Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism: With an Essay on Baal Worship, on the Assyrian Sacred "Grove," and Other Allied SymbolsInman, Thomas
Religion
Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism: With an Essay on Baal Worship, on the Assyrian Sacred "Grove," and Other Allied Symbols
Inman, Thomas
Christian art and symbolism; Symbolism
A coin, bearing this figure upon it, and having a central cavity with
the Etruscan letters SUPEN placed one between each two of the angles,
was found in a fictile urn, at Volaterrae, and is depicted in Fabretti's
Italian Glossary, plate xxvi., fig. 858, bis a. As the coin is round,
the reader will see that these letters may be read as Supen, Upens,
Pensu, Ensup, or Nsupe. A search through Fabretti's Lexicon affords no
clue to any meaning except for the third. There seems, indeed, strong
reason to believe that pensu was the Etruscan form of the Pali panca,
the Sanscrit panch, the Bengalli panch, and the Greek penta, i. e.,
five. Five, certainly, would be an appropriate word for the pentangle.
It is almost impossible to avoid speculating upon the value of this
fragment of archaeological evidence in support of the idea that the
Greeks, Aryans, and Etruscans had something in common; but into the
question it would be unprofitable to enter here.
But, although declining to enter upon this wide field of inquiry, I
would notice that whilst searching Fabretti's Glossary my eye fell upon
the figure of an equilateral triangle with the apex upwards, depicted
plate xliii., fig. 2440 ter. The triangle is of brass, and was found
in the territory of the Falisci. It bears a rude representation of the
outlines of the soles of two human feet, in this respect resembling a
Buddhist emblem; and there is on its edge an inscription which may be
rendered thus in Roman letters, KAYI: TERTINEI. POSTIKNU, which probably
signifies "Gavia, the wife of Tertius, offered it." The occurrence
of two Hindoo symbols in ancient Italy is very remarkable. It must,
however, be noticed that similar symbols have been found on ancient
sculptured stones in Ireland and Scotland. There may be no emblematic
ideas whatever conveyed by the design; but when the marks appear
on Gnostic gems, they are supposed to indicate death, i. e., the
impressions left by the feet of the individual as he springs from earth
to heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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