What Is the Meaning of Symbology?
According to Webster's, symbology is "The study or interpretation of symbols...". Whether we know it or not, we interpret and respond to symbols all day, every day. We all agree that a circle with a slash through it stands for "no" and that the letters r-o-s-e, is a symbol for the fragrant flower. A symbol, "is something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association..."
J.E. Cirlot, author of the "Dictionary of Symbols", writes that two assumptions underlie our belief in symbols:
· All things in life are significant and nothing is meaningless.
· Everything in life is interconnected.
Other People Are Reading
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A System of Agreement
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It is these underlying assumptions of significance and interconnectedness that make it possible for people to see a lion and think of courage, or to see a red sky in the morning and think sailors should watch for storms at sea. Symbology, while not a profession in and of itself, plays a role in other professions, such as
Iconography: the study of images in art history.
Semiotics: the study of symbols and signs.
Symbolic systems: the study within psychology, sociology and anthropology that examines the interconnections among symbols.
In Education and Professions
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Police investigators determine a criminal's characteristics by analyzing the clues (symbols) left behind. Investigators depend on "tics and tells" while questioning suspects and witnesses to determine an individual's true emotions and personality traits, as well as if someone lies.
Symbols in a patient's dreams reveal subconscious information. Psychologists gather knowledge indirectly by examining the symbols in a patient's language, breathing, eye movement and body patterns.
In child psychology, pictures drawn by children reveal important information, often unavailable through other methods.
In medicine, doctors analyze symptoms to discover diseases.
Maps are nothing if not a large collection of symbols.
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In the Arts
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Playwrights and directors use the symbols of music, stage settings, color and props to imply meaning and to engage viewers in the story.
Painters use colors, brushstrokes, movement and light/dark contrasts to symbolize what they are trying to express.
In music, note duration, voice inflection, changes in scale, melody and rhythms all suggest a story and symbolize what the composer is trying to express.
Writers use allegory, foreshadowing, metaphor and allusion in dialog, scenery, body language and word choices to express hidden aspects of characters and scenes. Symbolism is common in poetry.
In traffic, drivers use symbols constantly, from the speedometer to stop signs, maps and dotted lines, all the while having faith that other drivers are also obeying the symbols!
The Silent Language
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Symbology is such an intrinsic part of being human, and we are so involved with it on a daily basis, it can become invisible to us, a silent language behind all that we do.
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References
- Photo Credit symbol image by Lani from Fotolia.com
