Symbolism
I thought I might not be the only writer out there who likes to put symbolism in their stories so I found some things and what they represent!!
Animals
Alligator - stealth, survival
Ant - diligence, industry, community, remarkable strength, hard working, success, patience
Antelope - action
Armadillo - boundaries, self protection
Badger - aggressiveness, passion and drive
Bat - rebirth, longevity, joy, good luck
Bear - gentle strength, dreaming, introspection, power, protection
Beaver - builder, accomplishing goals
Bee - divine messenger, love, service, gathering, community
Bird - enlightenment, perspective, swiftness, vision, prophetic knowledge
Boar - nature-based wealth, prosperity, success, protection, courage
Buffalo - prayer, abundance, survival needs met, good fortune, healing
Bulls’ horns - a good symbol in meditation for motivation
Butterfly - rebirth, the soul, transformation, the three phases of life
Cat - feminine energy, mystical power, used to keep the wearer safe in travel, wholeness
Chameleons - ever-changing future, inconsistency
Cheetah - speed, focus
Cougar - power, swiftness, balance
Cows - red cows are a symbol of hope, inspiring symbol for nurturing efforts
Coyote - trickster
Crane - longevity. A pair of cranes symbolizes “Long Marriage”
Cricket - good luck charm, singing, Spring, fertility
Crow - sacred law, gateway to supernatural, shape shifting, illusion
Deer - graceful gentleness, sensitivity, compassion, kindness
Dog - companionship, health, service, loyalty, protection, future prosperity
Dolphin - manna, joy, childlike play, helpfulness, breath of life, harmony, intelligence, self connection
Donkey - fertility, easy childbirth, efficiency, health, well-being, and luck
Dove - peace, innocence, fidelity, love, gentleness, kindnes
Dragonfly - good fortune, magic, vision, dreams, luck, and ancient knowledge, illusion
Dragon - wisdom due to long lives and potent magic, royalty, Emperor, eternity, courage, strength, rain, Spring
Eagle - courage, spirit, bravery, strength
Elephant - commitment, strength, astuteness
Elk - stamina, pride, power, majesty
Fish - miracles, providence, sea/water magic, good luck and prosperity, foresight, fortune, salmon in particular, are associated with knowledge
Fox - camouflage, adaptability, integration, tricksters, shape shifters, and possessors of great magic
Frog - healing, cleansing, messages, health, honesty, fluidity, purification
Gazelle - awareness
Giraffe - grounded vision
Goat - tenacity, diligence, can help to achieve goals, endure criticism, and stay safe. Goat’s fur or foot - an anti-evil talisman.
Goose - safe return, love of home
Grasshopper - nobility, prosperity
Hawk - nessenger, strength, foresight, truth
Hippopotamus - emotional depths
Horses - power, stamina, speed, transportation and communication - A black horse with a white marking on its forehead is lucky
Hummingbird - joy, pure love, celebration of life
Ladybug - delight, trust
Lamb - filial piety (dutiful respect or regard for parents).
Lion (baby) cubs - inspire mercy and gentleness.
Lion (grown) - inspire strength, courage
Lions - pride, nobility, cunning, courage, just laws, fairness, the sun, images can protect sacred ground.
