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LAST SUPPER - PAGE 5
Leonardo's Layered Artwork
Coat with
many colors
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Elephant wizard |
-A Merlin is a small, fierce falcon found in high latitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
- Merlin falls into a prophetic trance and proceeds to predict the entire history of England.
Be pleas'd to smile or frown, we respect neither: And now on equal terms both sues and grants: Of our intended joys; mans good or ill In this like waves agree, come double still. Who's this? the hermit? Welcome, my happiness.
(Shakespeare
and Reynolds,
The Birth of Merlin Or the Childe Hath Found His Father)
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Robe
of velvet |
- The Jewish kings wore white robes
and the Roman princes wore purple robes. Agrippa's robe was so
silver it dazzled.
- Ancient Egyptian priests wore robes
of linen and cotton during religious ceremonies.
- Greek
(male and female) wore robes and the length showed social
status.
- Worn as religious symbols in Christianity and in
Buddhism where they showed removal from worldly possessions.
- In medieval Europe, robes symbolized royalty and nobility
and were trimmed with ermine fur.
- Maori robes for warmth and to show off
status.
- Judicial Robes for judges, wedding officiants, magistrates.
- Robes everywhere in the world; bathrobes,
loungewear, coats; we wear different types in public and
private.
- Graduation gowns.
Well, may you see things well done there: adieu!
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!
(Shakespeare,
Macbeth)
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Paisley
Chicken |
- Known for their gossip.
- The origins of the Paisley pattern can be traced all the way back to ancient Persia and the Sassanid Empire.
- Paisley was a highly popular pattern for textiles in Iran
during the Pahlavi and Qajar dynasties and was used to
decorate royal crowns, regalia and court garments. Throughout
Persia, citizens wore it as well and enjoyed it.
-
Originally called 'pine and cone' design, it was brought to
England and Scotland in the 1700s by the East India Company.
- A pattern that is loved worldwide even today,
although some of the early symbolism has been lost (cypress
tree, fertility, strength, sovereignty, nobility, sun,
phoenix, eagle).
Tis York that hath more reason for his death.
But my Lord Cardinal, and you, my lord of Suffolk,
Say as you think, and speak it from your souls:
Were ‘t not all one an empty eagle were set
To guard the chicken from a hungry kite
As place Duke Humphrey for the King’s Protector?
(Shakespeare,
Henry VI - Warwick)
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Magic carpet |
- Persian and Arabian folklore, particularly in the collection of stories known as “One Thousand and One Nights” or “Arabian Nights”
where a carpet during the Islamic Golden Age possessed magical
powers.
- Turned into "Aladdin" by Disney.
- In Indian mythology, the tale of the “Ramayana” features a flying chariot known as Pushpaka Vimana, which is often depicted as a carpet-like vehicle capable of aerial travel.
- Ancient Greek mythology also references a type of magic
carpet in the story of the golden fleece as an enchanted ram’s fleece with the ability to
fly.
- Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf) to discover your
hidden inner dimensions.
T'is true: there's magic in the web of it.
(Shakespeare,
Othello)
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Covered
with snow |
- As winter transitions into spring, snow melting symbolizes new beginnings and a fresh start.
- Snow can represent conflict and can symbolize the tension between opposing forces, such as the cold and warmth, or the light and dark.
- Snow as a blanket: Often used to describe a thick layer of snow covering the ground, creating a sense of warmth and insulation.
When daffodils begin to peer,
With heigh! the doxy, over the dale,
Why, then comes in the sweet o' the year;
For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.
The white sheet bleaching on the hedge,
With heigh! the sweet birds, O, how they sing!
Doth set my pugging tooth on edge;
For a quart of ale is a dish for a king.
(Shakespeare,
The Winter's Tale)
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Autumn walk |
- The Autumn season shows us the impermanence of life, emphasizing how vital it is to embrace the present.
- Harvest, bounty.
- Animals gather food in autumn in preparation for the coming winter, and those with fur often grow thicker coats.
- Birds migrate to warmer locations nearer the Equator
(depending on where they are in the world, northern or
southern hemisphere).
- Abundance, cornucopia.
- Demeter
and Persephone, daughter, who returns to the underworld during
the September equinox each year, while her mother Demeter,
goddess of agriculture and harvest is unhappy as her annual winter
absense approaches.
- The Romans honored the harvest festival in a celebration known as Cerelia.
- The Chinese and the Vietnamese associate the full moon of the equinox with a good harvest
and celebrate with their Harvest Moon Festival.
- The Buddhists of Japan return to their ancestral homes every spring and fall to celebrate their ancestors in a festival called Higan.
... the spring, the summer, The chilling autumn, angry winter, change Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world By their increase, now knows not which is which.
(Shakespeare,
Troilus And Cressida)
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Jeweled |
- A royal mantle is a garment normally worn by emperors, kings or queens as a symbol of authority.
- During the Coronation of King Charles III, the royals wore
symbolic embroidered robes which form an integral part of the ceremony.
Few people realize that there are six of them in use during the ceremony.
