The Sun Symbol: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Its Origins and Meanings

The sun symbol is a picture or a sign that people use to show their thoughts and feelings about the sun. It is also a representation of the big bright star that makes our planet alive and bright. The sun symbol has a long and interesting story and tradition, which varies across different cultures and time periods. It has changed and adapted to the modern world. There, it is used in different things, such as art, science, and culture. In this blog post, we will explore the journey of the sun symbol through history and culture. We will see how it shows the values and beliefs of different people and places.

 

Ancient sun symbols

Depending on the situation and the point of view, the sun symbol has different beginnings, meanings, and examples. In this part, we will talk about some of the oldest and most common sun symbols, such as the solar disk, the sun cross, the winged sun, the star of Shamash, the Vergina sun, and the three-legged raven. We will also give you some examples of where these symbols were used in different places across the world.

  

The solar disk

The basic element of most solar symbols is the circular solar disk. The solar disk is a simple and universal symbol of the sun. It is made of a circle that shows the sun's shape and brightness.

The solar disk, crescent Moon and stars as shown on the Nebra sky disk (c. 1600 BC)

The solar disk is one of the oldest and most common sun symbols. It goes back to the very old times. It was used by different people, such as the Egyptians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. They used it to show their sun gods and goddesses.

We don't know the exact date of the first appearance of the solar disk. But it is probably before the 4th millennium BCE. That is when the first written records of sun worship appeared.

The solar disk shows the sun as the source of life, light, and power. It is also connected to different gods and ideas. They are Ra, Ahura Mazda, Helios, and Sol Invictus. They show the sun's features and roles, such as creation, rule, justice, and victory.

The solar disk was shown in ancient art and buildings. The Aten disk is an example.

Relief depicting Akhenaten and Nefertiti with three of their daughters under the rays of Aten.

  

The sun cross

The sun cross is a combination of a circle and a cross. It shows the sun and its rays, or the sun and the four main directions.

Sun cross

The sun cross is another ancient and common sun symbol. It comes from the Indo-European cultures. It was used by different people, such as the Celts, the Norse, and the Slavs. They used it to show their view of the world and their spirit.

The earliest proof of the sun cross goes back to the Bronze Age, around the 2nd millennium BCE. It was carved on rock art and pottery.

The sun cross shows the sun as the center of the universe, and the cycle of the seasons, the elements, and the life. It is also related to the ideas of balance, harmony, and order. It also shows the four main directions, the four elements, and the four phases of the moon.

The sun cross was shown in ancient things and signs. Some of them are the Celtic cross, the Swastika.

A high cross at Monasterboice in Ireland

 

The winged sun

The winged sun is a variation of the solar disk with wings and sometimes other things. They are horns, snakes, or feathers. It shows the sun's movement and protection.

"Winged Sun of Thebes" (from Egyptian Mythology and Egyptian Christianity by Samuel Sharpe, 1863) 

The winged sun is a sun symbol that came from the Mesopotamian region. It was used by other people, such as the Anatolians, the Levantines, and the Hittites. They used it to show their royal and divine power.

The first appearance of the winged sun goes back to the 3rd millennium BCE. It was used by the Sumerians and the Akkadians as a symbol of their sun god Shamash.

The winged sun shows the sun as the ruler and protector of the world, and the giver of life and justice. It is also linked to the ideas of power, greatness, royalty, and divinity. It is also related to the different sun gods and goddesses, such as Shamash, Ishtar, Horus, and Apollo.

The winged sun was shown in ancient seals, stones, coins, and temples. Some of them are, Farvahar and the temple of Yazilikaya.

Stone carved Faravahar in Persepolis, Iran.

 

The star of Shamash

The star of Shamash is an eight-pointed star that showed the sun god Shamash in Mesopotamian stories. It was also used as a general symbol of the sun and the sky.

Star of Shamash

The star of Shamash is a sun symbol that came from the Mesopotamian region. It was influenced by the Sumerian and Akkadian people. They worshipped Shamash as the highest sun god and the lord of justice and order.

The earliest proof of the star of Shamash goes back to the 3rd millennium BCE. It was used as a symbol of the sun god Utu in Sumerian texts and art.

The star of Shamash shows the sun as the source of light, truth, and law, and the judge of the gods and humans. It is also connected to the ideas of justice, order, wisdom, and morality. It is also related to the different features and roles of Shamash, such as the creator, the healer, the warrior, and the king.

The star of Shamash was shown in ancient texts, sculptures, and pictures. Some of them are the Code of Hammurabi, the statue of Gudea, and the picture of Ashurbanipal.

The solar symbol of Shamash (right) on a kudurru, with the star of Ishtar on the left and a crescent of Sin.

