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The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols
This remarkable and wide-ranging book is an inventory of symbols and the symbolic imagination. The editors and their fifteen contributors are drawn from a variety of scholarly backgrounds—including anthropology, ethnology, psychotherapy and art history. This diversity of approach is responsible for the book's unique character, a reflection of the multiplicity of symbols and signs and the phenomenal range of possible interpretations they offer. This book draws together folklore, literary and artistic sources, and focuses on the symbolic dimension of every colour, number, sound, gesture, expression or character trait that has benefitted from symbolic interpretation. The conscious and unconscious minds are explored, desire and dreams are treated alongside the known and the chronicled. Extraordinary in its range and eclecticism, this dictionary was originally published in French as the Dictionnaire des Symboles , and it is regarded as the standard work on the subject.
1184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 28, 2023
Despre un dicționar nu poți spune niciodată că l-ai citit. Firește, nu citești un dicționar așa cum citești un roman. Dicționarul intră în categoria instrumentelor de lucru. Îl poți consulta de zeci de ori într-o zi, de sute de ori într-o săptămînă, cînd lucrezi la un articol și ai nevoie de semnificațiile unui simbol (așa am făcut cînd am scris un eseu despre Numele trandafirului de Umberto Eco), dar poți să-l lași multă vreme deoparte, fără să-i dai vreo atenție.
Prima dată am răsfoit acest dicționar (în ediția originală apărută la Seghers, 1974), acum cîteva decenii. Îl împrumutasem de la prietenul Dan A. pentru cîteva zile. Mi-am scos în mare grabă termenii care mă interesau pe atunci (roza, de pildă) și l-am restituit, frustrat, proprietarului. Un dicționar poate fi util exact cînd nu te aștepți. A doua oară am consultat ediția de la Editura Artemis, 1994, în trei volume. Am extras alți termeni (crux-crucis, de pildă, treceam printr-o fază de „spiritualizare� forțată). În fine, mi-am procurat cu 5 ani în urmă și această ediție. Simt că ar fi nevoie de un print nou, deși nu mai locuim, ca medievalii, într-o lume de simboluri.
Există, firește, o mulțime de dicționare de termeni literari, de simboluri. Am deja A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Wiley & Blackwell, 2013) de J. A. Cuddon. Nu de mult, mi-am procurat Michael Ferber, A Dictionary of Literary Symbols, Cambridge University Press, 1999. Dar cînd am nevoie de informații, tot la dicționarul lui Jean Chevalier și Alain Gheerbrant recurg mai întîi.
Să vedem ce mi-am notat despre °ù´Ç³úă (nume de floare). ÃŽn latină „rosa, rosaeâ€� e un substantiv feminin de declinarea întîi. Diferitele varietăți pot fi strînse într-un buchet: rosa mundi, rosa munda, rosa centifolia, rosa candida, rosa canina, rosa mystica etc. Autorii precizează că roza / trandafirul (de la gr. triandaphyllos = treizeci de foi / petale) este floarea simbolică preferată de autorii occidentali. Lotusul are o funcÈ›ie asemănătoare în Asia. ÃŽn India, totuÈ™i, întîlnim È™i o °ù´Ç³úă cosmică, numită triparasundari.
Roza simbolizează cupa vieÈ›ii, sufletul, inima, iubirea. Poate fi contemplată sub forma unei mandale È™i atunci este un breviar al cosmosului. Poate figura centrul mistic. Aceasta îi este destinaÈ›ia în Romanul trandafirului (tradus recent tot la Polirom). Mai departe. Roza evocă Graalul, È›inta căutării cavalerilor arthurieni. Roza albă / rosa candida este simbolul Fecioarei. Este floarea imensă pe care Beatrice i-o arată lui Dante, ajuns la ultimul cerc al Paradisului. Poate sugera È™i resurecÈ›ia: în ceremoniile romane denumite Rosalia, mulÈ›imea presăra roze pe morminte. Ca floare a iubirii, corespunde lotusului egiptean È™i narcisei eline. O °ù´Ç³úă albastră este un simbol al imposibilului.
În concluzie, o carte pe care e bine s-o ai în bibliotecă.
