Symbolism in Myths

        In myths, symbols are used to explain difficult ideas, express abstract concepts, and represent deeper meanings. They communicate cultural beliefs, moral values, and spiritual lessons in a powerful way.

Role of Symbols in Myths

👉To express universal truths (e.g. good vs evil, creation, destruction).

👉To represent abstract concepts (e.g. wisdom, purity, fear).

👉To condense complex ideas

👉To connect humans with the divine or supernatural.

👉To explain natural events (like rain, thunder, death, birth).

👉To teach morals or cultural values.

👉To express the Invisible or Divine forces

👉To evoke emotions and create atmosphere

👉To preserve and transmit cultural memory

👉To transcend cultural and linguistic barriers

Types of Symbols in Myth:

          Symbols in mythology are objects, actions, characters, or settings that go beyond their literal meaning to represent deeper truths, emotions, or ideas. 

👉Natural Elements: 

Water = life/purification

Fire = destruction/rebirth

Earth = motherhood/stability

👉Animals:

Snake = danger, fertility, wisdom

Eagle = kingship, divine connection

Cow = nourishment, abundance 

👉Colors:

White = purity

Red = life/blood/sacrifice

👉Numbers:

3 = harmony (mind-body-soul, birth-life-death)

7 = spiritual perfection

12 = Order, time, completeness (12 months, 12 Olympians, 12 apostles)

40 = Trial, purification (40 days of flood, 40 days in the desert)

108 (in Hinduism/Buddhism) = Spiritual wholeness — why there are 108 beads in a mala.

👉Body Symbolism:

Eyes = Perception, divine insight, and sometimes danger (all-seeing or cursed).

Heart = Core of emotion, spirit, and moral truth.

Hair = Power, connection to divine 

👉Geometric Forms: 

Circles = eternity

Spirals = evolution

triangles = trinity

Draupadi’s saree = Symbol of divine protection and woman’s dignity

The Four Directions, Weapons, Chariots/Vehicles, (Harvests, Seeds, and Crops)

The Snake – Symbol of Dual Nature (Good/Evil)

In Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva wears a snake around his neck. It shows his control over fear, death, and time. The snake also represents kundalini energy, which lies coiled like a snake at the base of the spine and rises during spiritual awakening.

In Greek mythology, snakes are associated with healing. The Rod of Asclepius (a staff with a single snake) is a symbol of medicine.

In Biblical myths, the snake in the Garden of Eden tempts Eve. This represents temptation, danger, and the fall of man.

 

Water – Symbol of Purity, life, or destruction

In Indian myths, the river Ganga descended from heaven to purify the earth. People still believe that bathing in the Ganges cleanses sins. Water here symbolizes divine grace and cleansing.

In Biblical myth, during the great flood (Noah’s Ark), water becomes a symbol of destruction and renewal. It wipes away corruption but also starts a new chapter for humanity.

Bird – Symbol of Freedom, Soul, and Divine Messages

Greek Myth: The phoenix dies in flames and is reborn—symbol of immortality and renewal.

Hindu Myth: Garuda (eagle) is Vishnu’s mount—represents power, speed, and divine protection.

Biblical Myth: The dove symbolizes peace and the Holy Spirit (like in Noah’s Ark and Jesus' baptism).

Black – Mystery, Death, Protection, Power

Greek Myth: Hades rules the underworld—black = hidden knowledge, death, and depth.

African Myth: In some traditions, black represents the source of life and the womb of the universe.

Red – Power, Passion, Danger, Life Force

Indian Myth: Red = shakti (divine feminine energy). Durga wears red in battle. Brides also wear red for fertility and strength.

Greek Myth: Blood = life and sacrifice. Red connects with Mars/Ares (war god).

Chinese Myth: Red = luck and protection from evil spirits (used in festivals, totally myth-rooted).

Apple – Biblical Myth (Temptation & Fall)

Genesis story: Eve eats the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.

While the Bible just says “fruit,” later Christian art/literature depicted it as an apple, making it a global symbol of temptation.

Pomegranate – Greek Myth (Persephone & Hades)

In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Persephone eats six pomegranate seeds in the underworld.