 

The Vergina sun

The Vergina sun is a sixteen-pointed star that was used as a royal sign by the ancient Macedonians. It was also known as the star of Alexander or the Argead star.

Vargina Sun

The Vergina sun is a sun symbol that came from the ancient Macedonian region. It was influenced by the Greek and Persian people. They had similar sun symbols and patterns in their art and money.

The first appearance of the Vergina sun goes back to the 6th century BCE. It was used as a symbol of the Argead family, the ruling family of Macedonia. They said they came from the hero Heracles and the god Zeus.

The Vergina sun shows the sun as the sign of the Macedonian royalty and the legacy of Alexander the Great and his followers. It is also related to the ideas of glory, power, conquest, and unity. It is also connected to the Greek culture and civilization, which spread across the ancient world under the Macedonian rule.

The Vergina sun was found in ancient tombs, shields, coins, and pictures. Some of them are the tomb of Philip II in Greece, and Taq-e Bostan in Iran.

The golden larnax and the golden grave crown of Philip

 

The three-legged crow

The three-legged crow is a mythical animal that carried the sun in its claws in East Asian stories. It was also known as the crow of the sun or the bird of the sun.

Sun and Immortal Birds Gold Ornament by ancient Shu people. The center is a sun pattern with twelve points around which four Three-legged crows fly in the same counterclockwise direction, Ancient Kingdom of Shu. 

The three-legged raven (crow) is a sun symbol that came from the East Asian region. It was influenced by the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people. They had similar legends and stories about the sun and the raven.

The earliest proof of the three-legged raven goes back to the 1st millennium BCE. It was mentioned in the Chinese classic text, the Shanhaijing, as a creature that lived in the sun.

The three-legged crow shows the sun as the carrier of the light, the fire, and the life, and the controller of the time and the seasons. It is also related to the ideas of creation, destruction, rebirth, and balance. It is also connected to the different myths and tales about the sun and the raven, such as the creation of the world, the eclipse of the sun, the shooting of the sun, and the restoration of the sun.

The three-legged crow was shown in ancient paintings, sculptures, and legends. Some of them are the the sculpture of Kofukuji, and the legend of Houyi.

Three-legged crow flanked by dragon and phoenix. Mural from the Korean Goguryeo period, Ohoe Tomb nº 4, 6th - 7th century, Ji'an, China.

  

Sun symbolism in modern times

The sun symbol is one of the most ancient and universal symbols in human history. It has been used in different things, such as astronomy, astrology, art, literature, music, and emoji, to show different meanings and connections. In this part, we will talk about some of the modern and new uses and changes of the sun symbol. We will see how they show the values and beliefs of the modern society. 

 

Standard astronomical symbol of sun

Astronomy

The sun is the star at the center of the solar system, and the source of light and heat for the Earth and other planets. The new Sun symbol, a circle with a dot (☉), was first used in Europe a long time ago.

Today, scientists use the Sun symbol for some numbers that are related to the Sun. For example, Teff☉ means the Sun’s temperature, and they use L☉, M☉, and R☉ to measure how bright, heavy, and big other stars are compared to the Sun.

Sun What it means Symbol How it looks What it means Sun SolThe usual symbol for the Sun Sol The Sun with one line Sun with face The Sun with a face or “Sun in splendor”.

 

 

A wheel chart produced by Astrolog, showing symbols for the signs of the zodiac (outer ring), classical planets, dwarf planets and asteroids (inner ring). In the inner ring, clockwise from Gemini, to Orcus.

Astrology

According to the old practice of astrology, the sun is one of the heavenly bodies that affect the human personality and destiny. It has many features and characteristics, such as its sign, house, aspect, and element. The sun symbol is used in astrology, either as a simple circle with a dot in the center, or as a fancy picture of the sun’s rays and face. This symbol shows the astrological meaning and prediction of the human character and fate, such as the sun sign, the sun house, the sun aspect, and the sun element. Horoscopes, charts, symbols, and signs are some of the ways that the sun symbol is used in astrology, for example:

• The zodiac signs, which are the 12 parts of the sky, the path of the sun across the sky, each connected to a group of stars and a personality type.
• The sun symbol, which is a circle with a dot in the center, showing the self, the ego, and the identity of a person.

 

Art

Artists use the sun symbol, either as a real or abstract picture of the sun, or as a symbolic or metaphorical expression of the sun. This symbol shows the artistic vision and expression of the sun and its parts, such as the light, the warmth, the energy, and the life. Some of the forms of art that use the sun symbol are paintings, sculptures, drawings, and installations, for example:

• The Big Yellow Sun by Alexander Calder, which is a moving sculpture that has a big yellow disk with red and black rays, hanging from wires, making a fun and lively impression of the sun.

