Celtic knot
The Celtic knot is a symbol mainly known form Celtic culture, but has been used in different variaties in other cultures like Roman, Copts etc., especially midieval cultures all around the world.
The origin of the Celtic knots dates back to the Celtische cultere in the 3rd and 4th century. The meaning ...
Eagle
The symbol for Eagle is often used on for example coat of arms and flags. The image on the top left, is just an example and has no specific use. In other designs, the symbol is used in the US as great seal for official documents and pasports and on German coat of arms.
The eagle is known for different ...
Rod of Esclepius
This symbol for medicine originates from ancient Greece, where it is named is after the Greek god of medicine Asklepios. The symbol can be explaned as a staff with a serpent twisted around it.
The serpent symbolizes healing, this is explained in many different ways. The 2 meest told stories about de ...
Dove as a peace symbol
A white dove is a symbol for peace and originates from Christianity. In the old testament is refered to the flood myth, where a white dove is part of the story.
During the flood myth Noach sends a white dove form the ark to find land. The dove returns carrying a branche. This was the sign that ther was ...
Earth (Alchemy)
This symbol for Earth is used in the alchemy and probably originates from the middle ages when during the 14th and 15th century the practise of alchemy was banned, mainly by the church.
Earth together with water, fire and air are considered classical alchemy elements. The sign can be described as a ...
Yin and Yang (Taijitu)
The Yin and Yang sign originates from China and is mentioned for the first time in “I Ching” (Book of change). Yin and Yang stands for oposites and is used in different contexts.
The oposites may not be explaned as for example the north pole and the south pole, but for example as movement ...
Shell of Saint James
The Shell of Saint James is a Christian symbol and symbolizes the holy Saint James. Since the middle ages the shell is the symbol is synonym with Saint James of Santiago de Compostella.
The legend about the origin of the symbol of the holy Saint James and the shell is told in different stories which ...
Huguenot cross
The huguenot cross is a Christian symbol that probably dates back to the 17th century, although it actually evoluated during the centuries.
The Maltese cross forms a clear part of the huguenot cross. In this symbol the arms of the Maltese cross are connected and form the rosary of Jezus according to ...
Libra
The symbol for Libra is used in Astrology as well as Astronomy. Libra is part of the Zodiac which originates from the time that people started to have the need to prodict.
All Zodiac symbols originate from the different constellations. Thus Libra originates form the interpretation of the constellation ...
Percent (%) sign
The percentage sign stands for one 100th part of something and is used to indicate the number of 100th parts of something.
The sign is used a lot in the scientific world for various goals and in the financial world for example for the interest rate.
There are different stories about ...
Celtic cross
This symbol is one of the best known celtic crosses. This Celtic crosses originate from 8th century England and Ireland. The sign is probably aggregation of Druïd symbols and Christian symbols.
The symbol is probably an aggregation of a sunwheel and a cross, but is also explaned as the male and female ...
Hathor
This symbol represents the Egyptian goddess Hathor. Hathor was among others the goddess of love, music and beauty. The sign can be explained as the head of a cow with horns and between the horns the sun (or moon).
The symbol can be explained as the horns of a cow with the sun (or moon) between them, ...
Striskele
This symbol is a Triskele of Triskelion. Triskelion is Greek for three-legged, which you could make of this sign with a little fantasy. There are different stories about the origin of this sign, but the most probable origin is Celtic.
The symbol is usually associoted width the Celtic culture, where ...
Water (Alchemy)
This symbol for water is used in the alchemy and probably originates from the middle ages when during the 14th and 15th century the practise of alchemy was banned, mainly by the church.
Air together with water, earth and fire are considered classical alchemy elements. The sign is a triangle with the ...
Yen
The Yen sign symbolizes the Japanese currency Yen. The sign originates from the Latin alphabeth and is especially used in de western world.
Japan doesn’t use this sign for the Yen. Instead Japan uses a sign from the Japanese writing system. This western sign is in use since 1871, when Japan ...
Swastika
The Swastika, also known as hook cross or gammadion cross, is a well known cross with four equal leggs. Each leg has a hook at the end which are also refered to as bend leggs. The name gammadion refers to the greek letter gamma which is similar to the hooks or bend leggs.
The oldest known use of the ...
Clef
This symbol for clef is being used for music. The clef is placed on the staff to indicate the pitch of the notes that follow the clef (until the next new clef).
The origin of the clef dates back to the 10th century. At that time the clef was written as a “normal” letter g on the staff. In ...
Heart
This is probably the most known and the most international symbol in the world. The heart as you know symbolizes love, but is also connected to other emotions.
The behaviour of the heart during different emotions is various. A heart can stop beating with exceptional fear and beats faster with excitement. ...
Ankh
Most likely the Ankh symbol originates from the Egyptian mythology and represents life and eternal life. The symbol has been found a lot on paitings in tombs and painted on other objects. As a result of it’s key shape, some stories tell that this symbol is the key to open the gate to hell.
The ...
Ohm (Aum)
The Ohm (or Aum) sign represents a holy syllable from hindoeistic and boedistic prayers.
The symbol represents eternity, infinity and the universe. The symbol is considered to be the origin of all prayers and mantra’s. The most mentioned explanation for the sign is that the ‘3’ represents ...
Pound sign (£)
This sign for pound is the official sign for the currency British Pound Sterling. In old times the pound was only in use as weight, without the use of a symbol.
The official name Pound Sterling was introduces by king Hendrik II introduced it in 1158, The use of the symbol also started in that period. ...
Capricorn
The symbol for Capricorn is being used in Astrology and Astronomy. Capricorn is part of the Zodiac which originates from the time that people started to have the need to predict.
All Zodiac symbols originate from the different constellations. Thus Capricorn originates form the interpretation of the constellation ...