This binds her to return for part of the year, explaining the cycle of seasons.

Peach – Chinese Myth (Immortality)

In Taoist mythology, the Queen Mother of the West grows peaches of immortality in her heavenly garden.

The gods feast on them every few thousand years to stay youthful and divine.

Symbols Related to Sacrifice and Other Iconography

Sacrifice in Myths:

Sacrifice means giving up something valuable (like food, animals, even people) to please gods, spirits, or ancestors. It was believed to maintain cosmic order or bring blessings.

Purpose of sacrifice in myth

1. To appease the gods – Sacrifices are offered to keep divine forces happy and prevent disasters.

2. To restore balance – Sacrifice helps maintain cosmic or natural order when it’s disturbed.

3. To show devotion – It’s a way for humans to prove loyalty, love, or faith to deities.

4. To seek blessings – People sacrifice to ask for rain, harvests, children, or protection.

5. To cleanse sins – Sacrifices are often used for atonement or moral purification.

6. To test faith or dharma – Some myths use sacrifice as a test of character or spiritual resolve.

7. To gain wisdom or power – Divine knowledge or strength is sometimes earned through self-sacrifice.

8. To symbolize transformation – Sacrifice marks a turning point or rebirth in a myth.

9. To fulfill prophecy or fate – Sacrifices can be necessary to complete a destiny or divine plan.

10. To imitate divine actions – Some sacrifices reenact a mythic event, keeping tradition alive

Symbols of Sacrifice in Mythology

Sacrifice in myths means offering something precious—food, blood, animals, even life—to the divine. It maintains cosmic order, shows devotion, and brings blessings. Each symbol used in sacrifices carries deep meaning and tells us something about what a culture values most.

Fire

Symbol of: Transformation, purification, divine connection.

Example (Vedic Mythology): In Hindu Yajna rituals, fire god Agni carries offerings like ghee and grains to the gods. The fire "eats" the offering, transforming it into smoke that reaches heaven.

Blood

Symbol of: Life force, purity, atonement.

Example (Christianity): Jesus’s crucifixion is the ultimate blood sacrifice. His blood represents forgiveness of sins. In Communion, wine symbolizes his blood.

Animal Sacrifice (Lamb, Goat, Bull, Horse, etc.)

Symbol of: Innocence, prosperity, substitute offering.

Example (African Myth): In many tribal African rituals, goats or chickens are sacrificed to thank or seek help from ancestors.

Weapons (Knives, Spears, Arrows)

Symbol of: Pain, justice, sacrifice through action.

Example (Aztec Myth): Rituals involved obsidian knives to cut open the chest and offer the heart to the gods—bloodshed was sacred.

Altar

Symbol of: Sacred space for connecting with the divine.

Example (Greek Myth): Iphigenia is brought to the altar by Agamemnon to be sacrificed to Artemis, showing how altars are places of divine-human contact.

Human Sacrifice

Symbol of: Total devotion, cosmic balance, extreme appeasement.

Example (Aztec Myth): The sun god Huitzilopochtli is fed with human hearts so the sun can rise each day.

Self-Sacrifice

Symbol of: Duty, love 

Example (Hindu Myth): In the Purusha Sukta, the gods sacrifice Purusha, the cosmic man, whose body becomes the universe—his mouth becomes Brahmins, his arms Kshatriyas, etc.

Example (Christianity): Jesus offers himself to save mankind from sin.

Creation; Four Ages; Flood; Lycaon by Ted Hughes, Creation; Four Ages; Flood; Lycaon, Ted Hughes Selections from Tales from Ovid Creation; Four Ages; Flood; Lycaon Summary, Creation; Four Ages; Flood; Lycaon essay

Creation; Four Ages; Flood; Lycaon 

Ted Hughes Selections from Tales from Ovid

Creation short summary 

          In the beginning, everything was Chaos—a wild mess of elements fighting each other. A powerful god brought order, separating sky, sea, and land. Lighter materials became the heavens; heavy ones formed the Earth. Rivers, mountains, trees, and animals were created. Winds ruled the directions, and stars appeared in the sky. To complete the world, mankind was made by Prometheus using fiery dust and pure water. Humans stood upright, able to look toward the heavens, unlike animals. They were meant to reflect divine wisdom and bring order to Earth, completing the harmony of nature, land, sea, and sky.

