Forces cap badge
, and the 1959–1965 coat of arms of Iraq are official insignia which incorporate such symbolism.
The depictions of the sun on the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
, the flag of Kazakhstan
, and the flag of Nepal
have only straight (triangular) rays, while that on the flag of Kyrgyzstan
has only curvy rays. The flag of the Philippines
has short diverging rays grouped into threes.
Another form of rayed depiction of the sun is with simple radial lines dividing the field into two colors, as in the military flags of Japan and the current Flag of the Republic of Macedonia
, and in the top parts of the flag of Tibet
and the flag of Arizona
.
logo is used by the anti-nuclear movement worldwide since the 1970s. It symbolizes positive power and the use of solar energy and other renewable energies
instead of nuclear power
.
Sami
Sun symbol that resembles a sun cross
.
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
which symbolises the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. Solar symbols can have significance in psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
, symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
ism, semiotics
Semiotics
Semiotics, also called semiotic studies or semiology, is the study of signs and sign processes , indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication...
, astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
, heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, and vexillology
Vexillology
Vexillology is the scholarly study of flags. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum, meaning 'flag', and the Greek suffix -logy, meaning 'study'. The vexillum was a particular type of flag used by Roman legions during the classical era; its name is a diminutive form of the word velum...
, among other fields.
Some solar symbols include:
Circle
A simple circleCircle
A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a plane that are a given distance from a given point, the centre. The distance between any of the points and the centre is called the radius....
or circular disk can be a solar symbol, as in the flag of Japan
Flag of Japan
The national flag of Japan is a white rectangular flag with a large red disk in the center. This flag is officially called in Japanese, but is more commonly known as ....
, the flag of Bangladesh
Flag of Bangladesh
The national flag of Bangladesh was adopted officially on 17 January 1972. It is based on a similar flag used during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The map was later deleted from the flag by the order of General Abul Manzur, most likely to simplify the design...
, and the Australian Aboriginal flag
Australian Aboriginal Flag
The Australian Aboriginal Flag is a flag that represents Indigenous Australians. It is one of the official "Flags of Australia", and holds special legal and political status, but it is not the "Australian National Flag"...
, or in three-dimensional form as part of the Trundholm sun chariot
Trundholm sun chariot
The Trundholm sun chariot , is a late Nordic Bronze Age artifact discovered in Denmark. It is a representatino of the sun chariot, a bronze statue of a horse and a large bronze disk, which are placed on a device with spoked wheels....
.
Circle with a point at its center
Interpunct
An interpunct —also called an interpoint—is a small dot used for interword separation in ancient Latin script, which also appears in some modern languages as a stand-alone sign inside a word. It is present in Unicode as code point ....
(Unicode U+2609 ☉ preferably or U+2299 ⊙). It is the astronomical symbol/astrological symbol for the Sun, and the ancient Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian sign for "sun" or "Ra
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
" in the hieroglyphic
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
writing system. The character for "sun" or "day" in early Chinese script was similar, but it has become square in modern script: 日 (ri).
(See Circled dot
Circled dot
The circled dot, circumpunct, or circle with a point at its centre is an ancient symbol. It can represent:Solar symbol*Solar symbol, symbol used to represent the sun* Solar mass * The sun / Gold...
for non-solar meanings.)
Sun cross
See article Sun cross
Sun cross
The sun cross, also known as the wheel cross, Odin's cross, or Woden's cross, a cross inside a circle, is a common symbol in artifacts of the Americas and Prehistoric Europe, particularly during the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods.-Stone Age:...
for main discussion.
Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
can be derived from the sun cross, and is another solar symbol in some contexts.
It is used (not necessarily as a solar symbol) among Buddhists, Jains, and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s (see manji
Manji
Manji or mangi may refer to:*The Japanese name of the 卍 character , see swastika/sauwastika* Manji , a Japanese era name* A type of sai, a traditional Okinawan weapon* A kind of chiefship found among the Chaga tribe of Tanzania...
) and many other cultures in addition to Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
associations. Also see Malkh-Festival
Malkh-Festival
Malkh is a festival gifted to the Deela-Malkh in Vainakh mythology. 25 December was the Birthday and the festival of the sun. During the ceremonies suppliants turned to the east. Also in Nakh Architecture temples and house façades were directed to east. Nakh people believed that Sun went to visit...
.
Eight-pointed star
Flag of Udmurtia
Flag of Udmurtia is one of the official state symbols of Udmurtia. Proportion of width and length of the flag is 1:2. It's a rectangular three-color cloth consisting of vertical equal stripes of black, white and red with an eight-pointed red cross...
, Mordovia
Flag of Mordovia
The flag of Mordovia, in the Russian Federation, is a horizontal tricolour of red, white and blue. It is charged with a brown-red sun emblem in the center of the white strip. The emblem is divide into four parts, symbolizing the four Mordvin tribes. Its proportions are 1:2:1.The flag was adopted...
