Symbology

For other senses of this term, see symbology (disambiguation).

Also known as processual symbolic analysis, the symbology concept was developed by Victor Turner in the mid-1970s to refer to the use of symbols within cultural contexts, in particular ritual. Victor Witter Turner ( May 28, 1920 – December 18, 1983) was a cultural Anthropologist best known for his work on symbols rituals In anthropology, symbology originated as part of Victor Turner's concept of "comparative symbology". Turner (1920-1983) was professor of Anthropology at Cornell University, the University of Chicago, and finally he was Professor of Anthropology and Religion at the University of Virginia. ^[1] In 1940, Robert A. Heinlein used "symbology" in Blowups Happen, a mathematics-based short story. Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988 was an American Novelist and Science fiction Writer. He uses the word as a way to establish conceptual connections between behavioral psychology and mathematics.

1 Symbology versus symbolism
2 Symbology in fiction and popular culture
3 See also
4 Footnotes
5 References
6 Further Reading
7 External links

Symbology versus symbolism

Symbolism is the use of a symbol to send a message. For example, the simple symbolism of a cross is to represent Christianity. Symbology is the symbolism and how it is used in ritual (aka "ritual performance"). For example, on Good Friday of each year a man dressed in a white robe will bear a large wooden cross on his shoulders, dragging it along cobble streets in Jerusalem. People in the crowd watching will offer to take the cross to relieve the man of his burden. Within the ritual context or drama, the symbol of the cross is grouped with other symbols, such as the white robe and the location.

Symbology in fiction and popular culture

"Religious symbology" is the academic discipline pursued by the hero of Dan Brown's novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. Dan Brown (born June 22 1964 is an American Author of Thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code The Da Vinci Code is a controversial mystery / detective Novel by US author Dan Brown, published in 2003 by Doubleday Angels & Demons is a Bestselling mystery Novel by Dan Brown. Published in 2000 it introduces the character Robert Langdon Specifically, the Da Vinci Code refers to Robert Langdon (the lead character in the novel) as "Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University" (Brown 2003:7). The Da Vinci Code is a controversial mystery / detective Novel by US author Dan Brown, published in 2003 by Doubleday Robert Langdon ( June 22, 1964 in Exeter, New Hampshire, United States) is a fictional professor of religious iconology Langdon's academic work in the novels involves anthropological perspective of symbols and religion. The character discusses religious symbols in a cross-cultural sense. He de-contextualizes symbols, discusses how they are used within ritual, and presents a diachronic (over-time) interpretation of changes in symbology: when and how the symbols are used within various cultural contexts change over time. Although "symbology" may be an accurate description of Langdon's particular field of research, in reality he could not hold the title "Professor of Religious Symbology". "Symbology" is not a formal discipline, and does not exist as a department at Harvard or any other university. It is an approach or model of study within the anthropology of religion or symbolic anthropology. ^[2] In the PlayStation 2 RPG Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time, symbology is a scientific research/technology, used in place of magic, and is a kind of cheat code the residents of the game world use in order to get certain powers. A console role-playing game is a video game genre that has its origin rooted in Video game consoles and includes game mechanics and frequently settings derived is the third main game in the Star Ocean Video game series The game was developed by Tri-Ace and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and A Cheat code (also called debug code or backdoor) is a code that can be entered into a computer program to alter the run-time behavior or configuration of that program A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with unique background elements such as an imaginary history or geography and possibly fantasy or science This power is accessed by putting symbols on one's arm in the game. The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece A game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for Enjoyment and sometimes also used as an Educational tool It also opens up the path to a plot twist later in the game. A plot twist is a change ("twist" in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a Film, Television series, Video game, In the film Boondock Saints, it appears in dialogue as a misusage or malapropism. The Boondock Saints is a 1999 action Crime drama film written and directed by Troy Duffy. The FBI agent Paul Smecker, played by Willem Dafoe, chastises a police detective he is working with for using the word symbology. William J "Willem" Dafoe (born July 22, 1955) is a three-time Academy Award -nominated American Film and stage The implication is that he is irked by the officer's statement because he sees symbology as a malapropism for the word symbolism. A malapropism (also called a Dogberryism) is the substitution of an incorrect word for a word with a similar sound usually to comic effect "Symbolic" redirects here For other uses see Symbolism (disambiguation and Symbolic (disambiguation. The dialogue is as follows::Police detective: "So, what's the symbology there?":Smecker: "Symbology?. . . Now that Duffy has relinquished his king bonehead crown, I see we have an heir to the throne. I'm sure the word you were looking for was symbolism. What is the sssssymbolism there?" Interestingly, because the officer is discussing the significance of the placing of coins in the eyes of the dead, a ritual practice, it may well in fact be a question of symbology.

Footnotes

^ * Liminal to liminoid in play, flow, and ritual: An essay in comparative symbology. The anthropology of religion involves the study of religious institutions in relation to other social institutions and the comparison of religious beliefs and practices across Cultures Symbolic anthropology (or more broadly symbolic and interpretive anthropology) is a diverse set of approaches within Cultural anthropology that view culture as a Victor Witter Turner ( May 28, 1920 – December 18, 1983) was a cultural Anthropologist best known for his work on symbols rituals "Symbolic" redirects here For other uses see Symbolism (disambiguation and Symbolic (disambiguation. Semiotics, semiotic studies, or semiology is the study of sign processes (semiosis or signification and communication signs and Symbols both Christianity has used symbols from its very beginnings Each Saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life Rice University Studies 60(3):53-92, 1974, describes comparative symbology of Victor Turner.
^ Karen L. King, Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard, called "symbology" a nonexistent field, and suggested that the closest field, semiology, is unrepresented at Harvard. She also suggested that Brown's Langdon does not act as a semiologist, but is closer to being an art historian studying iconography. Art history is the Academic study of objects of Art in their Historical development and stylistic contexts i Iconography is the branch of Art history which studies the identification description and the interpretation of the content of images See C. E. Jampel's article Ruffling Religious Feathers, The Harvard Crimson, February 12, 2004.