Lizard - dreaming, foresight, ancient secrets
Lynx - secrets
Monkey - benevolence, drives away evil
Moose - self-esteem, assertiveness
Mountain Lion - wisdom, leadership
Mouse - frugality, rebirth, scrutiny
Opossum - strategy, diversion
Otter - medicine (woman), balanced feminine energy
Owl - deception, wisdom, clairvoyance, magic
Ox - evil spirits that disturb lakes, rivers, and seas
Peacock - wholeness, dignity, beauty, recognition, self assurance, pride
Pig - rebirth and rejuvenation
Porcupine - innocence
Rabbit - fear, fertility, moon magic, speed, swiftness, longevity, courage, strength
Raccoon - dexterity, disguise
Raven - magic
Robin - growth, renewal
Rooster - courageous, warlike disposition, warmth and life of the Universe
Scorpion - the “fire within” that often needs careful tending
Seal - inner voice
Sheep - sacrifice
Snake - cunning, evil, supernatural power
Spider - destiny, fate, weaving
Squirrel - gathering
Swan - grace
Tiger - courage, bravery, fierceness, strength, being in the now
Turtle - mother earth
Weasel - stealth
Whale - record keeper
Wolf - teacher, A Guide to the Sacred
Zebra - Individuality
PLANTS
Aloe- Healing, protection, affection
Amaryllis- Pride
Anemone- Forsaken
Angelica- Inspiration
Apple blossom- Preference
Arborvitae- Unchanging friendship
Aster- Symbol of Love, Daintiness
Basil- Good wishes
Bay- Glory
Begonia- Beware
Bittersweet- Truth
Black-eyed Susan- Justice
Bluebell- Humility, kindness
Candytuft- Indifference
Red carnation- My Heart Aches, admiration
- White carnation- Innocence, pure love, women’s good luck gift
- Pink carnation- I’ll never forget you
- Yellow carnation- Disdain, disappointment, rejection
Chamomile- Patience
Chives- Usefulness
Chrysanthemum- Cheerfulness
Clover, white- Think of me
Coreopsis- Always cheerful
Coriander- Hidden worth
Crocus- spring, Youthful gladness
Cumin- Fidelity
Cyclamen- Resignation and good-bye
Daffodil- Regard
Daisy- Innocence, hope
Dill- Powerful against evil
Edelweiss- Courage, devotion
Fennel- Flattery
Fern- Sincerity
Forget-me-not- True love memories
Gardenia- Secret love
Geranium- oak-leavedTrue friendship
Gladiolus- Remembrance
Goldenrod- Encouragement, good fortune
Heliotrope- Eternal love
Holly- Hope
Hollyhock- Ambition
Honeysuckle- Bonds of love
Horehound- Health
Hyacinth- Games and sport, playfulness, rashness
– Blue Hyacinth- Constancy of love
– Purple Hyacinth- Sorrow, forgiveness, regret
– Yellow Hyacinth- Jealousy
– White Hyacinth- Loveliness, prayers for someone
Hydrangea- Gratitude for being understood; frigidity and heartlessness
Hyssop- Sacrifice, cleanliness
Iris- A message
Ivy- Friendship, continuity
Jasmine- white- Sweet love
Lady’s-mantle- Comforting
Lavender- Devotion, virtue
Lemon balm- Sympathy
Lilac- Joy of youth
Lily, calla- Beauty
Lily, day- Chinese emblem for mother
Lily-of-the-valley- Sweetness, purity
Lotus Flower- Purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth
Magnolia- Love of nature
Marjoram- Joy and happiness
Mint- Virtue
Morning glory- Affection
Myrtle- Good luck and love in a marriage
Nasturtium- Patriotism
Oak- Strength
Oregano- Substance
Pansy- Thoughts
Parsley- Festivity
Peony- Bashful, happy life
Pine- Humility
Poppy, red- Consolation
Rhododendron- Danger, flee
Rose, red- Love, I love you.
Rose, dark crimson- Mourning
Rose, pink- Happiness
Rose, white- Purity, heavenly, I’m worthy of you
Rose, yellow- Jealousy, decrease of love
Rosemary- Remembrance
Rue- Grace, clear vision
Sage- Wisdom, immortality
Salvia, blue- I think of you
Salvia, red- Forever mine
Savory Spice- interest
Sorrel- Affection
Southernwood- Constancy, jest
Sunflower- Adoration
Sweet pea- Pleasures
Sweet William- Gallantry
Sweet woodruff- Humility
Tansy- Hostile thoughts
Tarragon- Lasting interest
Thyme- Courage, strength
Tulip, red- Passion, declaration of love
Tulip, yellow- Sunshine in your smile
Valerian- Readiness
Violet- Loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, modesty
Wallflower- Faithfulness in adversity
Willow- Sadness
Yarrow- Everlasting love
Zinnia- Thoughts of absent friends
Color
Red: Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, sincerity, happiness (Only in Japan)
Pink: love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.
Beige and ivory: symbolize unification.
Ivory: symbolizes quiet and pleasantness.
Beige: calm and simplicity.
Yellow: signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.
Dark Blue: Symbolizes integrity, knowledge, power, and seriousness.
Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.
Turquoise: calm.
Teal: sophistication.
Aquamarine: symbolizes water.
Lighter turquoise: a feminine appeal.
Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honor, arrogance, mourning, temperance.
Lavender: femininity, grace and elegance.
Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.
Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, service, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.
Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.
Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.
White: Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.
Black: Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures), austerity, detachment.
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Pan-Asianism and Fantasy Countries (China, Japan, Korea)
Anonymous submitted:
Hello! In one of your posts you talked about Pan-Asianism and how harmful it is to Asian communities, especially in fantasy. What I’m worried about is a country in my fantasy novel that might accidentally touch on that.
