r/Symbology Aug 22 '19

Meta Frequently Sought Symbols

199 Upvotes

-Additional Symbols in the Comments-

 

Worried about a hate symbol? Check the ADL's Hate Symbol Database first.

 

Spoked Wheels
Black Sun
Helm of Awe
"Kolovrat"
Vegvísir

Contains Circles / is Circle-ish
Four Symbols of Led Zeppelin
Khanda
Love Symbol #2 (AFKA Prince)
Mars
Fu, Lu, Shou, and Cai
Arrow Utility Signs

Contains Triangles / is Triangle-ish
Benchmark
Sigil of Lucifer
Triquetra
Triskelion
Valknut
Masonic Square and Compass

Contains Open Shapes / Is an Open Shape
(Most) Futhark Runes
Om in various scripts
Arrow Utility Signs

Contains Closed Shapes / Is a Closed Shape
Leviathan Cross/Sulfur
Order of the Eastern Star (appears often on headstones and rings)


r/Symbology Jul 07 '23

Meta Symbol-Hunting Resources

80 Upvotes

Since I'm nearing 600 symbol bookmarks, I figured I should compile some of my favorites into an official resource thread for the sub.

Please feel free to comment with your own favorite resources or to ask for something specific!


 

General
Dictionary of Symbols (updated version is physical only)
Symbols.com
Symbolikon (has a cool map function, but double-check whatever info you find there.)

 

Alchemy
Dictionary of Occult, Hermetic and Alchemical Sigils
A digital repository of the above. * Unfortunately, the site is kind of botched at the moment. Not sure why :/
Getty's Alchemical Text Collection

 

Heraldry
Massive Ka-Mon archive - Japan
Hiusmarken - North & Central Europe
Tamga - 1 (pdf), 2 - Eastern Europe & parts of Central Asia
Crests/Arms - Mostly Western Europe; categorized by type on its sidebar

 

Knots
Wiki's Database - all knots ever, basically

 

Languages
omniglot
Conlangs on omniglot

 

Maker's Marks
Jewelry
Masons (mostly UK. Site is an eyesore, but the "Mark Gallery" is great)
Merchants (Mostly England; will need an archive.org account)
Pottery (pdf)
Printers (English, German, Dutch)
Mishmash of Marks from 1893 Vol.1, Vol. 2

 

Monograms
Gutenburg's typography collection
Signum Manus
Tughras
Royal Cyphers

 

Occult
archive.org favorites (Palo, Voodoo, & Western Grimoires)
Islamic (pdf, might need an account)

 

Unicode
Draw a shape, get results
Draw Kanji, get results

 


r/Symbology 6h ago

Identification Saw these stickers on a car in my neighborhood. Are these Nazi symbols or just adjacent?

Thumbnail
gallery
89 Upvotes

When I looked it up, it seems only the iron cross, bar cross, and Celtic cross are associated with Nazi/neo-Nazi groups, but I figured I'd include this cross out of curiosity.


r/Symbology 9h ago

Identification Never seen this symbol before seen it on the back of someone’s car what does it mean?!

Post image
5 Upvotes

Was driving and seen this symbol on the back of someone’s car. In all my life ive never seen a symbol like this so I don’t know what it means what is it?


r/Symbology 1h ago

Identification has anyone seen this symbol? my "pendant" guided me and this is the result. is it completely made up, or does it maybe actually exist lol?

Post image
Upvotes

r/Symbology 1d ago

Interpretation Saw this dude wearing a suspicious shirt and noticed this tattoo, anyone know what it could be?

Post image
199 Upvotes

r/Symbology 2h ago

Interpretation What if every major religion is describing the same hidden structure? Mountains like Zion, Olympus, Meru, and Tai may all encode a single symbolic ascent through human consciousness, mirrored in chakras from survival to divine encounter. Once seen, this pattern appears everywhere

Thumbnail
youtu.be
0 Upvotes

I've noticed what seems to be a recurring pattern across many religions and mythological systems that the gods dwell at the top of a mountain.

Mount Zion, Mount Olympus, Mount Meru, Mount Tai, and many others all seem to point toward the same symbolic structure.

In this video, I explore the idea that mountains represent the human body and that the different stages of ascending a sacred mountain correspond to the chakra system and recurring themes found throughout religious stories.

All input is welcome. Let me know what you think!


r/Symbology 20h ago

Identification Strange marks on Tom Steyer's hand. What are they?

Post image
25 Upvotes

What are these marks on Tom Steyer's hand?


r/Symbology 12h ago

Interpretation Violet Pritchard’s interpretation of Solomon’s knot

Post image
1 Upvotes

Still reading Violet Pritchard’s English Medieval Graffiti (1967) and came across something that made me stop.

She discusses the Solomon’s knot (also calling it the swastika pelta) — the same motif that appears on the cover of the book — but never interprets it as a protective mark. Instead she explores possible visual origins and decorative traditions.

Reading it now feels fascinating because today we often encounter Solomon’s knot in discussions of medieval graffiti as an apotropaic (protective) symbol — sometimes interpreted as an “endless line” that traps or distracts evil.

From what I’ve been reading, that protective interpretation seems to have become much more influential only from the late 20th century onwards, through researchers of ritual protection marks such as Timothy Easton and later medieval graffiti surveys.

Not saying one interpretation cancels the other — but it’s interesting how much the way we read medieval graffiti has changed in only ~60 years.


r/Symbology 20h ago

Interpretation What is this symbol? It was underneath a rug in a home in Georgia (US)

Post image
3 Upvotes

r/Symbology 1d ago

Identification Any idea what this means? Found it in a public bathroom

Post image
31 Upvotes

r/Symbology 1d ago

Identification Can anyone identify this hand gesture? Trying to find out what it means.

