Hmm, it seems that we are looking at symbols from a culture that was originally Negrito, animistic then with an Islamic veneer, over this older animistic culture.
We have two main avenues of possibilities. Interpret in terms of that particular society and interpret in terms of universal symbols.
Interpretations in terms of a societal arena posits certain questions. First, how many people in any culture truly understand in depth, the symbols of their OWN culture? And of those people, how many are willing to talk about those symbols? If they do talk, how much is intentional or accidental misinformation.
In "Shields of Melanesia" (2006) Ed Harry Beran and Barry Craig, the author remarks that he has often asked about a design on a new Guinea shield. Often he was told, “We merely follow what our ancestors have done.” When he asked about a certain symbol on a shield, they said, “the v-shape represents the beak of the hornbill.”
This could represent the way the hornbill beak looks from straight ahead as seen by the young hornbill when he is being fed through an opening in the tree trunk. Maybe this could be on the back of the shield to strengthen and protect the bearer.
This could fit in 'local legends' Melanesia or in Borneo. The Dayak believe that the hornbill is a divine messenger. Maybe the V could represent the hornbill telling a Dayak a message from the high kingdom. BUT unless you take the time to learn about a specific culture you will have an impossible time learning the symbolism that appears on weapons or other artifacts.
Continuing in “Shields of Melanesia,” the author continues to ponder the problem of understanding a culture by observation and logic. He uses the metaphor of an Martian anthropologist lands lands on earth. He begins to quiz people on the street of a modern industrial society about the meaning of the overall design of an automobile.
He would be told, “it does not represent anything. It evolved from carts pulled by horses. It is merely designed to transport people and goods."
But the Martian might ask deeper questions. Why does it have two headlights? Do they represent eyes? Maybe a talisman that looks ahead for the protection and safety of the driver? The grill looks like a mouth. Is this to threaten other drivers that your vehicle might attack and eat them?
I have left the book a few sentences back and now forge ahead on my own.
The three pointed star on the hood ornament (Mercedes) does this represent the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit of the Christian religion? The Trimurti (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma)? The high world, the middle world and the lower world, always keeping them in mind as you go forth?
Do the hubcaps represent shields? They have 12 divisions. Does that correspond to your Zodiac? They are removable, do you use them for personal defense? As thrown weapons?
The patterns in your upholstery. They look vegetative. Do they represent the eggs and flowers of Creation? Is your exhaust a dragon simile?
Now I would suspect it would get even more complicated and possibly if our Martian was using his own culture as a basis.
So where does that leave us in the study of a design on an artifact created as an Islamic overlay on an animistic folk magic culture? Can logic lead anywhere productive?
I think it does if you approach these symbols from a more universal standpoint. Let the logic lead to a visceral response. What do they mean to you? Shiva’s Trident? Neptune’s Trident? Naga eggs? Clouds? Flowers? Do they evoke a feeling in you, the viewer?
Then that is exactly what they mean. What did they mean to the guy who put them there? I sincerely doubt anyone, even his wife, will ever know.
I believe it was Jung who suggested that instead of analyzing the dream, analyze the dreamer. If this strikes a chord in someone here – other than just thinking this reply is the ramblings of a bemused dreamer, myself, we can take this further.
Where do symbols come from? Why do we use them? Why are we drawn to them? Why are the religious systems of EVERY culture riddled with paradoxes?
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