Prima dată am răsfoit acest dicționar (în ediția originală apărută la Seghers, 1974), acum cîteva decenii. Îl împrumutasem de la prietenul Dan A. pentru cîteva zile. Mi-am scos în mare grabă termenii care mă interesau pe atunci (roza, de pildă) și l-am restituit, frustrat, proprietarului. Un dicționar poate fi util exact cînd nu te aștepți. A doua oară am consultat ediția de la Editura Artemis, 1994, în trei volume. Am extras alți termeni (crux-crucis, de pildă, treceam printr-o fază de „spiritualizare� forțată). În fine, mi-am procurat cu 5 ani în urmă și această ediție. Simt că ar fi nevoie de un print nou, deși nu mai locuim, ca medievalii, într-o lume de simboluri.
Există, firește, o mulțime de dicționare de termeni literari, de simboluri. Am deja A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Wiley & Blackwell, 2013) de J. A. Cuddon. Nu de mult, mi-am procurat Michael Ferber, A Dictionary of Literary Symbols, Cambridge University Press, 1999. Dar cînd am nevoie de informații, tot la dicționarul lui Jean Chevalier și Alain Gheerbrant recurg mai întîi.
Să vedem ce mi-am notat despre °ù´Ç³úă (nume de floare). ÃŽn latină „rosa, rosaeâ€� e un substantiv feminin de declinarea întîi. Diferitele varietăți pot fi strînse într-un buchet: rosa mundi, rosa munda, rosa centifolia, rosa candida, rosa canina, rosa mystica etc. Autorii precizează că roza / trandafirul (de la gr. triandaphyllos = treizeci de foi / petale) este floarea simbolică preferată de autorii occidentali. Lotusul are o funcÈ›ie asemănătoare în Asia. ÃŽn India, totuÈ™i, întîlnim È™i o °ù´Ç³úă cosmică, numită triparasundari.
Roza simbolizează cupa vieÈ›ii, sufletul, inima, iubirea. Poate fi contemplată sub forma unei mandale È™i atunci este un breviar al cosmosului. Poate figura centrul mistic. Aceasta îi este destinaÈ›ia în Romanul trandafirului (tradus recent tot la Polirom). Mai departe. Roza evocă Graalul, È›inta căutării cavalerilor arthurieni. Roza albă / rosa candida este simbolul Fecioarei. Este floarea imensă pe care Beatrice i-o arată lui Dante, ajuns la ultimul cerc al Paradisului. Poate sugera È™i resurecÈ›ia: în ceremoniile romane denumite Rosalia, mulÈ›imea presăra roze pe morminte. Ca floare a iubirii, corespunde lotusului egiptean È™i narcisei eline. O °ù´Ç³úă albastră este un simbol al imposibilului.
În concluzie, o carte pe care e bine s-o ai în bibliotecă.
September 20, 2010
This isn't a book you really FINISH reading. I have had it for a week and I dip into it a few times a night when I am working at my desk. It is a dictionary, but its entries are like salted peanuts--they make you want to learn more about the symbols, the cultures that employ them, and the incredible linkages between these.
March 10, 2021
Am ediția Artemis, în trei volume. Cândva am citit acest dictionar ca pe o carte obișnuită, luând la rând toate definițiile, fiecare dintre ele explicată cu o erudiție monumentală. Am consultat cele trei volume de nenumărate ori și continui să o fac, tocindu-i coperțile (la propriu). De multe ori, autorii francezi fac trimiteri bibliografice la cărțile lui Mirce Eliade din domeniul istoriei comparate a religiilor. Ediția românească este și bine tradusă, spre exemplu atunci când este citată o strofă sau un fragment dintr-o operă a literaturii universale este trecută traducerea sa literară.
August 3, 2016
Literalmente meu livro de cabeceira, é uma leitura que nunca termina, por seu conteúdo arquetÃpico antropologicamente orientado é um livro essencial para o estudo da literatura, cinema, psicologia e artes plásticas em geral. RecomendadÃssimo.
May 24, 2019
An essential part of my writer's toolbox.
November 17, 2017
Sicuramente non me ne intendo molto di simbologia e simbolismo, ma - certamente - se avete una certa passione per le civiltà e le società più o meno antiche, sul loro modo d'intendere la natura e il soprannaturale, su certe visioni convenziali che si sono trascinate più o meno intatte fino ai giorni nostri in detti, locuzioni, abitudini, usi e costumi e volete conoscerne le origini....
bé, in tutti questi casi è un libro che fa certamente al caso vostro. Alcune voci oscuramente esoteriche (nel senso che parlano un linguaggio per pochi), la gran maggioranza digressioni interessantissime su storia, cultura, società e differenti visioni delle cose.
Spettacolare. Consigliato.
bé, in tutti questi casi è un libro che fa certamente al caso vostro. Alcune voci oscuramente esoteriche (nel senso che parlano un linguaggio per pochi), la gran maggioranza digressioni interessantissime su storia, cultura, società e differenti visioni delle cose.
