Reply To: What’s In a Name?” with Stephen Gerringer”
Stephen,
I must hand it to you. You do inspire !
It is these folk poetic conflations and associations that I enjoy. Some drowned in them. I swim. They broaden my understanding of myth. The puns are fun 🤩 The academic says , you can’t do that. The artist says , hold my beer, I just did … homonyms bring harmony rhythm rhyme …
Some of the Hamsa emblems look like a hand with two thumbs three fingers to me. The thumbs mirrored bird head images . A bringing together of the opposites. Right and left. A common mythic theme. The two hands become one. It takes two wings for a bird to soar on high above the mountains. A nice metaphor .
“In Jewish faiths, the hamsa represents the hand of God and is known as ‘The Hand of Miriam’. Miriam was the virtuous sister to Moses (who led the Israelites out of Egypt) and Aron (who became the first High Priest). Miriam’s honourable life led her to becoming a symbol of great protection and luck.
Hamsa is also the hebrew word for five, and while some believe this represents the five fingers on the talisman, others say this symbolises the five books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.”
“In Muslim culture, the hamsa is known as ‘The Hand of Fatima’. Fatima Al Zahra was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife, Khadija. ‘Al Zahra’ is said to mean the shining one. As Fatima is seen as pure and without sin, The Hand of Fatima is considered a symbol of protection, power and strength.
The Hand of Fatima symbolises the Five Pillars of Islam: Faith, Prayer, Pilgrimage, Fasting and Charity. Muslim communities also refer to the hamsa as ‘Khamsa’, the Arabic word for five.”
“In Buddhism and Hinduism, the hamsa takes on a very different meaning. For Hindus and Buddhists, the hamsa represents the chakras, the five senses and their associated mudras (hand gestures) that re-direct energy flow throughout the body.
Thumb- Fire element / solar plexus chakra.
Forefinger- Air element / the heart chakra.
Middle Finger- Ethereal elements / throat chakra
Ring Finger- Earth element / root chakra
Pinkie Finger- Water element / sacral chakra “
The chakra body. Now there’s a vehicle with wings to convey one over the mountain of samsara !!!
R³