Post image
105 Upvotes

I was flashed this (a deliberate covering of the eyes and downward pointing of the of symbol) at my local gas station by one of the cashiers and when it wasn't reciprocated he immediately stopped acknowledging me and moved on the next customer. I initially just shrugged it off as an awkward interaction since the guy has always been a little off but I can't stop thinking about it. I know there's also a chance its the made you look gotcha from 90s but I don't think so. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


r/Symbology 1d ago

Identification What does this symbol mean? If it means anything at all

Post image
1 Upvotes

r/Symbology 1d ago

Interpretation Hi I made these and want to know if there are similar symbols like them

Thumbnail
gallery
5 Upvotes

I also draw a lot but I'm bad at antonamy so I just draw symbols and various abstract detailed shapes and objects with sometimes identifiable traits

I never really did research on symbols or runes before so I don't know if these have any meanings

I have a lot more symbols but there in my book somewhere in my room


r/Symbology 2d ago

Identification Hi there, I have had this pendant (?) since I was a child and have no idea where it even came from. It feels like it is related to Christian symbology, maybe Catholicism. Has anyone seen this exact thing?

Post image
9 Upvotes

r/Symbology 1d ago

Interpretation [interpretation] Do any of these look like anything? Found them in random spots.

Post image
3 Upvotes

Just saw them in places I was in. Seemed significant and out of place to be random. No real reason that there should be a symbol in where I found it in.

First one was an accidental scratch (the circle was extra tiny/a dent) in a wall and the last one was in nature formed by a tree which was weird. I saw thinking a green traffic signal as 0 = off for analog signals, 1 is on, thus this would resemble a traffic light on green.

For the first one I have no clue.

The middle one is so simplistic... could be anything? Could be just nothing.


r/Symbology 1d ago

Identification Please help me identify symbol with cyrillic letters. Maybe religious?

Post image
2 Upvotes

r/Symbology 2d ago

Interpretation Looking for help identifying / interpreting a symbol

Post image
3 Upvotes

Hi all. This symbol is partially cut off but is symmetric about the center. Looking for help identifying it / curious if it means anything to anyone. It’s very important to someone in my life and I am trying to figure out the origin or what it could represent. I get pretty negative vibes from it. Thanks very much!


r/Symbology 2d ago

Identification Old Ring Silverish metal. Lot's of inscriptions and odd Symbols. It was on the floor of old 87 motorhome I was given by property owners! No idea who owned it! Looks like maybe some wedding band possibly with symbols that are more like hyroglyphics then letters? Possible arrow bed and woman symbols?

Thumbnail
gallery
13 Upvotes

IT'S Crude in casting or old ...or both. Some symbols inside but nothing Thst says anything i can tell. Mostly bubbles in metal or poke Mark's. Plain band. The letters don't tell me anything! The symbols..? Think it might be a promise ring or engagement! That's why I'm here..

What language? Arabic? Egyptian Maybe? Hebrew?

Any Help! I'd actually like to see the owner get it back! Could be grandads or such


r/Symbology 3d ago

Identification What is this symbol? What does the bracelet mean? 50 characters lol

Post image
22 Upvotes

Found this guy at a thrift store (lava rocks I think, correct me if I’m wrong). It was after purchasing that I noticed the odd seemingly hand printed symbol in the brass clasp, and then I found out that the brass clasp UNSCREWS!

There is a rolled up piece of paper on the inside that reads “good health”.

Do any spiritual / witchcraft practicers have ideas on the symbol or intention of the bracelet? Is it a healing charm? Is this thing enchanted? Is it super lame and commercial? Let me know!


r/Symbology 3d ago

Identification What is this symbol I found in the bathroom at my work?

Post image
15 Upvotes

Found this in the bathroom at my work before closing. I also found some chalk with a ribbon wrapped around it, a seashell, and 2 rocks on the ground.

Does this have any meaning or is it just some scribbles? Thank you!


r/Symbology 3d ago

Identification What exactly is this? Came across this on a former Urbexing spot (abandoned house).

Thumbnail
gallery
12 Upvotes

For more information: The path I was using was the previously the way the person who lived in the later abandoned and now ruined building but infront of it was a log that was lying across the path. Eventually I reached this place and the first thing that caught my eye, made me freeze for a few seconds and then switch into more deliberately and methodically watching my surroundings while investigating this.

What I managed to find around this thing was a makeshift shelter out of sticks. basically searched in a circular pattern away from this site a little later and found a second log that was lying across the other way of entering this spot.

There was other signs of people camping further away and even teens ontop of the hill that this is next to (due to trash like beer and packages for paper used for joints).

This spot in general is not too far away from the official trekking path.

My investigation so far:

Now, what I've heard so far is either:

- some effigy from a "witch" or wicca practitioner

- a dream catcher

The dream catcher sounds more believeable but when I looked into the origins, the meaning and the construction they're supposed to be round have, the next is supposed to be within the circle a dream catcher has feathers.

If this is truly a dream catcher: What would a triangular dreamcatcher even mean?

And if its not, what the hell is this?


r/Symbology 3d ago

Identification trying to make the quilt from project hail mary. what’s this?

Post image
4 Upvotes

hi! the title says it all :) i think the quilt is supposed to be symbols of good luck from different places if that helps! thanks in advance!


r/Symbology 3d ago

Interpretation A triangle with wings . Your interpretation ? SS a5

Post image
6 Upvotes

r/Symbology 4d ago

Identification Trying to know the meaning of this symbol. Can anyone help me?

Post image
18 Upvotes

tbh I want to know if it could be related to nxzi symbolism?