Four Ages short summary 

           The Golden Age was perfect—no laws, no war, just peace and natural abundance. People lived happily, picking fruits and enjoying endless spring. The Silver Age came with seasons. Weather turned harsh, so people built homes and started farming. In the Bronze Age, humans became stronger and more violent, creating weapons but still not fully evil. Then came the Iron Age—the worst. Greed, lies, war, and betrayal ruled. Land was claimed and divided. Farming became hard work, and trust disappeared. Even families turned on each other. Morality collapsed, and the goddess Astraea, symbol of justice, finally abandoned the Earth in despair.

Lycaon short summary 

           Jupiter heard that humans were becoming evil, so he came to Earth disguised as a man to see for himself. What he found shocked him—cruelty, lies, and greed everywhere. At King Lycaon's palace, the people worshipped Jupiter, but Lycaon laughed, thinking it was a trick. To test the guest, Lycaon murdered a hostage, cooked the flesh, and served it as food. Horrified, Jupiter struck the palace with lightning. Lycaon tried to flee but was transformed into a wild wolf—foaming, howling, bloodthirsty. His savage heart now matched his savage form. 

         Jupiter became furious after witnessing human evil. Jupiter realized Lycaon wasn’t only one, human wickedness was everywhere. People worshipped greed over gods. He warned the other gods that mankind had become too corrupt to continue. Though some gods were hesitant, he declared punishment was necessary. Jupiter didn’t want to destroy Earth with fire, so he chose a flood to wipe out this violent humanity.

 

Flood short summary 

          Jupiter sent storms and floods to destroy the wicked human race. He released the South Wind and called on Neptune, god of the sea, to help. Rain poured nonstop, rivers overflowed, and underground waters rose. Crops were destroyed, and everything drowned—people, animals, temples, homes. Mountains became islands, rooftops were underwater, and fish swam in treetops. Boats floated over cities. Birds had no place to land, and wild animals died. Everyone was drowned. Humanity was completely wiped out. Jupiter planned to create a new, wiser, and more respectful human race.

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Creation detailed explanation 

          The poet is ready to tell stories about how bodies change into different forms. He calls the gods who made these transformations for their entertainment. He asks them to help him retell the ancient stories, from the beginning of time until now.

          Before sea, land, and sky existed, but were mixed, complete disorder and confusion only Chaos. Chaos was a messy, everything fought against each other. Hot and cold, wet and dry, soft and hard, heavy and light mixed and fighting. All were mixed and fighting 

          There was no sun, moon, or Earth spinning in space. A powerful being (God) started to organize everything. He separated land, sky, and sea, arranging everything carefully. Everything was made to work together in harmony, like music.

          Lighter, fiery materials formed the heavens. Air stayed between the earth and sky. Earth, being the heaviest, it was full of heavy metals, stayed at the bottom, surrounded by water. The Earth was shaped into a round ball (sphere).

          Waters were spread over the Earth, creating waves, lakes, ponds, rivers, and springs. Rivers were guided to stay in their paths and flow to the sea. Plains, valleys, and mountains were formed. Trees were made to grow and spread their leaves.

          Air was placed around the Earth. In the air, clouds, thunder, and winds were created. Winds were given limits but still fought fiercely. Eurus ruled the East (Arabia and Persia). Zephyr ruled the West (where the sun sets). Boreas ruled the North (Scythia region). Auster ruled the South (foggy and wet lands). 

(In Greek mythology, Boreas, Notus, Eurus, and Zephyrus represent the four cardinal winds: North, South, East, and West, respectively. These wind gods, known collectively as the Anemoi, were believed to control the weather and seasons.)

          Stars which had been hidden in the dark chaos, appeared in the sky and begin to shine. To fulfil the world with life, the creator gave the Heaven was given to gods, stars, and planets. Fish lived in water, animals on land, and birds in air. No creature was wise enough to rule so mankind was created.

