: ''For a
Jewish symbol, see
Star of David.''
: ''For Occultic symbol see
Unicursal hexagram''
Hexagram
A 'hexagram' is a six-pointed geometric
star figure, {6/2}, the compound of two
equilateral triangles. The intersection is a regular
hexagon.
While generally recognized as a symbol of
Jewish identity it is used also in other historical, religious and cultural contexts, for example in
Islam, and
Eastern Religions as well as in
Occultism.
In
mathematics, the
G2 root system is in the form of a hexagram.
Origins and shape
The hexagram is a
Mandala symbol called ''satkona yantra'' or ''sadkona yantra'' found on ancient South
Indian
Hindu temples built thousands of years ago
[1][2][3]. It symbolizes the
Nara-Narayana, or perfect
meditative state of balance achieved between Man and God, and if maintained, results in "
Moksha," or "
Nirvana" (release from the bounds of the earthly world and its material trappings).
Another theory about the origin of the shape is that it is simply 2 of the 3 letters in the name
David: in its
Hebrew spelling, David is transliterated as 'D-W-D'. In
Biblical Hebrew, the letter 'D' (''
Dalet'') was written in a form much like a triangle, similar to the Greek letter "Delta" (Δ). The symbol may have been a simple family crest formed by flipping and juxtaposing the two most prominent letters in the name.
Some researchers have theorized that the hexagram represents the
astrological chart at the time of David's birth or
anointment as king. The hexagram is also known as the "King's Star" in astrological circles.
In antique
papyri,
pentagrams, together with stars and other signs, are frequently found on
amulets bearing the Jewish names of
God, and used to guard against fever and other diseases. Curiously the hexagram is not found among these signs. In the great magic papyrus at Paris and London there are twenty-two signs side by side, and a circle with twelve signs, but neither a pentagram nor a hexagram.
Therefore, the
syncretism of
Hellenistic,
Jewish, and
Coptic influences probably did not originate the symbol.
It is also possible that as a simple geometric shape, like for example the triangle, circle, or square, the hexagram has been created by various different peoples with no connection to one another.
Usage by Jews
Main articles: Star of David
''Magen David'' is a generally recognized symbol of
Judaism and
Jewish identity and is also known colloquially as the ''Jewish Star''. Its usage as a sign of Jewish identity began in the
Middle Ages, though its religious usage began earlier, with the current earliest archeological evidence being a stone bearing the shield from the arch of a 3-4th century synagogue in the Galilee
[1]. A more enduring symbol of Judaism, the
menorah, has been in use since
BCE.
Usage by Christians
The hexagram may be found in some Churches and stained-glass windows. Example of this is one embedded in the ceiling of the
Washington National Cathedral. Because the similar-looking sign called the
encircled hexagram used in
occultism, it was not used in church architecture until Christian architects, both Protestant and Catholic, began to accept the notion that the Star of David is an old Jewish sign. In Christianity it is often called the star of creation.
The Bible makes no direct mention of the Star of David, however, the
Catechism of the Catholic Church of the year 528 refers to the star which led the
Magi to
Christ as "the Star of David". In the context, the phrase most likely meant "the star of the king of Israel" rather than the double triangle-shaped symbol used today.
Usage by Arabs and Muslims
The symbol is known in Arabic as نجمة داوود, ''Najmat Dawuud'' (
Star of David) or خاتم سليمان ''Khatem Sulayman'' (
Seal of Solomon), but the latter name may also refer to a
pentagram.
Professor
Gershom Sholem theorizes that the "Star of David" originates in the writings of
Aristotle, who used triangles in different positions to indicate the different basic elements. The superposed triangles thus represented combinations of those elements. From Aristotle's writings those symbols made their ways into early, pre-Muslim Arab literature.
The Arabs and Muslims were interested in arithmetics, and were also strongly drawn to biblical and Islamic tales. In fact, one of the most important persons in early Arab and Islamic literature was
King Solomon (Arabic, ''Suliman'' or ''Sulayman''). The
Babylonian Talmud contains a legend about King Solomon being kidnapped by Ashmedai, the king of demons. He succeeded in kidnapping the king by stealing his "seal of Solomon", although according to the Talmud this seal was simply a metal coin with Hebrew letters meaning the name of God, inscribed on it. It is possible that the seal was altered in the Arab tales. The first appearance of the symbol in Jewish scriptures was in oriental Kabbalistic writings, so it is possible that it was an alteration of the pentagram under Arab influence.
In various places in the
Qur'an, it is written that David and Solomon were prophets and kings and therefore they are revered figures by Muslims. The Islamic Turkish
beyliks of the
Karamanid and
Candaroglu dynasties used the star on their flag. Even today, the star can be found in
mosques and on other
Arabic and
Islamic artifacts.
Usage by Hinduism and Eastern Religions
Diagram showing the two mystic syllables Om and Hrim
Six pointed stars have also been found in cosmological diagrams in
Hinduism,
Buddhism, and
Jainism. The reasons behind this symbol's common appearance in Indic religions and the West are lost in the mists of antiquity. One possibility is that they have a common origin. The other possibility is that artists and religious people from several cultures independently created the Star of David shape, which after all is a relatively simple and obvious geometric design.
Within Indic lore, the shape is generally understood to consist of two triangles--one pointed up and the other down--locked in harmonious embrace. The two components are called 'Om' and the 'Hrim' in Sanskrit, and symbolize man's position between earth and sky. The downward triangle symbolizes
Shakti, the sacred embodiment of femininity, and the upward triangle symbolizes
Shiva, or
Agni Tattva, representing the focused aspects of masculinity. The mystical union of the two triangles represents Creation, occurring through the divine union of male and female. The two locked triangles are also known as 'Shanmukha' - the six-faced, representing the six faces of Shiva & Shakti's progeny Kartikeya. This symbol is also a part of several yantras and has deep significance in Hindu ritual worship and mythology.
