The Book of Signs

THE BOOK OF SIGNS RUDOLF KOCH . - - . _ " ",n li,·".1 . " ,, 1..,1. I"'" " I• • ,"" " I II " . ",,, ,,,,,,1 ,,,II, ~I1I'" ", 1'0""1 1" ,111 , . ~ . . . . .. ,1..10". ,... 1." II " ..I.. , , I " " " "", " I "l< , ", .h, "" ". I,," , " "II" I . h,· ,In d ".,,,""'" ,,' ,,-,il" -" ,. '""" "" " .." .." .. ". " , , ., 11'"' 1,1" . I.., ' .... " I I I Ih.· I" im i' i'" ",i" , 1

,"""' ;1''''

, " "11"1." " "'KIo ' "'." .h.· I""

•

'" ''Il' " I

-h," \ ..,,,,

,I",,,,,,,·,,,,,, ,II",.,..,,,,,,• . ,,1

" , ~ /I.",. ,,/ \,.(,,, """.Ii". ,I " , ..... , ' I 1 .. ' ...... ,1,, ' 11. ",1,,11 ...,.. h 1 - ,I.." " .., 10\ ,I,, ' ,,-, ' .... ,,, I,. " .' ,h...." . .."· , . . ' . , ", 1..,,,,....1 " 11". I I" .,...... , '1 " ,,1,.\ "" .. I , " II•."." , "Io'K"'''''' . _ . ' """ "\ "' . , .. " ",,1 \I , . h " ..1 II",,, ,, 111 1. , I I" " ...." \' 11" ' " .,,,. , ' u m

" I I ""' . ,.' \I .... " " , \ 'K''', ' "" . ... .. I" "" "'" \....."."""., I , ,,, I. " . \I"" II ,I "II'" I I"" .. .",,1 11" 1. 1,,, ,,, 11" " " " , ..1\'11"" "",.. . .

\I"''' 'M

,,,.1

\I,,"

\ '1("', , ." ..Io'll " .,I \'R'''· M .,~ "

\ 1,.. . 11... " . .." ,111." " • •

I', ,,,,,,•••1" ,....., "'I"""" I ,

.. It,,, .." h .. ,,,10

" " .. .,,1 ' U" 'Il' '' I' ,,,.. ""It . ,....., ....,1 .. ,.,, 1, " .\. 10", /" , l' "", /·' /r

1
botanical, astrological and chemical signs. They have

been redrawn and explained by Rudolf Koch himself, a nd cut on wood by Fritz Kredel. As readers will readily see, they have, in their present form at least, visual as

well as symbolic beauty. A. J. A. Symons

•

1. ~rneral signs.

•

~e 60t I6t!)e origin from

w!)id) all eiglUl start, anb 16 t!)efr innermost eesence. Ot WM wil!) 1!)18 Ibea t!)at t!)e mMonlc lobgeo of olb eJqlte80eb t!)e oecm yoft!)efr guilbo by means of l!)e bot.

~

he llertical etrohe repuoento Iht one-nese of
, I

•

I

On t!)e !)ori30ntal etrehe, on t!)e ot!)er !)anb, we oee t1)e ~art!), In w!)ld) life "owo euenly anb eueryt1)lng menee on t!)e eame plane.

~e angle, or t1)e meeting of t!)e celeotial anb t!)e tmeolrial. ~o t!)ey poeseee not!)lng In common, t1)ey toud), but bo not crcee one anot!)er. ~Io eign repreoento t!)e reciprocation between
1

t~e eign of t~e ltr06e $ob anb<Eart~ arecombineb anb are in ~arm ony. Srom two simple lines a complete eign ~ae been euolue b:~~ e ltroee Ie by far t~e

On

tl)e open eye of $ob, t~e pur· poee of neuelation: " ~nb $ob eaib, !ett~m be lig~t. "

earlieet ofall eigne,anbiefounb

~e a(tiue male element; w~at cernes from on ~ig~ ; t~e dfe(. tiue element in time. " ~nb $ ob biuibeb t~e lig~t from t~e barh· IlC08. "

eueryw~m,quitea par t from t~e concepnon of lt~ri6tia nity.

tl)etriangle ieanandent<Egyp. lian emblem of t~e $ob~eab, anb aleo a lJyt~agorean eumbol for wiebom.Onlt~rietianity it ielooheb upon Q6 t~e eign of t~e triple pereonality of $ob. ~gain, in bietimtion from t~e neiCt eign, it te anot~er eign for t~e female element, w~id) ie firmly baeeb upon terreetrial matiere, anb yet yeart16 a~er ~ig ~er t~inge. tl)e female ie alwaye eart~ly inite(omeption.