          Man was made either from divine material or from heavenly earth. Prometheus shaped humans from fiery dust and pure water. Making Mankind resemble the Gods. Unlike animals, Humans were made to look upwards, so that humans could look toward the heaven, showing their connection to divine and higher thinking. Through mankind, the Earth became more beautiful and ordered.

Four Ages detailed explanation 

1. The Golden Age
2. The Silver Age
3. The Bronzer Age
4. The Iron age

The Golden Age

          The first human era was called the Golden Age. They obeyed what had created them. People were so pure, innocent and good that there were no laws, no crime lists or punishments - everyone behaved rightly without needing fear to control them. There were no desperate people begging to kings or judges for justice. Everyone lived freely and safely and were happy. 

          Tall conifer trees grew peacefully on the hills. They didn't know (no warning) that humans would one day invent axes to cut them down. In the Golden Age, people didn't travel across oceans. People and nations lived lovingly with each other no wars, no violence. Men needed no weapons. There was complete peace.

          The land produced food naturally without farming no ploughs, no hoes were needed. Humans just picked fruits, nuts, and food as it grew and were content. People gathered natural food like berries, mushrooms, truffles, nuts, fruits (figs, apples, cherries, apricots, pears) and even acorns fallen from the sacred oak trees. 

          It was like eternal spring flowers bloomed all year. Even without farming, the earth generously provided crops like corn, growing naturally and richly. Rivers of milk mingled with rivers of nectar. And out of the black oak oozed amber honey.

The Silver Age

            In Roman mythology, Saturn is the father of Jupiter. With the overthrow of Saturn and the rise of Jupiter, the second era began: the Silver Age. This Age wasn't as perfect as the Golden Age, but still better than what was coming later.

          The Silver Age introduced the four seasons spring, summer, autumn, winter for the first time. Eternal spring is lost. The weather became extreme Sometimes burning hot (air shimmering like flames), Sometimes freezing cold (icicles formed and clattered in the wind).

           Because of the harsh weather (too hot or too cold), people could no longer just live outdoors in forests or caves as they did before. They needed proper shelter to survive. Because of harsh seasons, people now had to build shelters. They made simple houses by tying leaves together, or improved caves by covering their entrances with tree bark to block the cold and heat.

          Humans began farming seriously during the Silver Age. Bulls were forced to pull ploughs. Seeds were planted in the earth manually. Growing crops now required hard work and sweat, not the natural abundance of the Golden Age. People had to labor just to harvest food from the fields.

The Bronzer Age

          People became harsher, tougher, rougher in character. They were aggressive and violent. The people of this age are compared to the weapons they create and engaging in conflict. introduction of violence. Despite the increasing harshness of their world, the people of the Bronze Age retain some connection to the natural order and the divine will. But still, they were not fully evil yet they hadn't reached total corruption.

The Iron age

      Then came the Iron Age, the worst of all. It marked the complete downfall of humanity's goodness. Good values like modesty (humility), loyalty, and truth disappeared. Instead, cheating, betrayal, corruption, violence, and greedy desire for wealth and property replaced them.

          Originally, land belonged to everyone with no boundaries. But now in the Iron Age, people claimed pieces of land for themselves, dividing it with boundaries leading to selfishness, ownership fights, and inequality. People mined iron to make weapons for war. War became a common way of life. Even worse, they dug up gold, which caused greed, corruption, and destruction. 

           Farming became extremely hard and exhausting. People had to struggle and suffer to force crops out of the earth no more easy abundance like in the Golden Age. People stole and robbed from each other instead of working peacefully.

   

           Trust completely collapsed. Guests could be betrayed by their hosts. Even family relationships (like in-laws and brothers) were filled with jealousy and hatred. Even marriages became toxic -Wives conspired against their own husbands, and husbands conspired against their own wives. Step-mothers tried to kill step-children with poison. Sons were so greedy, they wished for their fathers to die faster so they could inherit their wealth.

     In the Iron Age, Piety (respect for the gods and goodness) was destroyed. Astraea, the goddess of justice and purity (symbol of hope and morality), was the last to leave the Earth. Even she abandoned humanity because the world had become too evil and violent.