, Mari El
Flag of Mari El
The flag of Mari El, a federal subject and republic in the Russian Federation, was adopted by the Parliament of Mari El on 30 November 2006.-Description:...
, and Chuvashia
Flag of Chuvashia
The flag of the Chuvash Republic, a federal subject of Russia, is charged with a stylized tree of life, a symbol of rebirth, with the three suns, a traditional emblem popular in Chuvash art. Deep red stands for the land, the golden yellow—for prosperity....
– and had a similar meaning on the 1959–1963 flag of Iraq. It is an ancient symbol of Uralic tribes.
Doubled sun cross
Triskelion
Some forms of the triple spiralTriple spiral
The triple spiral or triskele is a Celtic and pre-Celtic symbol found on a number of Irish Megalithic and Neolithic sites, most notably inside the Newgrange passage tomb, on the entrance stone, and on some of the curbstones surrounding the mound....
or triskelion
Triskelion
A triskelion or triskele is a motif consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs, or any similar symbol with three protrusions and a threefold rotational symmetry. Both words are from Greek or , "three-legged", from prefix "τρι-" , "three times" + "σκέλος" , "leg"...
signs are considered to be solar symbols. The triskelion on the flag of Ingushetia
Flag of Ingushetia
The flag of Ingushetia was adopted in 1994. It shows a red triskelion symbol on a white background, with narrow green horizontal stripes above and below.-Symbolism:...
is given this meaning.
Rosette
SlavicSlavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
– the Sign of Perun (slavic Jupiter), Hungarian solar symbol and popular decoration element (a rosette of the "flower of life
Flower of Life
The Flower of Life is the modern name given to a geometrical figure composed of multiple evenly-spaced, overlapping circles. They are arranged to form a flower-like pattern with a sixfold symmetry, similar to a hexagon...
" pattern). It's also widely found on traditional art and ancient architecture as decorative motif in different parts of Castille
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) http://usuarios.lycos.es/noceuetno/estilo_villaviciosa.htm http://usuarios.tiscali.es/_poe_/lena.html http://www.1romanico.com/004/foto.asp?codf=00003483&prov=013&monumen=001205&hoja=3.
Although the rosette is still normally seen as a traditional symbol without political implications, in Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
the symbol is nowadays used by some nationalist movements, together with other asturian traditional solar symbols.
Sun Circle
SlavicSlavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
solar symbol found on the Zbruch Idol
Zbruch Idol
The Zbruch Idol is a 9th century sculpture, and one of the rarest monuments of pre-Christian Slavic beliefs. The pillar is commonly associated with the Slavic deity Svantevit, although opinions on the exact meaning of all the bas-reliefs and their symbols differ...
as a symbol of Svantevit, the Slavic God of war.
Rayed depictions
A circular disk with alternating triangular and wavy rays emanating from it is a frequent symbol or artistic depiction of the sun. Minimally, there are four straight rays and four wavy rays (as in the ancient Mesopotamian symbol of the sun-god Shamash), but there can be a higher number. The Jesuit emblem, the flag of UruguayFlag of Uruguay
The national flag of Uruguay has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. The canton is white, charged with the Sun of May, from which 16 rays extend, alternating between triangular and wavy...
, the flag of Kiribati
Flag of Kiribati
The flag of Kiribati: the upper half is red with a gold frigatebird flying over a gold rising sun , and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean and the 3 groups...
, some versions of the flag of Argentina
Flag of Argentina
The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...
, the Irish Defence Forces cap badge
Irish Defence Forces cap badge
The Irish Defence Forces Cap Badge is – in distinction to the practice in British, Commonwealth, and many other militaries around the world – common to all services and corps...
, and the 1959–1965 coat of arms of Iraq are official insignia which incorporate such symbolism.
The depictions of the sun on the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Flag of the Republic of China
The Flag of the Republic of China is red with a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. In Chinese, the flag is commonly described as Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth to reflect its attributes....
, the flag of Kazakhstan
Flag of Kazakhstan
The current flag of Kazakhstan or Kazakh flag was adopted on 4 June 1992, replacing the flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The flag was designed by Shaken Niyazbekov.-Description:...
, and the flag of Nepal
Flag of Nepal
The national flag of Nepal is the world's only national flag that is non-quadrilateral in shape. The flag is a simplified combination of two single pennons, the vexillological word for a pennant. Its crimson red is the colour of the rhododendron, the country's national flower. Red is also the sign...
have only straight (triangular) rays, while that on the flag of Kyrgyzstan
Flag of Kyrgyzstan
The flag of Kyrgyzstan was adopted on 3 March 1992 by the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan. It consists of a red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 uniformly spaced rays...
has only curvy rays. The flag of the Philippines
Flag of the Philippines
The national flag of the Philippines is a horizontal flag bicolor with equal bands of royal blue and scarlet red, and with a white equilateral triangle at the hoist; in the center of the triangle is a golden yellow sun with eight primary rays, each containing three individual rays, which represent...
has short diverging rays grouped into threes.