'I"

tl)e circle, being w it~out beginning or enb, ie elsea eign of $ob or of <Eternity. ffioreouer, in centecet wit~ t~e next eign, it te a eymbol of t~e eleeping eye of$ob: "tI)ee5pirit of$ob moueb upon t~e face of t~e watere." 2

~e paeeiue female element; w~at ~ae been t~m from t~e beginning of all t~inge. " ~n b $ob biuibeb t~e watere w~id) Wete uneee t~e ~rmament from t~e waterew~id) Wete aboue thr ~rmament:'

Ihe male element peruabee Ih' [emole, eo ceeotien tchee 1,I"ir, since eueryt~ing belong· Itllll~ the liuing worlb ie cern1" 1I1lbeb ~f tI)e confluence of 1mb fem ale. On remote "" n III the
be aprotection againot bemon~ anb, by analogy , a oymbol of safety. Ot te belieoeb too to be t~e emblem of ~appy ~ome­ coming, w~ence ito employment ce an amulet. On ancient times it wao a magic d)arm amongol t~c people of.l3abylon.

we !)aoe alreaby bealt, ~ao a furt~er meaning , namely , !!)e eiCpectant soul, man ga3mg aloft wit~ outotretd)eb atme.

~ey

promb to intersect, !~e prongo of t~e forhs appearmg once more in t~e figure.

~e ecmeDign,inoerteb,incontraet wit~ t~e prenicue oign,

cxpreooeooaloationbeocenMng r;omabooeanb opreabing ooer thc worlb below. / ~e octogram,an eig~t - pointeb

~eintcroection io complete,an b reoults in anot~er DiiC-pointeb stcr. ~e two original figures, w~idJ were 00 befinite. in t~eir

olar brawn wit~ one otrohe of t~e pen. no e~lanation of t~io sign ie hnown.

hr two oiono approadJ one "n~ l hc r anb [onn a new fioure. 'I" Ihc ll come into contact t!)cy ' ndNlc 11 epoce benocen them.

impulse towarbo unien, are completely aboorbeb by t~e ncw figure, w~idJ raMateo otren~t~ on all oibeofrom acentral point, anbw~id),t~oug~ itselfmotionIeee, generateo motion all arounb it.

7

~st~e last flbe signs e)(ptesseb t~e fate of t~e soul, so t~e ne)(t flbe symboli~e t~e natute of t~e ~uman intellect:

tl)el1e)(t Isasetiesof8Igl18 musttating t~e bfelssitubes offamily life:


IJt breche rig~tt~roug~ t~e confinee ofitsmorta! frame anb t~e man bies, w~mupon t~e soul becomes ~omeless anb returns to t~e place from w~eme it firet came.

o

I," 0"

~~e<Egyptian oymbol oflife,t~e anoateb, or loopeb ~au ~ellart~,upon w~idjt~e~ross WM mcteb, is ~m representeb byabot.e5ometimes t~ere were

,I~. =n

81;1' bots, representing grains of sanb: ~~e andjor ~r08s

WM, litte t~e IMt ene,a bisguiseb ~ro88.Jn itwe see t~e~au~r08s conceal· eb beneat~ t~e common symbol of t~e ~ndjor.

..±.. •••

'he \froos crccteb on a column

•••

+

+

,

7 7

~optic~ross,wit~t~efournaits.

20

Scom all olb coin.

+. •

g

&

I ~ IN " otol1bil10 up on four 1111 u, lllhll ll)m OI)Nllbbe fOllr I

~woraiocb~rossC8w~idjwere also besigl1cb as ~rd)angrlical ~r08ses.

1'/1011110 c/I'ploil1.i[()c\lmay 11111 "'".1C lI)cfour (!)e QJnootic e>un monogram. (!)e croea-strohee att~e enoe of t~e rayo tepreoentt~e Ilau!l of t~e fjealleuo.

'(!)e bouble
~ he foregoingoignwit~aoeconb

circle. ~~e outer may be interI'rrteb ce the 8inite, t~e inner ., ,, .1 oign of cl'ternily.

