Three monkeys - I don’t see, I don’t hear, I won’t say - what does the symbol mean?

Egypt

Monkeys (primarily baboons and frilled baboons - hamadryas) were treated with deep respect: the Nubian tribes had to supply them as tribute. They were believed to understand human speech and were capable of learning more than some students.

The monkey was worshiped and considered the patroness of art and music.

Ibis-headed Thoth, the god of wisdom, was often depicted as a wise old baboon. He is a symbol of courage and knowledge, the patron of enlightened people, recording the speeches of the creator god Ptah and the verdict of Anubis after weighing the souls of the dead. In the early period there was an independent baboon god called “Great White” (Khesur), who was already considered one of the forms of the god Thoth in the pyramid period. He was the protector and patron of scribes and sacred texts. Often there are images of a baboon sitting on the shoulders or on the head of a scribe.

Monkeys sitting under a stream of water pouring from pipes are a symbol of Thoth as the god of chronology: this figurative connection from time is based on the observation that this animal urinates with “astronomical” regularity - exactly twenty-four times a day ... We can say that monkeys was "mankind's first water clock."

The connection between monkeys and the sun is better known: their cry at dawn was interpreted as reverence and prayer to God. The rising sun and baboons are often depicted with their front paws raised in greeting. Sometimes the eight gods of the Ogdoad were depicted in this form; The sunrise serves as a symbol of the creation of the world.

Thoth was probably originally a lunar deity, so it is not surprising that baboons are often depicted carrying the moon disk on their heads.

Gorilla meaning

Among primates, the gorilla is the smartest animal that knows how and loves to learn and develop. A tattoo with the image of a monkey denotes a thirst for knowledge, a desire to achieve goals with commendable perseverance. Wisdom and high intelligence distinguish tattoo owners.

The drawing of a huge creature with a ferocious grin on its face often denotes an aggressive disposition, the ability to stand up for itself in any situation, an explosive and distrustful disposition. Mighty and very strong muscular gorillas are a sign of human endurance and strong will.

China

In southern China and Tibet, families proudly traced their ancestry to monkey ancestors who allegedly kidnapped women and had children with them. Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (incarnated as the Dalai Lama) originally appeared in the form of a sacred monkey (hu), who showed compassion for the giantess, from whose marriage the six ancestors of the people of Tibet descended.

In the Chinese tradition - mischief, vanity, desire to imitate.

The famous Sun Wu-kung accompanied the Buddhist pilgrim Hsuan-chiang on his travels across India, and at the same time, along with great feats, she committed many tricks.

Due to the similarity of sound, images of a monkey on a pine tree or on a horse served as a wish for high social status.

Often the monkey was depicted with a “life-giving peach.”

The ninth animal of the Twelve Earthly Branches (Chinese zodiac), associated with summer and Metal; a symbol of resourcefulness, optimism, diplomacy, stubbornness, and a tendency to speculate. The Year of the Monkey is a time of development, exciting and interesting, favorable for almost incredible undertakings and improvisations.

The gibbon symbolizes maternal care.

The monkey is credited with the power to provide good health, success and protection (5).

“Year of the monkey and month of the donkey” means never.

One of the Three Emotionless Beasts of Chinese Buddhism, greedy, constantly grabbing something. Others: doe - the personification of love passion; tiger - anger.

The meaning of tattoos for men

A monkey tattoo that adorns a man’s body, according to the Chinese, is a sign of a sharp mind, good memory, and a sense of humor. Owners are distinguished by their ability to think soberly and rationally, and to organize time well. Such men know how to handle money thriftily, do not make empty promises and never mess around.

Large color tattoos, consisting of only the head or face of an animal, are often performed in the style of realism. At the same time, the eyes often express aggression, and a stern, repulsive look denotes the desire to have power, take a leadership position, and bask in the rays of glory. When communicating with such a person, you need to be careful, because in order to achieve his goals, he may not give a damn about generally accepted morality and use dishonest methods.

Japan

Toy monkeys are considered mascots that protect children.

"Cochin" - three Mystical Monkeys whose mouth, eyes and ears are closed. A wooden carving of them is found in the temple of the first Tokugawa shogun in Nikko. In Japanese, the words for "monkey" and "do nothing" sound the same - "zaru". Therefore, the whole group conveys the phrase: “I see no evil (The definition of “evil” is often used, not “evil”...), I hear no evil, I do not speak of evil” and symbolizes the conscious renunciation of bad deeds and wise caution. Such carvings were also considered a talisman that protected against slander. The popular interpretation of this image in the West: “see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing” is completely wrong.

Initially, it was about spies sent by the gods to people to find out about their affairs. A means of protection against such tracking was supposed to be images of blind, deaf and dumb monkeys.

Origin of the symbol

The figurine’s hometown is Nikko, which is located 150 kilometers from the capital of Japan – Tokyo. The Japanese love this place, and this is not surprising - the Tosho-gu Shinto shrine is located here. It is a stunning complex of carved buildings - a true masterpiece of wood carving.

It is not for nothing that Tosho-gu is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. But another attraction is the stables. It is here that the carved sculpture “San-zaru” has been displayed above the door since the 17th century. Its author is Hidari Jingoro, the man thanks to whom the three monkeys became known to the whole world.

