We are no different. The river as character arc. There were two places my father had told us to fear. One was the river, which sometimes raged after a heavy rain and was, at all times, apt to drown things.
The other was the part of the mountain above where the families lived. And steep rock faces. And ledges that drop off into nothing. This metaphor can symbolise something untamed, beastlike and scary, or it can be reframed as cooperation, and banding together for the greater good. All rivers start as tiny streams at mountaintops.
As the streams trickle down, they are met by other small streams and tributaries, together growing larger and larger until their mutual flow becomes a river. The more the river widens, the more power it has to circumvent the barriers in its way. When a river meets an obstruction, it moves under, above, around, or through whatever prevents it from flowing. When blocked, a river revolts with all its weight, including that of the streams and tributaries that pour into it, until it flows smoothly again.
Rivers flow down mountains, valleys, and plateaus. They flow into lakes, ponds, and seas. With the help of gravity, rivers swirl, surge, and push toward their final destination, the ocean. As a boundary, the river is sometimes used to show the difference between civilisation and those outside it.
In fairy tales, the forest is used in a similar way. There needed to be some sort of geographical marker to delineate law from outlaw — rivers and edges of forests were good for that. The river has also been used as a symbolic passageway into the heart of the jungle and as a descent into the primitive nature of humanity.
Especially The Amazon and The Congo. Death is another kind of boundary — that between life and death. The river forms a border between the underworld and the world of the living. Is there a real River Styx? This is viewed as a portal to the underworld where mortals can enter. In the s, a younger cadre of filmmakers and audiences saw the enemy sitting in seats of power. There are five rivers down there, apparently:. Significantly, the shape of the plot itself is like a river with many tributaries.
Instead, the book is polyphonic, taking the points of view of four characters and delivering them in different styles: letters, diary entries, mixtures of third person and first. This story is framed at the other end by an epilogue. Main point being, in a fractal story also known as branching, among other names , you may well find the river used symbolically, to underpin the narrative structure as well as the themes.
The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spellbound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder my mouth on the dew of your thighs. Leonard Cohen knew how to layer symbols, which is why his lyrics are considered poetry set to music. What if words got stuck in the back of your mouth whenever you tried to speak? What if they never came out the way you wanted them to?
Sometimes it takes a change of perspective to get the words flowing. I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me. You must be logged in to post a comment. The waterfall is more than just a simple waterfall. It symbolizes the division between reality of life and the world after death.
In the story it is said that a koi fish tried to swim up the waterfall to cross this border. Through unwavering faith and perseverance it succeeds in doing this thereby transforming into a Dragon, an animal which symbolizes goodness and purity, and is also the symbol of imperial power in China.
In our dragongatewaterfall the rock that splits the waterfall symbolizes the koi fish that tries to jump up the water. The symbolism and the story is a reminder for the visitors that despite the shortcomings of the koi fish you can still succeed through perseverance and faith to reach a higher purpose.
All the rocks you can see at the waterfall gate were directly taken from nature, without adjustments, and the waterfall is inspired by the waterfall in the 14th century garden of the Tenryuuji temple in Kyoto. The rocks are purposely disconnected to force the visitor to be attentive as it crosses them. In the art of Japanese gardens it draws your attention to the idea that also in life you must be attentive and careful as you take new steps forward. The second symbolism of the spine of rocks is in the rocks themselves.
They symbolize eternity. Despite facing the elements of nature they stay in place. According to the ancient art of Japanese gardens you need to use rocks as they appear in nature without adjustments and in the same position. The rocks you can find in the Japanese Garden originate from glaciers from the Utzall in Austria. Ours is fashioned after the famous stonelanterns in the Senyuu-ji temple in Kyoto, the cemetery of one of the Japanese Emperors.
Unbelievable and very Dantesque, I agree. You are welcome. Through my blog you will find many posts related to dreaming, and the little bit of knowledge that come along with seeking, practice, experience, and age. And always I am glad to share with fellow travelers interested, and thirsty for the clear waters of Wisdom, on their Spiritual journey.
Ultimately we are all One, and share a common experience we call Life. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account.
You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Email Address:. Skip to content. Home About and Contact Copyright. Ganga and Shiva. Support my blog. If you appreciate my writing, consider donating and make my day.
Thank you in advance. Share this: Tweet. Bookmark the permalink. March 10, at pm. Symbol Reader says:. March 13, at pm. Anne Whitaker says:. March 11, at pm. Thank you very much, dear Anne.
I deeply appreciate your sharing it with your audience. March 15, at pm. You are most welcome, Monika. I love your posts… Like Liked by 1 person. Indrajit Rathore says:. March 18, at pm. Good wishes from an old friend Like Liked by 1 person. March 24, at pm. Be well, my friend Monika Like Like. Meggy James says:. March 31, at pm.
0コメント