J S


anb a QJreeh "X".

of an"I"

~ Ilery ancient pagan e>un w~ee\, interpreteb by tI)e
"X"-
22

II lllouogram of 3eouo.:.InI . ,~ of lhe firot tI,ree QJmh I II " ·,, oflhe lliorbJeouo, IHe. '.,1,,·the l l moe regarbeb no a .,ll n Irller, aub tI)e meaning .Iltlhnlrb 10 the monogram

common interpretation inQJermany tobay 18:"3rouofjeilunb e>eligmadjer".(3eouo,6alliour anb ~ebeemer.)

'(!)e mootwibeopreab anb beethnomn
o +

23

Srom t~l8, at a latrr batr, came t~r oign:

ltl06dy rdatrb to 1~18 etcnee t~r aneatrb ltrooo:

taloymbol for tllr
£)ere ' Y " tches t~e place of ' I' . ~io mce not unueual in t~e m ibble ~ges.

+HS + -

"

F

110 .1I'Il".11ll ~ f }

"'" '" beneotl) I l l ~ "hill b Cl1 ~ ting nebemp" I I Ih" l)~ l lI l~ h~o l.

~1)i6, !ille tI,e next sign, is a fur-

27

60 II"IJ .10j Q~om lJ3a~ lj) a(ll (Illm II~ I plIlI!UOl U! UOWO!~~j) a~2

'~a (lloull aug uodn qaoodw!~adno 'oa£!oluaiajJlq m (1l U!UOWOP(IJ' U! '1IlOOW Il wo~j ualJlll OJ u6!0 6ulmoJloj J(I ~ a~ 'OqWOllllllj) a(1l

~ IN

:>X :>1 .. i~anbuol 'IOJ~~j) onoaf.. :oullaw qUIl 'o~ajllm UO!U .nwwoj) lJaa~lj) uc uo!ooa~dw ! ue Oil o~lladdll u610 6UlmOJlOj a~

..' ~ n o ! a Il0 'QOlj) jo u00 'IOJ~~j) gnoaf .. :6u!UllaW 0Q~om IJmlj) aay jO OUna)lll!l!uI a~l a~Il '(ofl~I
~~e t~e

monogram of a man wit~ ([~ristian name Paul.

~rhabiuo

l\ioao in.Deo.reooion of goob - will fOllnbinearly ([~ristianlettero. ~~e monogram of :l3is1)op ~ret~rao of ([aeoarea.

o l\'llete. l!loob i)ealt~. ~( " 1111 of,)feetinl\ often fOllnb at III 11\llduoion of olb papal boo ru ueuto. I 'Ill'

~~e monogram 30~anneo.

38

of

t~e

name

lliholauo

monogram of ~~eob06illo II. 13Y3antine periob.

39

• • ••

*

1Jipin t~e e~ort i!~ e etr066 WM brawn by a ocribe, anb t~e bot6 aMeb by fi,e mng. 1Jalaeologu6

~e name 6ign

of t~e ~mpero e

3U6tinian.

+ ([~arlemagne

Ii' onlll part brawn by

monogram o fmp~i1a6,UI6~op of t~e Q;ot~6. 40

manuel II.

t~e

mperor (,imodf \\'ao t~e 101I111'In file l11ib ~ : (, for ~e luao 1I11rt'llle. ~I ecribe then abbeb Iii l" lllolnber.

i!wo 0lgn6 of iD t~o t~e Q;reat, of w~ld) t~e fir6t ~a6 no connection wit~ ~16 name. 41

!3Y3imtine monograms are t~e most, beau~iful e)(ampl,es we ~aue of besigns composeb of Iettere, anb m t~elr eeneteuettcn t~ey all bear eUibence of great shill anb serious t~oug~t, ~~is d)apter enbs wit~ a beautiful !3Y3antine imperial monogram, t~e interpretation of w~id) is, ~oweuer, unhnemn.