In Japan people generally love monkeys. In this country, they are considered wise animals, personifying resourcefulness and leading to success.

You can often see a sculpture of a monkey - Migavari-zaru - near houses. In another way, it can be called a double of a monkey. It drives away evil spirits, evil spirits that can attract misfortune, illness, and injustice.

Mesoamerica

Calendar and fortune-telling symbol in ancient Mexican cultures, the 11th day sign (in Aztec - otsomati or ozomatli; in Maya - batz). The monkey was considered the god of play and dance, and those born under this sign were expected to become jesters, buffoons, dancers or singers.

A symbol of fun, jokes, joy of life, common sense and audacity. Among the Mayans, it is a symbol of rude feelings, barbarism and vices (laziness) characteristic of the third era.

The Mayan God of the North Star had the head of a monkey.

In Ancient Mexico, the monkey has an unclear symbolic connection with the wind.

Successive eras or “Suns” ended with periodic doomsdays: the period of the “Sun of Water,” for example, ended with a flood, and the second era or “Windy Sun” ended with devastating tornadoes. The people of this (???) era turned into monkeys.

Monkey totem and its manifestations

People who have a monkey as their main totem are distinguished by very flexible facial expressions, with the help of which they can express a huge range of emotions and reactions.

Comedian Yuri Askarov

They can also move very deftly and efficiently - in three dimensions at once. Their legs may seem to bend, twist and spring, and their arms are longer than those of other people.

In childhood, monkey children can be very nimble, they are drawn to climb anywhere and everywhere , because they are curious and restless. They grasp very well the features of other people's character and manifestations, are able to imitate other people, make faces, imitate habits and voice.

They have a penchant for other languages ​​and cultures, love to travel, and try everything. They are better than others at creating panic “on the ship”, initiating chaos and confusion.

In their youth they love to show off, they easily become popular, they are great at imitating someone brighter and stronger.

In their personal lives, they may seem superficial and even immoral due to their love of play, changing impressions and sexual promiscuity. Both men and women are not shy about anything, they, as they say, have no complexes . They are surprised that anyone is wired differently.

Although your partner will think that such a person is easy to tame and has an easy character, in reality he has simply merged into your reality, fit into someone else's life. As long as it is convenient or fun for him . Or until something more attractive or interesting appears, a new challenge, a new game. They can also live at the expense of their partners, society.

Representatives of this totem are very fond of variety and an accelerated pace of life - what may seem too chaotic and disorderly to many is normal for them. They often have brilliant abilities, a lot of projects that result in many started and unfinished tasks.

Suitable professions for them are gaming, primarily any stage activity (models and actors) and fine arts.

Donald Wilson - author of the picture

Another professional aspect is the secret service workers who know how to transform, disguise themselves, take on any image, and fit into a new society.

They make popular public figures, politicians who easily confuse others, showing intriguing abilities and the qualities of behind-the-scenes leaders.

They find themselves in the role of testers and researchers, whose insatiable curiosity for new things leads them forward and forward.

At the usual level, they are shown to work in the service sector - they are excellent bartenders and waiters.

Important : a person with a monkey totem must always keep himself under control , otherwise there will be a scattering of talents and degradation in the second part of life. There is a danger of turning from a man into a monkey.

They cope poorly on their own because they are rarely endowed with a sufficiently strong mind, will and awareness.

Written by Gabriel Cornelius von Max

If they are unable to learn self-control, then they will have:

• a rather cool partner (parental type), to whom they were intuitively attracted and remained close to him;
• a boss who will set goals for them and keep them in such a way that “you won’t spoil them”,
• egregor with a rigid ideology, order and hierarchy.

And finally, anyone can use the monkey totem as an additional one if they want:

• faster and easier to relax in relationships;
• become livelier and more artistic;
• learn ease and switchability;
• speed up your reaction to the world around you - for example, so as not to miss the right chances...

On the topic - the section TOTEMS.

Also tips “How to find out your totem?” and the help of an astrologer in this.

Tags: Talismans and amulets, Totems of birds and animals

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Hinduism

Sacred animal. A symbol of strength, loyalty and self-sacrifice.

The personification of goodwill and tenderness.

Symbol of the soul.

Indian farmers suffer from monkey attacks...

Hanumam Jayanti, Hanuman's birthday.

Hanuman, Indian monkey god, son of the wind god Vaiya, warrior, faithful companion and minister of Rama. Possesses divine strength, known for his knowledge, agility, speed, and loyalty to Rama, whom he protects while fleeing from the giants (symbolizing the hard work of rebirth). Symbol of fertility and healing.

Christianity

It is viewed negatively, as a caricature of a person and the embodiment of such vices as:

• coquetry (with a mirror in hand),
• greed (greed) and
• criminal intentions.

Deceit, malice, cunning, lust (licentiousness, lust, passions), sin (vice), obscenity, frivolity, vanity, love of luxury, idolatry (idolatry) and heresies.

A symbol of an obscene, shameless person.

It can symbolize the negligence of the human soul - blindness, greed, a tendency to fall into sin.