- The ‘Wish-Granting Jewel’ Within.
- The jewel in the robe is a well-known parable in the Lotus Sutra.
- Jewel tones.
- The scribes and Pharisees do all their works to be seen of men, and enlarge the borders of their robes (Matthew
23:5).
- Breastplate of Aaron; a different gemstone for
each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.
(Shakespeare, As You Like It)
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Coat of many colors |
- Mark of distinction or favor given to Joseph by his
father Jacob to represent unique identity or symbol of
authority. The coat signified Joseph as being Jacob’s choice as the future head of the clan—an honor normally bestowed upon the firstborn son.
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Joseph’s life was one of character, courage, conviction, and
commitment.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his
children, because he was the son of his old age: and
he made him a coat of many colours. And when his
brethren saw that their father loved him more than all
his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak
peaceably unto him.
(Genesis 37:3)
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Stained glass |
- Gothic cathedrals contained many stained glass windows that were considered and referred to as the “Bible of the Poor” because Bible
stories would be painted on the windows. Since many of the poor could not read, all of these different colors, pictures and symbols on the glass held a certain
spiritual meaning to them
(cumberlandstainedglass.com).
- Rose windows: geometric
expression of the universe.
- Winchester Mansion and
Shakespearean stained glass windows.
- Shakespeare; seven
ages of man.
- From the white light comes all other colors.
And since you know you cannot see yourself,
so well as by reflection, I, your glass,
will modestly discover to yourself,
that of yourself which you yet know not of.
(Shakespeare, Julius Caesar)
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Beast profile |
- Behemoth is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, was
a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the
beginning of creation as an unconquerable male land-monster,
living in an invisible desert (Duidain) east of the Garden of
Eden.
- Leviathan is the primeval female sea-monster, dwelling in "the Abyss."
- Ziz the primordial sky-monster.
- Pride
and ego in myths like the Beauty and the Beast.
- The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle
(Revelation 4:7).
- Slaves to the Beast system who spits
them out after they use them up.
No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. But I know none, and therefore am no beast.
(Shakespeare, Richard III)
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Koi fish pond |
- The koi fish is a popular symbol in both Japanese and Chinese culture
and represents strength, determination, and perseverance.
- The myth of Aphrodite and Heros when they turned themselves into fish in order to escape from the ferocious Typhon.
- Feminine symbol of fertility and an
attribute of the Goddess.
- Ancient African creation myths tell of Mangala
(fish), the creator, planting seeds in the cosmic womb.
-
Native Americans not only appreciated the fish as a food
source, but many tribes celebrated it in various ways such as;
totem animals, fish dances, and clan animals.
- An ancient fish symbol known as ichthys
represents the fish and Jesus the fisher of men.
- The Salmon of Knowledge appears in one of the most important Irish myths.
The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
(Psalm 8:8)
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Volcano bw |
- Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for God had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently (Exodus 19:18).
- The Hawaiian goddess Pele, a symbol of power and strength, is associated with volcanoes and is often depicted as a fierce and powerful deity.
- In ancient Roman mythology, the god Vulcan was associated with volcanoes and fire, representing the natural world’s power.
-In Icelandic culture, volcanoes,
fire mountains, are seen as a power source and are associated with the god Thor.
- Native Americans consider volcanoes as a source of creation and destruction
and for protective powers, and spiritual and healing properties.
The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it.
Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his
fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the
rocks are shattered before him.
(Nahum 1:5-6)
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Mountain myth |
- In various indigenous stories, mountains are revered as ancestors or spirits that guide, bless, or test the people.
- From the ancient Greeks’ Mount Olympus to India’s sacred Mount Kailash, mountains have been seen as the dwelling places of deities or paths to enlightenment.
- The meaning of mountains in the tarot symbolizes
challenges, obstacles, and the need for strength and
perseverance.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2)
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Elephant zoo |
- In Asian cultures, elephants signify power, destroyer of evil, remover of obstacles, and vitality.
- In Hindu mythology, the deity Ganesha is often depicted with an elephant head and is considered the remover of obstacles and the patron of arts and sciences.
- Ancient Greek and Roman literature portrays elephants as majestic creatures symbolizing victory in battle.
- Ancient representations of elephants were as symbols of
warfare, religion, and royalty.
- In ancient civilizations such as Egypt and India, elephants were considered sacred animals that symbolized wisdom and divine knowledge.
- In Egyptian mythology, the god Thoth, associated with wisdom and writing, was depicted with the head of an ibis or a baboon riding on the back of an elephant.
- Elephant's remember everything.
The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy; his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure.
(Shakespeare, Richard III)
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Pig |
- In ancient Egypt, the pig was associated with the goddess Isis, the embodiment of motherhood, fertility, and magic.
-
The pig is one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and holds a special place in their mythology and symbolism
where it is associated with luck, wealth, and prosperity.
-
Symbol of abundance and prosperity because its plump figure and insatiable appetite represent wealth and good fortune.
- To Hindus, pigs are associated with the boar-headed god Varaha, symbolizing protection and preservation.
