Saturday 25 January 2014

Gargoyles and Water

I like the idea of using a Gargoyle to represent 'Chastity' visually they don't traditionally look pure, but I found a 'Grotesque' that looks like a sweet young maiden so surely I can create a creature that looks this way but still be 'gargoylesque'


As Gargoyles are used to keep water from destroying morter in buildings I looked into the symbolism of water.

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Diving Deep into Water Meanings
I've been asked about the symbolism of water outside of the Christian/Biblical realm. Fascinating subject and I'm grateful for the question. My response is as follows:
The symbolism of water has a universal undertone of purity and fertility. Symbolically, it is often viewed as the source of life itself as we see evidence in countless creation myths in which life emerges from primordial waters.
Interestingly, we are all made of water, and so we can liken many of these myths and allegories to our own existence (the macrocosm mirroring the microcosm and vice versa). Further, we can incorporate symbolism of circulation, life, cohesion and birth by associating the creative waters of the earth with the fluids found in our own body (i.e., blood).
In Taoist tradition, water is considered an aspect of wisdom. The concept here is that water takes on the form in which it is held and moves in the path of least resistance. Here the symbolic meaning of water speaks of a higher wisdom we may all aspire to mimic.
The ever-observant ancient Greeks understood the power of transition water holds. From liquid, to solid, to vapor - water is the epitomal symbol for metamorphosis and philosophical recycling.
Among the first peoples of North America, water was considered a valuable commodity (particularly in the more arid plains and western regions) and the Native Americans considered water to be a symbol of life (further solidifying the symbol affixed in many creation myths).
So it is also with the ancient Egyptians as we learn their beloved (and heavily relied upon) Nile river is akin to the birth canal of their existence.
A quick list of symbolic meanings for water include (but are not limited to)...

Symbolic Water Meanings - The Highlights

  • Life
  • Motion
  • Renewal
  • Blessing
  • Intuition
  • Reflection
  • Subconscious
  • Fertilization
  • Purification
  • Transformation
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I think I will have to do more experiments with this idea.

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