Spettacolare. Consigliato.
September 15, 2022
Full Disclosure. I did not read this reference dictionary cover to cover.
This is a massive, detailed, and wide ranging text that covers seemingly every aspect of material possible. I think it fair to say that if one cannot find some help in your search for a deeper meaning for an object, colour, number, Bible reference and both Eastern and Western mythology reference try again. It may well be your search needs to be refreshed.
This text is over 1000 pages and deserves to be on everyone’s reference shelf. There are riches and insights galore within the pages of this text.
This is a massive, detailed, and wide ranging text that covers seemingly every aspect of material possible. I think it fair to say that if one cannot find some help in your search for a deeper meaning for an object, colour, number, Bible reference and both Eastern and Western mythology reference try again. It may well be your search needs to be refreshed.
This text is over 1000 pages and deserves to be on everyone’s reference shelf. There are riches and insights galore within the pages of this text.
June 18, 2007
Absolutely indispensable for writers. I can fill up two pages of notes and ideas just from flipping through this thing at random for about twenty minutes.
May 3, 2013
Meraviglioso. Lo consiglio a chiunque, chiunque voglia ampliare la propria conoscenza. Non solo simboli, ma astrologia, astronomia, teologia, arte, mitologia... Potrei continuare ancora per molto. Un libro ricco, ben costruito. Non certo una lettura leggera, ma merita veramente tanto.
April 4, 2021
Extremely useful.
Read
April 17, 2022Nu l am citit pe asta da trebuie sa citesc din el și o voi face pe sărite, am citit altul și o să se pună cu asta pentru că dacă tot citesc macar să crească media numărului de pagini știți ce zic
January 17, 2009
This book is absolutely phenomenal. It brings together meanings of symbols from most of the major religious traditions and philosophies (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, etc.), along with astrology and a number of the minor traditions. It provides comparison and contrast between meanings of the symbols. It makes a great supplement for scripture study, and also helps with a lot of other symbolic literature.
I've learned things from this book that I don't think I would have put together on my own. For example, the entry on "garden" mentions that in the Christian tradition, the beginning of the world (Paradise) was in a garden state, while the eventual, Heavenly Jerusalem will be a city. Okay, so that part's obvious, but the stark juxtaposition of the two ideas leads to insights that I wouldn't have had, otherwise.
The entry on names highlights a number of implications of the tradition that naming a thing gives one power over it. For example, when Adam was in the garden, the Lord had him name all the animals and birds, and thus he gained power over them ("dominion", it says in the Bible). The usage of the phrase "his name shall be blotted out" becomes a lot more meaningful and painful to the one for whom it is exercised: when his name no longer exists, neither does he. I wouldn't have put that together.
I gave this to Kim as a birthday gift early in our marriage, and we both love it. I fear that in our practical, scientific world, we are losing some of the powers of symbols to help us understand our past. Many simple statements in historical records become all but incomprehensible without a basic understanding of what things stand for. This book helps to bridge that gap. (Of course, even if our scientific world we have an obsession with naming. Stars, species, diseases, conditions -- as though having a name by which to call a thing gives us some power over it, which clearly isn't the case. We can name the common cold, but we can't cure it. *sigh* But at least we can identify it. And having a name to give something helps to reduce the fear.)
Since this book is a reference, I haven't read all of it -- just portions as I become curious.
I've learned things from this book that I don't think I would have put together on my own. For example, the entry on "garden" mentions that in the Christian tradition, the beginning of the world (Paradise) was in a garden state, while the eventual, Heavenly Jerusalem will be a city. Okay, so that part's obvious, but the stark juxtaposition of the two ideas leads to insights that I wouldn't have had, otherwise.
The entry on names highlights a number of implications of the tradition that naming a thing gives one power over it. For example, when Adam was in the garden, the Lord had him name all the animals and birds, and thus he gained power over them ("dominion", it says in the Bible). The usage of the phrase "his name shall be blotted out" becomes a lot more meaningful and painful to the one for whom it is exercised: when his name no longer exists, neither does he. I wouldn't have put that together.
I gave this to Kim as a birthday gift early in our marriage, and we both love it. I fear that in our practical, scientific world, we are losing some of the powers of symbols to help us understand our past. Many simple statements in historical records become all but incomprehensible without a basic understanding of what things stand for. This book helps to bridge that gap. (Of course, even if our scientific world we have an obsession with naming. Stars, species, diseases, conditions -- as though having a name by which to call a thing gives us some power over it, which clearly isn't the case. We can name the common cold, but we can't cure it. *sigh* But at least we can identify it. And having a name to give something helps to reduce the fear.)