Another form of rayed depiction of the sun is with simple radial lines dividing the field into two colors, as in the military flags of Japan and the current Flag of the Republic of Macedonia
Flag of the Republic of Macedonia
The national flag of the Republic of Macedonia depicts a stylised yellow sun on a red field, with eight broadening rays extending from the centre to the edge of the field. It was created by Pr...
, and in the top parts of the flag of Tibet
Flag of Tibet
The Tibetan flag, also known as the 'snow lion flag' and the 'Free Tibet flag', was a flag of the military of Tibet, introduced by the 13th Dalai Lama in 1912 and used in the same capacity until 1959. Designed with the help of a Japanese, it reflects the design motif of Japanese military's Rising...
and the flag of Arizona
Flag of Arizona
The flag of the state of Arizona consists of 13 rays of red and weld-yellow on the top half, the colors of the flag of Spain, representing the 13 original states. The red and yellow also symbolize Arizona's picturesque sunsets. The copper star represents a once flourishing Copper mining industry in...
.
Smiling Sun
The Smiling SunSmiling Sun
The anti-nuclear badge “Nuclear Power? No Thanks”, also known as the “Smiling Sun”, is the international symbol of the anti-nuclear, safe energy movement. It was ubiquitous worldwide in the late 1970s and the 1980s. BBC News reported in 2005 that few symbols had become "as instantly recognizable...
logo is used by the anti-nuclear movement worldwide since the 1970s. It symbolizes positive power and the use of solar energy and other renewable energies
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
instead of nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
.
Shamanism
Some Sami shaman drums have the BeaiviBeaivi
Beaivi, Beiwe, Bievve, Beivve or Biejje, is the Sami name of the Sun or might refer to the Sami Sun-deity. The Sami Sun-deity is mostly depicted female but sometimes also as male...
Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
Sun symbol that resembles a sun cross
Sun cross
The sun cross, also known as the wheel cross, Odin's cross, or Woden's cross, a cross inside a circle, is a common symbol in artifacts of the Americas and Prehistoric Europe, particularly during the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods.-Stone Age:...
.
See also
- Astrological symbolsAstrological symbolsAstrological symbols are images used in various astrological systems to denote relevant objects. A number of such images are shown below.-History and origin:...
- Astronomical symbolsAstronomical symbolsAstronomical symbols are symbols used to represent various celestial objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in astronomy. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyri of late antiquity. The Byzantine codices in which the Greek papyri were preserved continued and...
- BeaiviBeaiviBeaivi, Beiwe, Bievve, Beivve or Biejje, is the Sami name of the Sun or might refer to the Sami Sun-deity. The Sami Sun-deity is mostly depicted female but sometimes also as male...
- Black Sun (occult symbol)
- Black Sun (mythology)Black Sun (mythology)The Black Sun in Mesoamerican mythology has many mystical meanings, among them it is connected to the god Quetzalcoatl and his penetration in the Underworld through the west door after his diurnal passage on the sky. Amidst the Mexicas there were two suns, the young day sun and the ancient sun,...
- Gallery of sun flags
- Monad (Greek philosophy)Monad (Greek philosophy)Monad , according to the Pythagoreans, was a term for Divinity or the first being, or the totality of all beings, Monad being the source or the One meaning without division....
- Solar deitySolar deityA solar deity is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms...
- Sun crossSun crossThe sun cross, also known as the wheel cross, Odin's cross, or Woden's cross, a cross inside a circle, is a common symbol in artifacts of the Americas and Prehistoric Europe, particularly during the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods.-Stone Age:...
- Sun (heraldry)Sun (heraldry)A representation of the sun is used as a heraldic charge. The most usual form, often called sun in splendour or in his glory, consists of a round disc with the features of a human face, surrounded by twelve or sixteen rays, alternating wavy and straight.It is a common charge in the heraldry of...
- Sun of MaySun of MayThe Sun of May is one of the national emblems of Argentina and Uruguay, and it is featured on the countries' flags.-Features and specifics:The Sun of May is a representation of the Inca sun god Inti...
- Symbolism (disambiguation)Symbolism (disambiguation)Symbolism is the applied use of symbols. It is a representation that carries a particular meaning. It is a device in literature where an object represents an idea.A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something other than itself....
- Winged sunWinged sunThe winged sun is a symbol associated with divinity, royalty and power in the Ancient Near East . The symbol has also been found in the records of ancient cultures residing in various regions of South America as well as Australia.- Ancient Egyptian use :In Ancient Egypt, the symbol is attested...