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How To Read Religious Icons * Religion * Beliefs + Buddhism + Catholic + Christianity + Hinduism + Islam + Judaism + Mormon + Paganism + Protestant + Scientology * Holidays + Christmas + Diwali + Easter + Hanukkah + Kwanzaa + Passover + Purim + Ramadan + Rosh Hashanah + Yom Kippur * Rites + Ash Wednesday + Baptism + Catholic Confirmation + Communion + Cremation + Liturgy + Meditation + Offerings + Religious Weddings + Tithing * People & Events + Buddha + Crusades + Freedom Of Religion + Holocaust + Missionaries + Monotheism + Pope + Queen Mary + Religious Freedom + Rome + Vatican * More + Agnostic + Atheist + Bible + Cultures + Funerals + Qur'an + Rosary + Spirituality + Torah + Wiccan & Pagan More Articles Like This * How to Collect Religious Icons * The Definition of Religious Icons * How to Make a Religious Icon * How to Make Religious Nichos * How to Draw Orthodox Icons More by This Author * How to Get Rid of Round Worm in Humans and Dogs * How to Let Your Puppy in Your Bed * How to Domesticate Feral Kittens * How to Take Care of Dogs That Have Nausea With Kidney Disease * How to Cure a Flea Allergy How To How To Read Religious Icons Contributor By Rhomylly Forbes eHow Contributing Writer Article Rating: [star-1-0.gif]-Submit [star-1-0.gif]-Submit [star-1-0.gif]-Submit [star-1-0.gif]-Submit [star-1-0.gif]-Submit (0 Ratings) As any fan of the book and the film *The DaVinci Code* knows, Christian symbolism in general and Catholic symbolism in particular is aware that church symbols are part of a language. This language of hidden meanings and devotion is one that most believers don't know and, if they do know about it, can't read it. Icons--artistic portraits of Christ, Mary and the saints--are a good place to start learning the history of this language of symbols. * Email * Print Article * Add to Favorites * Flag Article * Bookmark and Share Difficulty: Easy Instructions Things You'll Need: * Catholic icons 1. Step 1 Look for tools of the trade. In their icons, saints will often hold objects that symbolize some of the work they did in life. For example, St. Cyril will often hold a scroll covered with the alphabet he created for the Russian people--the Cyrillic Alphabet. St. Cosmas and St. Damien were doctors and are often depicted with medical objects. 2. Step 2 Study the head. Headgear can also tell the viewer a great deal about the figure in the icon. Mary is the only icon allowed to have stars on her forehead and shoulders; Jesus is the only one who wears a cruciform halo. The figure's eyes are usually disproportionally large to symbolize that they are windows to the soul. The mouth is small, admonishing viewers to contemplate God quietly . 3. Step 3 Notice other objects or animals. A lamb in an icon always symbolizes the presence of Christ, the Lamb of God. 4. Step 4 Consider the source of light. In traditional paintings, the source of light is external such as the sun, a candle or a lamp. In an icon, the source of light is the figure itself such as Christ or the saint. This symbolism suggests that the figure does not cast a shadow on any other object in the icon, which can make the painting look odd to those not accustomed to this standard. The halo around the figure's head, then, is not from above but emanates from the figure itself. 5. Step 5 Read the hands. The position of the hands and even the fingers have significance in a religious icon. The "blessing hand," where the fingers spell the Greek characters for J and C, is particularly important. If the hand is pointed outward to the viewer, it is a sign of blessing. If the hand is pointed in toward the figure, it means "the kingdom of God is within you." References * Icon Symbolism Subscribe Post a Comment ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ [_] Post this comment to my Facebook Profile Word Verification* ____________________ Post a Comment eHow Article: How To Read Religious Icons Related Ads * Related Videos * Related Articles * How to Change Icons on Windows XP How to Change Icons on Windows XP * How to Plan the Readings for a Funeral Service How to Plan the Readings for a Funeral Service * How to Change the Icon for any Filetype How to Change the Icon for any Filetype * Play Analysis: Religious Environment Play Analysis: Religious Environment * How to Convert a Bitmap to an Icon How to Convert a Bitmap to an Icon * How to Collect Religious Icons How to Collect Religious Icons * The Definition of Religious Icons The Definition of Religious Icons * How to Make a Religious Icon How to Make a Religious Icon * How to Make Religious Nichos How to Make Religious Nichos * How to Draw Orthodox Icons How to Draw Orthodox Icons * See How Others Did It * Have you done this? 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