Do you know other GLOs' secret info?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by pshsx1

One of my brothers has studied heraldry a lot and started saying what certain symbols meant, all of which happened to be on the Sigma Pi crest. My Sigma Pi friend in the room didn't really act any different and, even if my brother was spot on about each thing, that doesn't really mean it revealed any secrets.. kind of how the symbols on SigEp's crest have deeper meanings below the public ones (like the sword of virtue or the star of hope, for instance).

Just to be clear, symbols can have a wide variety of meanings in heraldry; it's all but impossible to say, for example, "a fluer-de-lis means x." Symbols in heraldry are contextual -- what they mean depends on the context of their use.

As a simple example, in French society, a fluer-de-lis was a symbol of the royal house. But in a religious context (even in France), it is a symbol of the Virgin Mary. I'm doubting either of those apply to Kappa Kappa Gamma's or SAE's use of the fluer-de-lis.

Likewise with color. I've seen "heraldry guides" that will say things like blue stands for loyalty, white for purity, etc. While that certainly can be the case, in any given usage a color means what those who designed the arms intended it to mean.

It's certainly true that some things lend themselves to obvious associations -- red with blood, for example, or a book with learning and education. But unless it's obvious (the books on the coats-of-arms of Harvard or Oxford, for example), it's usually a mistake to say "this is what this symbol means" in the abstract.

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Just to be clear, symbols can have a wide variety of meanings in heraldry; it's all but impossible to say, for example, "a fluer-de-lis means x." Symbols in heraldry are contextual -- what they mean depends on the context of their use.

As a simple example, in French society, a fluer-de-lis was a symbol of the royal house. But in a religious context (even in France), it is a symbol of the Virgin Mary. I'm doubting either of those apply to Kappa Kappa Gamma's or SAE's use of the fluer-de-lis.

Likewise with color. I've seen "heraldry guides" that will say things like blue stands for loyalty, white for purity, etc. While that certainly can be the case, in any given usage a color means what those who designed the arms intended it to mean.

It's certainly true that some things lend themselves to obvious associations -- red with blood, for example, or a book with learning and education. But unless it's obvious (the books on the coats-of-arms of Harvard or Oxford, for example), it's usually a mistake to say "this is what this symbol means" in the abstract.

Ha. That's what you think. We do have the Keys to the Kingdom of God after all...

Oh wait, I think I've said too much....

[pshsx1]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Just to be clear, symbols can have a wide variety of meanings in heraldry; it's all but impossible to say, for example, "a fluer-de-lis means x." Symbols in heraldry are contextual -- what they mean depends on the context of their use.

As a simple example, in French society, a fluer-de-lis was a symbol of the royal house. But in a religious context (even in France), it is a symbol of the Virgin Mary. I'm doubting either of those apply to Kappa Kappa Gamma's or SAE's use of the fluer-de-lis.

Likewise with color. I've seen "heraldry guides" that will say things like blue stands for loyalty, white for purity, etc. While that certainly can be the case, in any given usage a color means what those who designed the arms intended it to mean.

It's certainly true that some things lend themselves to obvious associations -- red with blood, for example, or a book with learning and education. But unless it's obvious (the books on the coats-of-arms of Harvard or Oxford, for example), it's usually a mistake to say "this is what this symbol means" in the abstract.

hah yeah, I know. Otherwise he never would have said anything about symbols in the first place!