In memoria ad Antonio Gelsomino
Thursday, September 19, 2024

The elephant - symbolism

elephant

Widespread in Africa and Asia, the elephant has the most symbolic significance in these areas of the world and, in fact, it can symbolize both India and Africa.

In these regions, the elephant represents many qualities including: strength, royal power, dignity, patience, wisdom, longevity and happiness, as well as being a symbol of good luck.
In some cultures, the elephant is the cosmic animal, holding the world on its shoulders, and its image is shown on many architectural ornaments.
Frequently, the elephant is one of the favorite riding animals of monarchs, and thus it is associated with power and dominance.

Due to the long period of its life, the elephant indicates longevity, and memory (an English proverb says, "An elephant never forgets").

The white elephant is considered to be a sacred animal in Buddhism, as Buddha himself generated without the involvement of the father, in the form of a white elephant.

The elephant got from Buddha such qualities as patience and wisdom, and therefore became a "treasure of the law."

Hindu God Ganesha is depicted with the head of an elephant, symbolizing wisdom, as well as Airavata was the white elephant that served as a riding animal for Indra. In the Christian tradition, the elephant indicates the virtues of chastity and temperance, and is also a symbol of Christ, who crushes the serpent (Satan). The English idiom "white elephant" (a cathedral in the desert) in Thailand is used to define a useless project, a crazy idea. Since 1874, the newspaper "Harper’s Weekly" has published a cartoon in which an elephant trampled inflation and chaos, it became the symbol of the Republican Party.

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The peacock - In Indian mythology, to draw its wings, reminiscent of many eyes, represents the image of a starry sky.

The spider - In ancient Indian tradition Brahma, the creator of all things, was allegorically called the spider that was spinning the web of the world.

The dove - In China, a dove is a symbol of longevity and filial piety. In the East, the dove is a symbol of love and marriage.

The tiger - The tiger is a symbol of power, strength and success, but at the same time it is a symbol of destruction, because the energy can be both creative and destructive.

The lion - In the symbolism of the elements associated with the fire, the lion represents courage, supreme power, nobility and pride.

The jaguar - Aztecs and Maya  believed that four jaguars represent the guardians of the road to peace.

The butterfly - is a symbol of a soul,  the fragility, the shortness of life, happiness and non-permanence.

The owl - It is a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, sensitivity, a prophetic gift, moderation, and melancholy.

The toad - In Vietnam, the toad is associated with rain, fertility, wealth, and sexuality. In Egypt, frogs were considered sacred animals.

The bear - The bear is a symbol of good will, heroic strength and clumsiness but also of malice, brutality and greed.

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