Flood; Lycaon detailed explanation 

          The giants were inspired by the idea of human freedom being free from the gods' control. The giants wanted to take over heaven and steal Jupiter's throne. They piled up mountains to reach the sky, but Jupiter struck them down with thunderbolts. The giants were crushed, and their blood mixed with Earth's clay. Mother Earth create a new kind of human-like creature. The new human-like creatures ignored divine wisdom and were only interested in violence, killing each other. 

          Jupiter watched all this and thought about Lycaon's terrible actions at a feast. His anger grew so strong that it shocked even him. He then called a meeting of the gods, and they quickly gathered. The lesser gods gathered from across the universe to Jupiter's palace, where he stood, furious and shaking the seas, land, and sky with his anger.

          He told them that although he wasn't as angry when the giants attacked, now he was determined to destroy all of humanity, millions at a time. He swore by the rivers of the underworld and questioned if even heaven was safe.

          Jupiter spoke of the many beings-like demi-gods, nymphs, and spirits-who live on Earth and in sacred places like forests and springs. Though they can't roam freely in heaven, the gods protected them. But now, because of Lycaon's evil attempt to kill Jupiter, these beings live in fear.

          Jupiter, furious and powerful, stirred the gods, who all demanded Lycaon be punished. Jupiter quieted the gods and said Lycaon had already been punished.

          Disguised as a man, Jupiter had visited Earth to see human wickedness for himself and it was worse than he imagined. What he found was worse than expected-human greed, lies, and cruelty were everywhere. After traveling through wild, remote mountains, he arrived at King Lycaon's palace. He gave a sign to show he was a god, and the people worshipped him, but Lycaon mocked them and decided to test whether their guest was really divine.

           Lycaon planned to kill Jupiter in his sleep, but first, to prove a point, he murdered a hostage, cooked his flesh, and served it to Jupiter. Disgusted, Jupiter immediately struck the palace with a thunderbolt, destroying everything. Lycaon was hit directly and staggered out, changed and twisted by the blast. He tried to scream, but only howled. Foaming at the mouth and overtaken by bloodlust, he was transformed into a wolf his savage nature made literal. Once a king, he became a beast that hunted sheep and lived for killing.

           Even though Lycaon is now a wolf, his human cruelty still shows. His savage form matches the evil that was always inside him. But he's not the only one every home hides someone just like him. Jupiter says a twisted new religion has taken over, where people worship greed and cruelty instead of divine wisdom. Since everyone is guilty, everyone must be punished. Jupiter ends by declaring his final judgment.

          After Jupiter spoke, some gods agreed loudly, while others quietly supported him, though all were uneasy about wiping out all of humanity. They worried that Earth would be empty-temples and altars abandoned, beauty wasted, and only wild animals left. Sensing their concern, Jupiter reassured them. He said that if they trusted him, he would create a new, wiser, and better human race.

         Jupiter decided to destroy humanity. At first, he thought of using lightning to kill everyone instantly, but he worried it might cause too much damage even destroy heaven and Earth. Knowing they could collapse together like a drop in fire, he chose a safer way.

         Instead of fire, he would use water-rain and floods to wipe out humans without destroying the world. Jove started the flood by releasing strong winds and sending the dark, stormy South Wind across the Earth. Thunder roared, rain poured, and Iris the rainbow brought even more rain. Crops were destroyed, and farmers wept as their hard work was washed away. Still angry, Jupiter called on Neptune, god of the sea, who raised huge waves and flooded the land with rivers and underground water.

            Farms, animals, temples, and buildings were all swept away. The Earth turned into a vast ocean, with only a few people surviving on mountaintops. Boats floated over rooftops, fish swam in treetops, and sea creatures took over the land. Even wild animals drowned, and birds had no place to land. In the end, starvation and water wiped out nearly all life, and dead humans floated like lifeless frogs across the flood. 

Additional information: Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

           Deucalion and Pyrrha survived the flood because they were good and faithful, unlike the rest of humanity. When the waters went down, the gods chose them to repopulate the earth. They followed a divine message telling them to throw stones behind them, and those stones turned into people, creating a new human race.  

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