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Re: creepy symbolism



I took in the "Czars" exhbition this past weekend in Memphis. Beautifully
done. It moves on mid-Sep. Memphis gets such great exhbitions every other
year or so. The next biggie will be an Italy-related one, I am told.    I
noted the double bird symbol, but it not that much removed from the eagle I
see on our one-dollar bills. It did cross my mind why our eagle and the bird
we associate with the Russians are so similar.

Some years ago I worked for Shell Chemical, and we were told the most
recognized symbol in the world, without script, was the Shell pecten. I note
an advert on telly using birds which land on an island in the shape of the
Shell pecten. Clever. We were also informed that the two most eye-catching
colors in symbols are red as well as yellow. Hmmm....could it be McDonald's
adopted those colors for those reasons? I am also told people read things
printed on yellow paper moreso than any other color....I helped with a
library levy campaign, and we used fliers printed on yellow. The levy
passed...coincidence? I don't know.

Sharon Lee Butcher
Reference Librarian
AEDC Technical Library
100 Kindel Drive, Ste C212
Arnold AFB, TN  37389-3212
931-454-4430
Fax:  931-454-5421
sharon.butcher@arnold.af.mil


-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Frank [mailto:efrank@MEMPHIS.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 10:48 AM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Re: creepy symbolism


Medwyn Parry wrote:

> I understand that the nazi swastika was a mirrored image of the old
symbol,
> also used in witchcraft rituals over here.

Sometimes called, depending on which way the symbol faces and
who's doing the calling, a fylfot or sunwheel--a good luck symbol
in parts of Asia and pre-Columbian America (as others have mentioned).
In Finland in WWII, it was the national marking on airplanes (originating
from, IIRC, the family crest of one of the founders of the Finnish Air
Force).

Speaking of creepy, the roadshow of Romanov art and knick-knackery
("Czars: 400 Years of Imperial Heritage" or something like that) is
wrapping up its stint in Memphis.  My wife and I saw it a few weeks
ago, and emerged into the giftshop to find, among other things, souvenirs
with the 'two-faced vulture' Russian crest, and, more disturbing to
anyone with a clue, hammer-and-sickle and CCCP memorabilia.
This, in the city where the new public library came under fire for
including "Workers of the world, unite!" in its public art installation . .
.

(BTW, I know the preferred transliteration is TSar.)

Ed Frank
U of Memphis Libraries

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