Six point star proof slugs on blades

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by katana

Hi Jim,
I wonder if the original meaning of the symbol on swords made in Damascus .....was adopted later to show the quality of the blade ...but for a different 'understanding' of the meaning of the 'hexagram'.

i.e In Damascus the marking could have meant 'quintessance' ....but the later 'adoption' of the symbol could have been (assumed) to be the elements of fire/water. Both 'interpretations 'work' .........I think we always have to be cautious of the interpretation of symbols. Culture, history, geography etc could totally change the meaning for one individual to another.

Best Regards David

Extremely well put David. The interpretation of symbols definitely is interpreted differently as it is transferred crossculturally and even over time by subsequent generations. In language, even the words in our language have either fallen out of common use, or sometimes acquired entirely different meanings. Good examples of this are found in a book I have someplace in the 'archives' called "Johnsons Dictionary". This is a compendium of words in these categories with the meanings in period of use.

As always, I admire your way of thinking!

All the best,
Jim