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.