In
Buddhism, some old versions of the
Bardo Thodol, also known as The
Tibetan Book of the Dead, contain a hexagram with a
Swastika inside. It was made up by the publishers for this particular publication. In Tibetan, it is called the 'origin of phenomenon' (chos-kyi 'byung-gnas). It is especially connected with
Vajrayogini, and forms the center part of Her
mandala. In reality, it is in three dimensions, not two, although it may be portrayed either way.
Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
The Star of David is also used less prominently by
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, chiefly in architecture. It symbolizes the
Tribes of Israel and friendship and their claimed affinity towards the Jewish people. Additionally, some independent LDS theologians such as LDS
Daniel Rona have further suggested the possibility that the Star of David was actually modeled after the
Urim and Thummim, but this is not official doctrine of the Church.
Kingdom of KaramanoÄŸlu
The same symbol appeared in the flag of the Medieval pre-Ottoman
Turkish Kingdom of
KaramanoÄŸlu.
Heraldry
In
heraldry and to a lesser extent
vexillology a "star" is assumed to be a six-pointed figure, like a Star of David, but not hollow and with radiating, wavy lines. The more familiar five-pointed star shape is known as a
mullet or molet.
Theosophy
The Star of David is used in the seal and the emblem of the
Theosophical Society (founded in
1875). Although it is more pronounced, it is used along with other religious symbols. These include the
Swastika, the
Ankh, the
Aum, and the
Ouroborus.
Zion Christian Church
A Star of David badge is worn by members of the
Zion Christian Church, which has over three million members and is the largest
African Initiated Church in
southern Africa.
Raelism
The
pacifist International
Raelian Movement (IRM) uses a hexagram. The root of this symbol, according to the
founder of the IRM, Rael, can be attributed to its use by genetic engineers from
extrasolar planets who are allegedly the same entities referred to as
Elohim. According to
Rael, these space travellers came to Earth and synthesized life from non-living matter in 7 laboratory bases which contained the symbol.
Some meanings which involve particular variations of this symbol are supported by the IRM, such as "well being" (where "
swastika" means "well being" in
Sanskrit) and "infinity in time" (as
Hindus see the swastika as a symbol for "eternal" cycles). In
Raelism, the upper and lower triangles represent
"as ''above'', so ''below''", which refers to either the likeness between the creators' past and created's future or the
repeating fractal hierarchical structure in the universe. "As above so below" is also well known in
Wicca as the last statement of an invocation or ritual in order to bring the change of events from the upper world to the lower world (our world).
The IRM has long-term plans to build a temple complex or embassy that would, at around the time of a
Technological Singularity, and before 2035, support the arrival of prophets of major and some minor religions after a spectacular descent from an interstellar journey. Rael (or the Elohim, as Rael would put it) requires that the embassy contain the "symbol of the Elohim". The symbol initially used by the
Raelian movement was the source of considerable controversy linked to a proposal to build the Raelian embassy in Israel since it resembled a hexagram with the image of a
Swastika embedded in its center.
Occultism
The hexagram, like the
pentagram, was and is used in practices of the
occult and is attributed to the 7 'old' planets outlined in
astrology.
The six-pointed star is commonly used both as a talisman and for conjuring spirits in the practice of witchcraft. In the Book The History and Practice of Magic, Vol. 2, the six-pointed star is called the talisman of Saturn and it is also referred to as the Seal of Solomon
[2]. Details are given in this book on how to make these symbols and the materials to use.
Other uses
★ In
Unicode, the "Star of David" symbol is U+2721 (
).
★ There is a plant named Solomon's seal (''
Polygonatum multiflorum'') in the
lily family.
★ In
alchemy, the two triangles represent the reconciliation of the opposites of fire and water. Non-Jewish Kabbalah (also called Christian or Hermetic Kabbalah) interprets the hexagram to mean the divine union of male and female energy, where the male is represented by the upper triangle (referred to as the "blade") and the female by the lower one (referred to as the "chalice"). Moreover, it derives four triangular symbols from it (two triangles crossed like a capital letter A and two uncrossed) to represent the four elements: water, fire, air, and earth. This use of the symbol was used as an important plot point in
Dan Brown's popular novel ''
The Da Vinci Code'' and
the ''Da Vinci Code'' film cites this as the origin of the star.
★ In southern Germany the hexagram can be found as part of tavern anchors. It is symbol for the tapping of beer and sign of the brewer's guild. In German this is called 'Bierstern' (beer star) or 'Brauerstern' (brewer's star).
See also
★
Pentagram
★
Star of Bethlehem
★
Heptagram
References
★
Grünbaum, B. and G. C. Shephard; ''Tilings and Patterns'', New York: W. H. Freeman & Co., (1987), ISBN 0-7167-1193-1.
★
Grünbaum, B.; Polyhedra with Hollow Faces, ''Proc of NATO-ASI Conference on Polytopes ... etc. (Toronto 1993)'', ed T. Bisztriczky et al, Kluwer Academic (1994) pp. 43-70.
Footnotes
1. King Solomon-s Seal
2. ""The History and Practice of Magic"" (Secaucus, NJ: University Books, published by arrangement with Lyle Stewart, 1979), Vol. II, p. 304
External links
★
Hexagram (MathWorld)
★
The Archetypal Mandala of India
★
Thesis from Munich University on hexagram as brewing symbol
★
Six Pointed Star Problem at
Savvy Solver
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