Namely, the country is question has multiple different ethnic groups living within it, due to its huge size, and at least three of those groups are based off of China, Japan, and Korea respectively. Because of this, I’m worried that having these ethnic groups be under the same country’s banner might perpetuate Pan-Asian stereotypes. I’m hesitant to do away with the idea of having these groups recognized completely, as two major characters have heritage from this country. They’re both written as being distinct from one another, and it’s mentioned various ways within the work that x character is specifically x ethnicity while y character is y. Their coding is specific to their respective ethnicities (eg, clothes, skin tones, names, etc).
So what I’m asking is, even if I’ve tried to be specific in my characters’ coding so that it’s not samey, would it still be perpetuating Pan-Asian stereotypes to have these ethnic groups all be from the same country? I figure I can just rewrite it so that there’s separate countries in order to preserve the representation, and I don’t mind doing that. The IRL history between these groups has me a bit worried, too. Any help you can give would be appreciated. Thanks!
Is It Necessary?
My #1 thing with this is–do they really need to be one individual country? You could just change it into three actual countries as they are in real life so that there’s no confusion as to the exact countries that these are reflections of.
I’d also be worried about their history too. There are several instances of Chinese nationalism leading to other East Asians getting hurt (the Sino-Japanese wars, the Wanpaoshan incident…) and E.Asian on E.Asian bigotry shouldn’t be dismissed just because we come from the same region of the world.
~ Mod Emme
An Alternative Political Structure:
I suppose one option is the Roman Empire approach, where you have a single empire, but with reasonably meritocratic forms of governance allowing for local autonomy at the state/ province level and social mobility regardless of a person’s ethnic/ national background. The Mongols did this during the Yuan dynasty. The Tang dynasty had a similar relationship with the neighboring tributary states and protectorates it relied on for trade and economic prosperity. In modern terms, something like the EU might also be worth considering.
This approach would require much research into E. Asian history, pre-modern warfare and political science, particularly the principles of statesmanship and diplomacy needed to use mutual, overlapping interests to ensure harmony between regions with different needs, resources and cultures. There’s a difference between a single country under one banner and a large region united by consistent infrastructure, currency, and governance that nevertheless respects local diversity.
If you’d like to avoid pissing off too many people, I recommend only partially coding these countries so they are more obviously Not-China, Not-Korea and Not-Japan. A country like China is too diverse to be coded as a single nation anyway, and even Japan is home to at least 3 distinct ethnic groups.
- Marika.
May I recommend that if there’s a capital city, or if there’s a governing Empire of some sort, that the city/seat of power in question is not Japanese-coded? Putting a Japanese-coded group in charge of a “Pan-Asian” political body calls to mind some very nasty historical imperialism, all the way down to the name/purported concept. Like Marika said, it’s best if you break up the countries, and preferably even better if you make those groups only partially recognizable.
~Mod Rina
Avoid Connotations of Historical Imperialism
Marika and Rina made excellent additions!
Like Marika said, all of these countries are home to so many more than just one ethnic group; Chinese people don’t all fit one single ethnic group, you have a huge variety of ethnicities as reflected through how China’s changed over time. Hans, Manchurians, Hui… China isn’t a monolith!
On Rina’s addition: Yes! An extremely popular series that’s often praised for its “Pan-Asian” world (not naming any names but it rhymes with Bavatar the Blast Bairbender!) does use the “Imperialist Japan” and “Imperialist China and PRC” tropes. It feels gross to base fictional imperialism after IRL imperialism- especially if the people that they do genocide are representative of/coded to be the people that they actually massacred in real life. :’)
As for putting the Chinese-coded country in power: haha please don’t do that either. Taiwan, Tibet, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and so many other places have suffered at the hands of Chinese imperialism.
~ Mod Emme
Agreeing with all the mods above, and adding in my own two cents as a Korean mod.
Please please please don’t make a “Pan-Asian” country where either Japan-coded or China-coded groups are in charge over a Korea-coded group. For one, being mistaken for either Chinese or Japanese a very common microaggression for Koreans. For another, there is the Japanese annexation of Korea that happened within the past century. There was also the very recent conflict between China and Korea (in 2017 regarding THAAD if anyone is curious) in which a Chinese government official stated that “a small country(小國) [Korea] should not rebel against a great country(大國) [China]” which caused all kinds of anger from Koreans. This is not meant as a criticism against Chinese or Japanese people as a whole, just as a reason for Koreans to react negatively to the idea of being under Chinese or Japanese rule.
I highly recommend just making them all separate countries.
- Rune
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