[Woodcarver] In search of...

[Sally Nye]

Hello Joe,

Thanks for your reply.  I agree that O'Connell and Airey's book is a  
good reference with which to begin more in-depth research.

I'm looking for an organization or internet list of people who  
actually do in-depth research on the meaning of symbols, legends and  
customs.  It would be an international group.  I suppose these folks  
would be few in number.  Maybe they would attend Medieval Fests or  
Renaissance Faires.  If so, they would probably be observers rather  
than exhibitors.

The reason symbols interest me is because of having seen them in  
various museums.  (I cannot say any one symbol in particular).  It is  
possible to see the same symbol at the Alhambra in Spain, the Tatra  
Museum in Poland, the Louvre in Paris, a Norse museum in Sweden, an  
Egyptian tomb or a petroglyph in a cave.  These earlier people had a  
very deep belief system of which these symbols represent.

I might add that symbols cross more than country borders.  They more  
often cross spiritual borders as well: Christian, Jewish, Hindu,  
Islam, Buddists, Native, Alchemy, Rosicrucian, etc.

In the case of our fan bird research, the two main ethnographers of  
Sweden & Europe (late 1800's/early 1900's) stated that it was a  
cultural phenomenon.  The fan bird was found in the Judges chambers,  
government buildings, churches, private homes of the elite citizens  
as well as the peasant folk, and from the flat fertile valleys to the  
mountain huts.  It ranged from the south of Europe to the north of  
Lapland.

In many of those regions, the people of today (including museum  
curators) did not know about it.  We are happy to be able to  
REintroduce a bit of their heritage to them.

So I would like to reach people who enjoy this type of research.  Do  
you know of any people, an organization or an internet list that  
discusses topics such as this???

Thanks
Sally
http://www.FanCarversWorld.com



On Oct 16, 2007, at 1:18 PM, Joe Dillett wrote:

> When it comes to understanding signs and symbols, one book I  

> treasure is The Complete Encyclopedia Of Signs & Symbols (Mark  

> O'Connell and Raje Airey). (Hermes House publishing)

>

> I enjoy the history and research that you and David did in your  

> books. It does bring a passion to our work when we begin to  

> understand where these things come from.

>

> Joe Dillett

> The Carving Shop

> 645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3

> Somonauk, IL. 60552

>

> (815) 498-9290 phone

> (815) 498-9249 fax

> http://www.thecarvingshop.net [business web site]

> http://www.carvingmagazine.com ['Ask Joe' column]

> http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett

>

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