In chains (entangled) - means overcome sin (defeated devil), victory of faith and virtue.

"Physiologus". ... was portrayed as insidious, but prone to imitation: the hunter pretended to have glue in his eyes and then hid; the monkey descended from the tree, closed its eyes “like a monkey,” and the hunter could easily catch it in a noose. “In the same way, the great hunter, the Devil, catches us. He... brings the glue of sin, blinds the eyes, makes the spirit of man blind, makes a big noose, and it corrupts the soul and body of man.”

In the early Middle Ages - a symbol of the devil (Satan); a designation of paganism rather than sinfulness.

In the Gothic era, a monkey with an apple in its mouth began to symbolize the Fall and in this form appeared in images of the Virgin Mary, the Child and other scenes, for example, in the scene of the worship of the Magi along with other animals.

The meaning of tattoos for girls

Ease of communication, laughter, liveliness of character and flirtatiousness - these are the features that make the girl with the image of a monkey on her body stand out from others. It is typical for tattoo owners to show cutesy coquetry, annoying curiosity and endlessly chat about everything.

For cunning people prone to deception, a monkey tattoo is a symbol of an adventurous character. For these girls, it costs nothing to mislead colleagues or acquaintances in order to become everyone’s favorite, the leader of the team. Lying is not a sin, say fans of monkey cunning and cunning.

Emblematics

Attribute:

• allegories of Taste (the five senses) during the Renaissance;
• sanguine (→ Faith, temperaments);
• vanity (along with a peacock and, less commonly, a butterfly;
• vice in general and the personification of Debauchery (→ Savage);
• lust (→ other numerous images).

Often caricatures depict minor flaws in human nature or are an allegory of imitative art. The ability to imitate human behavior was widely used to ridicule vanity and stupidity.

The man recognizable in the monkey in a distorted form is the base image of himself reflected in it.

Since the Middle Ages it has served as a symbol of art, in particular painting and sculpture. The artist's art was considered to be essentially imitation; it became associated with an animal known for its ability to imitate (mimic). This idea is expressed in the popular aphorism “Ars simia naturae” [lat. - “Art is the monkey of nature”], especially loved by Flemish artists of the 17th century. They depicted the artist in the form of a monkey creating a portrait - usually of a woman, but not rarely of a secular man - or sculpting a sculpture from stone. This parody of the artist eventually spread to other types of human activity, and monkeys began to be depicted sitting at the dinner table, playing cards or playing musical instruments, carousing, dancing, skating, etc. Often the place of monkeys is taken by other creatures, especially cats and owls. The artist makes fun of human pretentiousness - stupidity and vanity. The image of an epigone artist.

A monkey strangling its baby in its arms

• Parental love is blind.

Symbol of blind love.
EMSI 18-1, p.177 Monkey emptying a bag of guineas

• There will be no profit from ill-gotten wealth.

The symbol shows us that even a tightly packed beggar's bag is usually thrown into the wind by a wasteful heir.
EMSI 32-3, p.236 Lion devouring a monkey

• I use the fool as medicine.

It is believed that sick lions are treated with the blood of their inveterate enemies - monkeys.
Leos have a bold and open disposition, while monkeys are cunning and arrogant. This symbol can also mean that wise people sometimes communicate with fools not without benefit for themselves. EMSI 26-3, p. 211 In a similar context, the monkey is also mentioned in the commentary to the emblem of the Lion killing the fox

• Valor triumphs over treachery.

It is known that the fox is a symbol of betrayal, cunning and deception, and the lion is a symbol of valor and open nobility. For this reason, the lion has an eternal hatred for foxes, monkeys and wolves, that is, for all creatures with an insidious and treacherous nature. [EMSI 36-12, p.257]

Psychology

Dexterity, cunning.

Monkeys generally symbolize lower powers, darkness or unconscious activity, but this symbolism - like the symbolism of legendary mythical creatures - combines two aspects. On the one hand, this unconscious force can be dangerous, since it can destroy the individual, but it can also provide benefit - like all unconscious forces - when least expected.

Interpreted as a sign of uncertainty and doubt about one’s own role, as well as a symbol of shamelessness.

Is, according to psychological interpretation, any kind of “human-likeness of that which is not yet human,” but wants to reach this stage; “the one who dreams of it approaches this possibility from a side that causes disdain” (Eppley).

Draft materials

Panther - opposition, natural enemy of monkey, deer.

Various species of monkeys from Africa and South Asia were already known in the ancient world (Greek pithekos, Latin simia); on occasion, monkeys trained by artists were used for “theatrical performances.” Calling a person a “monkey” was considered a curse, for it was a symbol of deceit and ugly appearance. However, monkeys were often kept as exotic pets. There was a belief that possessing a monkey's eye would make him invisible, and that monkey urine spilled at an enemy's door would make others hate him.

Value per zone

In a criminal environment, a monkey tattoo is a symbol of clever pickpockets, swindlers and robbers. Usually criminals associate their talent for thievery with the habits of an agile and resourceful animal. The roguish habits of monkeys inspire people to come up with new tricks, to invent ingenious fraudulent schemes that help them easily and without consequences appropriate the property of others.