Smiley :-)
The symbol for smiley is designed by Harvey Ball, as an assignment from the insurance company State Mutual Assurance Company. The symbol is mainly known and used on the internet
The main idea of the design was to motivate all personel, because the company made it through a hard time. The smiley was printed ...
Pluto
This symbol stands among others for the Roman god Pluto (god of the underworld) and the planet Pluto (named after the roman god). The symbol can be explained as the initials of it’s predictor Percival Lowell or the first 2 letters of Pluto. Accross each other they form this sign.
Besides the planet ...
Pi (Wiskunde)
The symbol pi is especially known and used in mathematics. In mathematics it symbolizes the value pi that indicates the ratio between its circumference and its diameter.
The value pi cannot be expressed as a number or a fraction. The number of decimals seems neverending. The value can only be approached. ...
Mercury
This sign symbolizes the Roman god Mercury and the planet Mercury (named after the Roman god). The symbol can be explained as a winged helmet above a staff.
Besides the planet and the Roman god, Mercury also represents the metal Mercury. In astrology Mercury represents curiousity, diplomacy and craftiness. ...
Leo
This symbol for Leo is being used in Astrology as well as in Astronomy. In Astrology Leo is part of the Zodiac which originates from the time that people started to have the need to predict.
This sign is a representation of a lions head. The circle is the head of the lion. The curved line from ...
Cross
The cross is one of the symbols that is known world wide. The cross used to be an oriental torturetool used in China, India, Persia en Babylon. But the cross was not only used as torture tool by these peoples.
The cross was granted mistycal value as wel. Only when the Romans Crucifyed Jezus Christ, ...
And-sign (ampersand or &)
The and-sign, ampersand or & originates from the letters “et” meaning “and” in Latin.
During the years these letters grew together, making it less and less recognisable as letters. The & sign as we know it nowadays became clearer. The word ampersand originates from the ...
Dharmaweel
The dharmawheel or dharmacakra is a Buddhist symbol, of hinduistic origin. This symbol represents a wheel with 8 spokes.
The 8 spokes represent the 8-fold path to enlightenment in Buddhism. The symbol was first used during the era of the buddhist king Asokah. This king or emperor reigned about 250 years ...
Euro (€) sign
The euro sign is the symbol that stands for the currency euro. The Euro is (since 2002) the legal tender in the 19 member countries of the Eurozone (European Economic and Monetary Union).
The symbols design is based on the letter epsilon from the greek alphabet and has similarities with the first letter ...
Jolly Roger (pirat flag)
A piratflag is also called Jolly Roger. The origin of this name is not clear. The original Jolly Roger is a skull and crossed bones. Later a variety of flags were used.
The flags original use was telling that a village or city was hit bij the disease plague. The inhabitants then put a Jolly Roger flag ...
Nuclear (radiation) symbol
The origin of this nuclear symbol is the university of California. In 1946 people of the radiation lab of this institute designed the symbol.
The symbol represents the active radiation of an atom. The dot in the middle represents the atom itself. The black areas surrounding it represent the radiation. ...
Earth
This symbol for earth has been used among others in modern Astrology as the symbol for planet earth. The most used explanation of representation of the sign is that the circle represents the globe and the plus represents the four directions of a compass.
The symbol probably originates from the bronze ...
Gemini
This symbol for Gemini is being used in Astrology as well as in Astronomy. In Astrology Leo is part of the Zodiac which originates from the time that people started to have the need to predict.
The sign is probably the Roman number 2 (II or just two ones) with a slightly changed design. Another story ...
Ichtys (fish)
The Ichthys or fish symbol is used by Christians (for example on cars) to show the drivers believe in Christ.
The symbols origin goes back to the Roman era when the emperor claimed the title “Lord”. Christians refused to recognise the emperor as Lord , which lead to persecution of ...
Sigma
Sigma is the 18th letter of the greek alphabet. As symbol sigma is for example applied in mathematics to indicate the sum of similar terms.
In Physics lowercase sigma indicates Surface charge (for example surface charge in a liquid) in a material.
At-sign @ (or monkey’s tail in Dutch )
The at sign, is sometimes also called monkey’s tail (in Dutch) or amfora, dates back to the 16th century and it originally was a capacity measure. An amfora represented 26 liters. The symbol originates from an Italian merchant writing.
During the centuries in Europe the meaning changed to “at ...
Lemniscate
The symbol lemniscate or lying 8 is most known from Mathematics, where it stands for infinity.
The origin is uncertain. The most used story is that it originates from latin word lemniscate, that means ribbon. With some imagination you can recognise a twisted ribbon in the shape of an 8 from the symbol.
The ...
Air (Alchemy)
This symbol for air is used in the alchemy and probably originates from the middle ages when during the 14th and 15th century the practise of alchemy was banned, mainly by the church.
Air together with water, earth and fire are considered classical alchemy elements. The sign is a triangle with a peak ...
Question mark
The symbol for question mark is as you know used to indicate that a sentence is a question.
There are different stories about the origin of the symbol for question mark. One story is, that the sign originates from Latin, where quaestiō means question. The word quaestiō was abbreviated to Qo during ...
Fire (Alchemy)
This symbol for fire is used in the alchemy and probably originates from the middle ages when during the 14th and 15th century the practise of alchemy was banned, mainly by the church.
Fire together with water, earth and air are considered classical alchemy elements. The sign is a triangle with a peak ...
Peace (Ban The Bomb)
This sign for peace originates from the middle of the 20th century. It is designed by Gerald Holtom and buy viagra locally was meant as symbol for the Aldermaston-march against nuclear weapons.
The symbol became synonym with the protests against nuclear weapons. Until now it is still the worldwide ...