Since this book is a reference, I haven't read all of it -- just portions as I become curious.
March 16, 2024
As stated by others, this really isn’t a book you finish reading. There is a plethora of symbols varying from things like chairs to the number four to certain plants or animals. Truly there is something fantastic to learn with each entry. The definitions mainly include historical uses and interpretations of the symbols over many different cultures which I find just wonderful. However, this is sometimes a let down, as one culture’s interpretation of the symbol may only be talked about for one sentence.
November 10, 2012
I just need to buy a copy of this book (lol) In the last three years, it's been checked out three times from our library...and all three were me (; Previously, I just flipped through for what I was looking for, but this time, I went through the entire book. I love that it's not just 'dream' interpretation or psychology-- it's also historical and from perspectives all over the world, both Eastern, Western and places that are neither.
March 29, 2012
Mixed feelings. This book is encyclopedic in its range and descriptions of symbols, but is largely unillustrated. That makes it significantly less useful for my intended purpose, which was to use it as a source of basic starting designs for art project - creating pictures, making masks, and so on. I will still use it, but I'll also be looking for an illustrated work.
October 29, 2007
An excellent reference on symbols. I can't put this book down after looking up just one entry...hours of fun!
September 1, 2021
6/5 The best source for symbolic interpretation. Mindblowing, every page a treasure trove of knowledge.
May 9, 2015
Not a bad dictionary of symbols, but not the best either. Try Cirlot's.
August 16, 2019
A helpful and extensive reference for readers who want to dive deeper into literary symbolism. Taken with salt, this is a really useful text for understanding literary texts from all centuries. Sometimes, the words on the page mean more than what the author realized. I really appreciated the use of mythology from Asian and South American cultures and the detailed records about numbers. Along with other literary Penguin dictionaries, this will kit out literature students for helpful insights in their comprehension and research.
March 11, 2021
Impressive dictionary. Being published in 1969 for the first time it has to be out of date in some places and sure enough, the first real lemma (Abracadabra) gives a quite speculative etymology which might not be total bs but is contested by a wide variety of other possibilities. That shouldn't distract from the fact that herein are still gathered a vast array of informations on every possibly conceivable symbol - from the cuttle-sigh to truffles.
August 29, 2021
¿Qué libro te llevarÃas a una isla desierta si quisieras preservar la cultura de la humanidad? Es una pregunta difÃcil, si no tienes este libro :-)
Se trata del diccionario de sÃmbolos más completo que conozco, con muchÃsimas entradas explicadas desde varias tradiciones diferentes. La edición de Herder de tapa dura es preciosa.
Se trata del diccionario de sÃmbolos más completo que conozco, con muchÃsimas entradas explicadas desde varias tradiciones diferentes. La edición de Herder de tapa dura es preciosa.
August 17, 2022
If you want a comprehensive guide to the various symbols that we use construct our understanding of ourselves and the world around us� this is your book. Each entry is a treasure trove of information and much more accessible than trying tackle all the different histories yourself. Language is relatively straightforward, an A+ reference book all around. Cannot recommend enough.
April 10, 2019
Symbols are ubiquitous, fluid. They express ideas and concepts that language stumbles over. This little gem yields insights into the lives of metaphor that is inaccessible to you unless you happen to have been born into every culture at every age... Yeah. I didn't think so...
May 5, 2021
An indispensable source of knowledge! I'm excited to use this in my writing and to include it in my writer's toolbox. If you've been considering this one I recommend it. Each definition leads to more questions and exploration.
June 12, 2022
“Read,� as much as you can say that one has read a 1000-page dictionary. It’s an excellent reference for needed symbolism. I will have to compare to the famous Cirlot dictionary to make an evaluation of its relative value, though.
December 29, 2023
I engage with this book almost daily!!!! Instrumental for the analysis of dreams, inspiration for art, comprehension of the Jungian collective unconscious, interpretation of ancient stories, and new understanding of historical significance. A must have for anyone interested in such!
August 25, 2017
I haven't read all 1000 plus pages of this reference book, but I have found helpful information and brainstorm material. My one itch is that it doesn't have a list of entries. Oh well.
October 7, 2018
It’s an indispensable book for literature students——and a book they’ll never finish reading. I just love it.
June 6, 2019
A book to thumb through time and time again.
August 6, 2019
Me volvà burro
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