This is a companion to the hugely successful Symbolism: A Comprehensive Dictionary. The earlier dictionary was arranged by symbol and told what the meanings were. The present work goes the other way (but it is not simply a refiguring of the data). It presents ideas, situations or objects (ancient to modern), and gives the appropriate symbols (allusions, associations, attributes, or emblems). Some examples: one of the symbols for “hell” is descending stairs; an attribute of Saint Benedict is a raven; joy after sorrow is symbolized by the gemstone, amber. Literary, artistic, religious, heraldic, numerological, folkloric, occult, psychological, and biblical usages are included.

Award-winning author Steven Olderr is a professional librarian living in Oak Park, Illinois.

Compiled by Steven Olderr
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 191
Bibliographic Info:
Copyright Date: 2005 [1992]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2125-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1012-2
Imprint: McFarland

“will help students, researchers and writers discover how things have been represented or symbolized”—Booklist; “has no equivalent”—Choice.