Alexander Calder: The Big Yellow Sun

• The Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt, which are four big concrete tubes, arranged in a cross shape, in the Utah desert, that line up with the sunrise and sunset of the summer and winter times, making a connection between the sun and the earth.

Nancy Holt: Sun Tunnels

 

Literature

Writers use the sun symbol, either as a real or figurative description of the sun, or as a symbolic or story-like representation of the sun.In modern times, the sun retains its symbolic properties in literature. As a literary symbol, it can represent a hero, knowledge, divinity, life force, brightness and overall splendor Literature uses the sun symbol in various ways, such as in poems, novels, essays, and myths, for example:

• The Sonnets by William Shakespeare, which are a group of 154 poems that talk about different themes, such as love, beauty, time, and death. Many of the sonnets use the sun as a comparison for the speaker's loved one, or as a difference to the speaker's sadness. For example, in Sonnet 18, the speaker compares his lover to a summer's day, and says that the sun is "sometimes too hot" and "often is his gold complexion dimmed".
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, which is a book that follows a group of American and British people in Europe after World War I. The sun is a symbol of the lost generation, the sad and lost people who suffered from the pain and result of the war. The sun also shows the hope and wish for a better life, as the characters travel to Spain to watch the bullfights and the party. However, the sun also shows the hard reality and the uselessness of their tries. For example, in the last scene, the main character Jake says to his love interest Brett, "Isn't it pretty to think so?" as they watch the sun set over the mountains.

Sonnet 18 in the 1609 Quarto of Shakespeare's sonnets.

 

Music

One of the most popular and different subjects and patterns in music, from old times to today, is the sun. It has many features and characteristics, such as its shape, color, brightness, and movement. Musicians use the sun symbol, either as a real or abstract expression of the sun, or as a symbolic or metaphorical reference to the sun. This symbol shows the musical type and style of the sun and its parts, such as the light, the warmth, the energy, and the life. Music uses the sun symbol in various ways, such as in lyrics, melodies, rhythms, and genres, for example:

• Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles, which is a song that celebrates the coming of spring and the end of a long and cold winter. The sun is a symbol of happiness, hope, and change. The sun also shows the personal and professional problems that the band members faced, such as legal fights, creative conflicts, and health issues. The song was written by George Harrison, who said, "Here comes the sun was written at the time when Apple was getting like school, where we had to go and be businessmen: 'Sign this' and 'sign that'. Anyway, it seems as if winter in England goes on forever, by the time spring comes you really deserve it. So one day I decided I was going to skip Apple and I went over to Eric Clapton's house. The relief of not having to go see all those silly accountants was wonderful, and I walked around the garden with one of Eric's acoustic guitars and wrote Here Comes The Sun". 

The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun (2019 Mix)

• “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” is a song from Pink Floyd’s second album “A Saucerful of Secrets” released in 1968. The song is a masterpiece of psychedelic rock, and it is widely regarded as one of Pink Floyd’s greatest songs. The song’s opening line, “Set the controls for the heart of the sun,” is a metaphorical expression that refers to the journey of the self. It suggests that the path to self-discovery requires a willingness to dive deep into oneself, to confront fears and insecurities, and to seek the light of truth. 

Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

 

Emoji

Emoji use the sun symbol, either as a real or cute picture of the sun, or as a funny or clever sign of the sun. This symbol shows the online and mobile culture and communication of the sun and its parts, such as the light, the warmth, the energy, and the life. Emoji use the sun symbol in various ways, such as in faces, animals, objects, and scenes, for example:

• The 🌞 emoji is often used to show happiness, positivity, and coolness. It can also be used to show that someone is enjoying a sunny day or a summer vacation. For example, someone may text, "I'm having a blast at the beach 🌞" or "You're so awesome 🌞".
• The 🌅, which is a sunrise over mountains. This emoji is often used to show the start of a new day, a new beginning, or a new chance. It can also be used to show love for the beauty of nature or to wish someone a good morning. For example, someone may text, "It's a beautiful day 🌅" or "Good morning, sunshine 🌅".
• The 🌇, which is a sunrise over buildings. This emoji is often used to show the city life, the busy and noisy, or the full schedule. It can also be used to show that someone is ready to face the day or to work hard. For example, someone may text, "Off to work 🌇" or "Let's do this 🌇".

 

People have used the sun symbol for a very long time, in different things and places, such as art, stories, gods, science, and culture. It shows the things of life, power, money, and safety, as well as the different people and places that made the Persian and Oriental civilizations. The sun symbol also reflects the things and thoughts of the modern world, such as how it knows and learns about the sun and its phenomena, how it thinks and guesses about the human self and future, how it sees and makes the sun and its parts, and how it talks and shares the sun and its parts. This blog post has given you some fun and helpful facts about the sun symbol, and we hope that you will keep looking and finding more about this topic.