6. ~tontmanon9' ntgnn. ~ese were signs byw~id) jour. neyman stonemasons in t~e

miMle~ges bistinguis~eb t~eir finis~eb worh. ~~ey are to be

42

..

founbcaruebonmany4Jerman cat~e brals anb ot~er mebiaeual builbings. o!:l)emasonic lobges were powerful guilbs of stonemasons, the d)iefone being t~e masonic lobgeof6trassburg, w~id) ~ab 11llt~O tity ouer all t~e ot~er lobI)CO ofall t~e 4Jerman.speahing i oll ntries.~e members of t~ese Illlilbs were strongly bounb toI,etllerin t~eirworh.4)riginally lheoe masonic lobges were enlIrciU controlleb by t~e
. 62

13iennial

'Perennial plant

~not~er

symbol for biennial 63

u.
following oign8 arc tchen from l~e olb djemical euetem, ~~m p~il080p~icaI8igt18 for: male bloom

mercury ~~e metcle eulp~ur

64

Semale bloom

1l0i8onot18

Dloedouo bloom

tlery peieoneue, beably

~~e

combuetible elements

eall ~~e melalloib8

}le!aleb 10 l~e8e8igMare of l~e senen melalloib8:

t~08e

tlitriol

65

~mongst t~e great uatitly of signs t~at wm use~ in early d)emiJltry,t~maremanyw~ld)

ealtpetre

eat ~mmoniac

~lum

eulp~ur

e a!t

~ntimony

are remarhably beautiful. ~Uen if t~e meaning of many of t~e signalsalmost forgotten, neuert~t1ess t~m ie a ~ept~ of feeling in t~tir ~esign, an~ in them wuee wit~ w~at a wea(t~ of emotional i~eas our ancestors connectee t~ese t~ings .

~lum

~not~er

~malgam

~ntimony

sign for ~lum 67

~r6enic

~Ilot~rr 6igll for

! rab

ar6rllic

ro~itr

~llglr6!tr

(rob ~rmatitr

O!iur oil

~Ilot~rr

13ora ~

6!gll for

w~itr

(rob

1301116

~lco~ol,

or 6pirit6 of wine

Oroll

69

.... ~

<Essential oil

~alc

Oinegar

eubacetate of copper

~nol~er

sign for ffielallime

llrine

lime

ffietallime


1. ~~e founber of t~e family. 2.l[~e e1but eon, 3.~~e e1beot gran boon. 4.~e oe,onb granboon. 5.~~e lion oft~e e1beotgranboon. 6,7 anb 8.~e t~m OOM of t~e occonb granboon, in oeniority from left to rig~t.

l[l)at t~e members of t~e eamefamily ll~oulb bellire to billtingulll~ lhe lUorh of tl)at family by a particular llign III quite natural, all 10 oleo tl)e lUiol) of ead) member of t~e family to billtingulll~ ~io cum Inbivlbual lvorh. On t~e ne~t oeriell t~1ll Ibea III lltill furt~er lIluotrateb aub e~p laineb. 86

1

~~e

2

We will now trace t~e lligM of t~e oe,onb line.

5

nrllt llign remctne und)angeb in t~e line of primogeniture. ~~e younger 1l0M aM uariouo etrehee to t~e original oign. ~~Ill oign III again mobineb by t~elr beo,enbanto, e~,ept in t~e eaee of t~e e1beot lion, w~o always tchee over ~Ill fat~er 's olgn unalteub.

6

7

8

87

In t~e oeconb line a oimllar precese of mobification tahee place, quite Inbepenbently of any ot~er line. In t~e ot~er collatera! lineo, anb in t~e fourt~ or fift~ generation, of couree, t~e accumulation of abbeb marhs begino to become confuoing; 00 t~at t~e preeeee cannot be carrieb out Ober many generationo.

to Inbicate bifferenceo In a moot oubtle way, wit~out beotroying uniformity. tJ)~en t~eoe little aMeb etrehee were oeparateb from t~e origlnalolgn, t~eywm calleb countermerhe, ~ bery d)aeming e;cample of t~io is fIluotrateb ~m; t~e oigno are olb mcrhe benoting biffmnt begmo of e;ccellence anb fineneoo of t~e ecme goobo, on t~e acme principle t~at att~e puoent bay crticlee are be6cribeb ao being of ~e firot, oeconb or t~irb quality.

~~e oeconb een, from w~om t~e oeconb line beocenbo.

~~e

granboono In t~e oeconb line.

1!:0unteemarllO also playeb an important part in olb trabe.marllO, anb are of bariouo Itinbo, creeeee, boto, ringo, anb 00 on. ~~ey belong, for t~e moot part, to a later periob. .:rl)e I)eab of the fmnily ie d)ilbleoo.

~~e two OOM

of t~e oeconb granboon of t~e oeconb line.