- Celtic mythology regarded pigs as symbols of abundance and fertility.
- In Roman mythology, pigs were associated with the goddess Ceres, representing fertility and agricultural abundance.
- In Egypt, pigs were associated with Set, the god of chaos, reflecting their connection to disorder and the underworld,
however, they were also associated with abundance.
Thou frothy tickle-brained hedge-pig!
(Shakespeare)
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City on a hill |
by James Christensen |
- Phrase derived from the teaching of salt and light in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.
- Puritan John Winthrop's lecture or treatise, "A Model of Christian Charity" delivered on March 21, 1630.
- A Puritan lay sermon morphed into the mythical, metaphorical, rhetorical origin of the notion that American had from the beginning and still has a unique and covenanted mission to spread the God-blessed message of freedom and democracy to all points of the globe
(theimaginativeconservative.org).
- In Search of the City on a Hill.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
(Matthew 5:14)
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River Delta |
- A river delta is a landform shaped like a triangle,
created by the deposition of sediment that is carried by a
river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water (Wikipedia).
- Added green.
- The River Styx is a principal river in the Greek underworld (also called Hades). The river forms a border between the underworld and the world of the living.
- According to Hesiod’s Theogony, is the Mavronéri, a stream in Arcadia, Greece. The name of the stream means black water. The ancient Greeks believed that the water in the river was poisonous.
- In Irish mythology rivers and streams are often a boundary between this world and the Otherworld.
- Ancient Egypt myth, the god Atum, who represented the sun, emerged from the primordial waters and created the universe.
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Tragic tale told by Ovid in his masterpiece “The Metamorphoses”, about the birth of the Calbis River and legendary King Caunos.
- Fourth letter in the Greek alphabet.
To unpathed waters, undreamed shores.
(Shakespeare,
The Winter's Tale)
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Fog
encroaching |
- Fog is a representation of illusion which casts a veil,
and can distort your vision and can give you a false image of reality.
- In Taoism, Hong Meng, a character that means vast fog, represents the world’s creation through primordial chaos.
- In Islam, fog is a representation of 40 days of smoke
and is one of the signs of Qiyamah, also known as The Resurrection.
- For ancient Celts, there lies another world that resides beyond the edge of the earth, and no ordinary being can enter nor see as it is concealed by a magic mist, rain or fog. This is the world of deities, divine beings, magical animals, or it could be the dead.
(sodaliteminds.com)
- In Gaelic mythology, the other world is viewed as the realm of everlasting youth, health, abundance, beauty, and bliss
where supernatural beings can enter the human world through caves and burial mounds, and travel under the water across the western sea.
Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air. (Shakespeare, Macbeth)
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Horse
head |
- In Greek mythology, horses were connected to deities associated with the sun, the sky, and the afterlife.
- The black horse is a sign of death and rebirth whereas
the white horse is a symbol of knowledge and spirituality.
- Native American tribes regard the horse spirit guide as “God Dogs” or a messenger to god.
- In Celtic mythology, the Pooka (horse) took lost travelers
to death.
- The book of Revelations depict that Christ will return to bequeath His justice upon the evil while riding a white horse.
O for a horse with wings! (Shakespeare, Cymbeline)
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Wilderness aerial view |
- Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and wilderness as well as chastity, childbirth, and the moon.
- Thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail; and they that be of thee shall build the deserts of old (Isaiah 58:11, 12).
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
(Shakespeare, Troilus And Cressida)
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Water babies |
- A symbol of physical and spiritual birth as a baby can only be born after the mother’s water breaks, and likewise, spiritual regeneration is only possible after
an individual has cleansed themself.
- Water in the Bible is used to describe creation, destruction, regeneration, and purification.
- Dreaming about a baby in water often symbolizes an emotional journey that you are about to embark on
and can represent the need to find inner peace and joy in your life.
Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep.
(Shakespeare, King Henry VI)
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Famous prophet |
- An individual who is in contact with a divine being and speaks on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity.
- Deliver messages or teachings from a supernatural source to others.
- Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
(1 Corinthians 14:32)
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Pony |
- Hercules traveled to Delphi on his
wild horse, he named Io (Violet Flower), who was a beautiful gray
mare and he loved her more than any other creature.
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt.
(Shakespeare,
Hamlet)
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Antarctica
Antarctica thaws by mid-century |
- Yellow and purple flowers in Antarctica.
- Arctic comes from the Greek arktos, “bear,” because the constellation Ursa Major, “the greater she-bear” (also known as the Big Dipper), is always visible in the northern polar sky.
- Antarctic means opposite the bear and consequently,
Antarctica, at the South Pole, has no bears.
- The Last
Continent.
- The Antarctopia pavilion raises fundamental questions about the subject of sovereignty and Antarctica.
If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me amongst the rest,
And if you break the ice and do this feat,
Achieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access, whose hap shall be to have her
Will not so graceless be to be ingrate.
(Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew)
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Moral of the story!
- There's more than meets the eye..
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Sun
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Moon |
Stars |
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Signed by Leonardo DaVinci
A new
day!
As above, so below. |
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