Symbols for night?

March 15, 2007 3:16 PM

AncientSymbolsFilter: My google skills have failed me. I'm looking for a symbol representing night or darkness. Preferably from Antiquity or Celtic societies. Help?
posted by Roman Graves to education (11 answers total)

one possibility
a similar one
another, different one
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:29 PM on March 15, 2007

Google book search has you covered for Egypt, although both of the sources are really early, fwiw.

Sign in to a google account to look at the Budge or
this Edwards uses a different symbol. (pt, the base, is pretty much undeniably a sign for 'sky', at least.)

I'm not finding anything in classical sources at the moment, though.
posted by cobaltnine at 4:01 PM on March 15, 2007

Different part of the world, but

Night 夜
Midnight 夜中
Evening 晩
Moon 月
posted by ilsa at 4:11 PM on March 15, 2007

Google-fu: Tarvos Trigarnos was the Roman name on the trio Three Cranes, the Bull and the Tree of Life. These three are from the Celtic night sky the Bull for Kaitos/Whale, the Tree of Life may be a tree for the same figure as the big man in Evenstorp.
The Triple-moon goddess symbol
I also recall the boar represents darkness, but typically along with evilness.
posted by boo_radley at 4:37 PM on March 15, 2007

One more from symbols.com
posted by thrako at 5:04 PM on March 15, 2007

Getting a tattoo are we?
posted by IndigoRain at 8:25 PM on March 15, 2007

We are. Well, if we can find the right image.
posted by Roman Graves at 9:10 PM on March 15, 2007

There's the Mayan Akbal glyph, one of the named days, also denoting night or darkness.

Or, one of the Nine Lords of the Night, although the connection between this night, as calendrical markings, and the night you're looking for are more tenuous.
posted by vacapinta at 9:57 PM on March 15, 2007

The Goddess Nuit (Nut, Nwt, Nuith, Nathor).
posted by dragonsi55 at 5:44 AM on March 16, 2007

Awesome... let us all know what you decide on. :)
posted by IndigoRain at 11:36 AM on March 16, 2007

Thanks very much for your help, all! boo_radley, I like the idea of Tarvos very much, but further research indicates a connection with the night or night sky may be tenuous. However, I like it so much I may eschew the original meaning that I was looking for in favor of it. But we shall see if it or Nuit end up tagged on me for life.
posted by Roman Graves at 4:19 PM on March 16, 2007