I n Il)e «ice of all t~eoe oigno, t~e actual original baee oign ~ao been oltmb bll aMitiono. ~~e principle ofmobification by aMilion Ie 0 10 0 avplfeb in oll)er connexione. l3y t~io mecne it 10 poooible 88

xx

•

89

e50me of t~e olb ~ouse.marM were famous because oft~e persol1$ or families t~at origlnateb t~em.

mldJelangelo

Welser

i)ans 13udlmair

"Peter UwdJer

~ few furt~er ~ouse.marhsf of t~efr bwlgns:

principally remarhable for t~e ingenuity

.

$ugger

90

•

i)ans EJad)o 91

8rom ti)e8e marhe, in later timee, were beriueb ti)e ~r8t printer8' beuke8,meet ofwi)fd) contafmb ti)eir names inone form oranoti)er.

13. ~tgnu from uartouu uourcru place81i)e preufoU8 8ign;ilcon. Ue1J81i)eeame ibea ofmenemenI in Ii)e form of a rolling wi)eel.

{i)e8ign0f~rinacria, orti)etm. helion.~i)i8 Ie probabllJ beriueb from ti)m triangle8, from ead) of wi)id) one 8ibe i)a8 been re. moueb,81anbfngonti)rirape;n8. . ~e ~guregiUe8 one ti)e Imprr8' eien Ii)at it i8 mouing fortvarb {i)i8 tclisman i)a8 il8 origin along animaginarlJgrounbline in Ii)e ~ fewoigO$ are appenbeb w~id) are not~ing more t~an ~ig~ly oimpli~eb pictures, anb ceoud) bo not require any furt~er explanation. ~e

bragon'o eye

~~eoigO$ t~tfollowcomebown to 0$ from t~e early
:>In orientaloymbol oft~e aeul'0 pilgrimaget~roug~ life: t~e soul climbe upt~roug~ t~e four belto of t~e worlb, or e1emento,toiio purifkatfon, anb mina t~roug~ fro m barllneoo into Iig~t.

~unning

~~e

water

6un-(r060 or (rooo of

Wotan.

~~e olb

94

~~e oign oft~e t)e~mic (ourto, or t~e eig~t-angleb ~gure.

.

oign for t~e lily, ce it io frequently founb on armorial beadngo/itoupperpartioformeb from t~e f1eur-be-lyo. 95

Jt waa not until later t~t bfa. tinctione began to be brawn betweenbitfmnt hinba of,rowna.

In ita 6lmpleat form ~aa mang a~apea .

lUg of «Ieuea, t~e upper Ilalf of t~e neur-be-Iga. ~~ia fig urete cleo founb on armorial bearinga.

t~e atar

t sl)oulb bring bktorll, Xprotr,teb one against t!)r poisoneb WI', f> inbu,rb mceneee. nunesscratcllrb on a brinltlng brll8elbroug!)tobliblontowl)omrber branlt from It. ~ WI' ~lleb wit!) polsonrb brinlt UP8et Itself if tl)e nunrs s,ratd)eb upon it were benign. ~ goob e~amplr of nunk magician was t!)r e>,anbinabian barb ~gill . £Ie bibinrbnunrs brnratl) tI)e,oud) of a sl,1t bamsrl M being t!)r originof!)rrillness,I)e bug t!)em up anb carbrb brni~,rnt nunrs In tl)eir pla,e. ~s latr ce tl)e fourtrrntl) centurll~piscopal orbinamrswere ~!)lIS

99

Mooemfnateb against 1lune magic. Sor purpooeo of ooot~oaylng, 1luneowere only uoeb inMuctfy: it wao bellebeb t~at t~e beab eoulb be awalteneb by mecne of 1lune magic, anb t~at t~ey eoulb foretell t~e future. ~~uro

100

:
~en: ~ord)

: ~a,

nieb : neeeooity, t~ralbom

Wynn: ([omfort

vo: vee

Seu : ([attle

~ll8ur

~(r :

1lab ; ([artw~eel

aloon

£jagall : £jail

101

3ara: ~ear

J(1)6 : cflh

. ell/gil : elun

~ir 102

: £}onour, l~e gob ~l/r

.l3larhan : .l3ird)

cfo~

: £}oroe

man: manhlnb, man

.(agu : Waler, elea

Jng : l~e gob Jng

.cag : .cal/ 103

lOgol : l)oeeeasion ~~e

2\unee were frequently ueeb tumeb bock to front, onb t~eir onglee were o\\oeionolly rounbeb into curoee.