Videos by Mark Siegeltuch
Online talk given for the International Society for the Study of Surrealism. November 11, 2021.
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Papers by Mark Siegeltuch
Are Tectiforms Dwellings?, 2023
The tectiform is a design dating from Paleolithic times so named because it is believed by many t... more The tectiform is a design dating from Paleolithic times so named because it is believed by many to represent a structure or dwelling. The American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969), believed that the tectiform actually represented a robed human figure and that its purpose was heraldic. Further, that the superimposition of tectiforms on the figures of animals was totemic. This paper will review the evidence supporting his interpretation and add other relevant observations.
Sex, Gender and the Androgyne, 2023
This paper will examine the concept of androgyny from a metaphysical, linguistic and anthropologi... more This paper will examine the concept of androgyny from a metaphysical, linguistic and anthropological perspective. Androgyny has often been represented by the figure of the hermaphrodite, a human with both male and female physical characteristics. I hope to show that androgyny originated first as a social idea and later as a metaphysical explanation for cosmology, creation, and the relationship of man to God.
A Brief History of Ether, 2023
This paper will summarize the concept of ether (or aither) as it appears in the writings of the P... more This paper will summarize the concept of ether (or aither) as it appears in the writings of the Presocratic philosophers and in classical Greek, Hellenistic, Roman and Christian writings. The concept has been a source of confusion for many scholars who often translate the term as “air” or in other inaccurate ways. A more precise definition can be obtained using a cross-cultural perspective since equivalent terms are present in Hebrew and Sanskrit texts dealing with creation and cosmology. Like many metaphysical concepts, ether was incorporated into physics in the 16th century to explain two problematic issues: communication of motion, and action at a distance (magnetism, gravity, etc.). This idea survived in a quasi-scientific form into the late 19th century. Ether also found its way into physiology as a fluid in the nerves that provided vitality and motion; a kind of “life energy” alchemists believed could cure disease and rejuvenate the old.
Labyrinths, Mazes and Related Art Forms, 2023
This paper will provide a broader context for understanding the labyrinth design using the resear... more This paper will provide a broader context for understanding the labyrinth design using the research of the American art historian, Carl Schuster.
Inversion: The Upside Down World of the Dead, 2022
The idea that the world of the dead is an inverted version of the living world is quite an old on... more The idea that the world of the dead is an inverted version of the living world is quite an old one and will be the subject of this paper. Inversion is related to ideas about rebirth, the protection provided by ancestral spirits, and the continuance of the social order, which is why it is associated with death and funeral customs in many parts of the world. With the growth of writing, inversion is incorporated into religious and metaphysical ideas and practices. Finally, it has served as a commentary, often humorous, on the follies of the human race.
Birth from the Knee, 2017
In this paper I propose to examine the curious notion of birth from the knee, which finds express... more In this paper I propose to examine the curious notion of birth from the knee, which finds expression in a wide variety of stories and images. The extensive distribution of this idea provides silent testimony to its antiquity.This work is largely dependent on the lifelong efforts of the American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969), whose research provides solid ground for the interpretation of this peculiar idea and much else. Not only did he connect the notion of birth from the knee to a large number of related ideas, but he opened a window on many of the central beliefs of our earliest ancestors. Most of the ideas presented here are based on a simple metaphor: the equation of human reproduction, descent, and affinity with trees and plants.
It is a curious fact that objects and natural phenomena that rotate share a common symbolism in m... more It is a curious fact that objects and natural phenomena that rotate share a common symbolism in many cultures that is based on the perceived movement of the sky around a fixed star (pole star). Spindle whorls, drills, mills and prayer wheels or natural phenomena such as whirlpools or whirlwinds share this common symbolism and often serve as metaphors in religious writing and folklore.
This paper will look more closely at the symbolism of rotation and in particular, its relationship to ancient ideas about time, birth, death and rebirth. It will also seek to find support for this older more metaphoric form of thought and expression using ideas borrowed from the study of language and cognitive psychology.
This paper will take a close look at the term “geometric art” as it is applied to Paleolithic and... more This paper will take a close look at the term “geometric art” as it is applied to Paleolithic and Neolithic art and to the tribal arts in general. It will not concern itself with the use of geometric forms as design elements in 20th century styles such as the Bauhaus or their use in abstract art. My approach to this topic is to build a framework of ideas borrowed from different disciplines. While these topics may not be sequential or historical in the academic sense, they all have a direct bearing on the subject once they are understood.
My primary sources for this paper include the works of Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) on the traditional meaning and function of ornamentation and the researches of the American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969) who believed that geometric art was originally figurative and part of a system for depicting social, cosmological and eschatological ideas.
This paper will examine the history of this technique which is one of man’s oldest art forms, rel... more This paper will examine the history of this technique which is one of man’s oldest art forms, related to string figures (cat’s cradles) and more distantly to motifs such as the labyrinth. As with most ancient designs, it carries a deeper meaning which must be teased from the many and varied examples that have survived. The underlying idea has been termed the sutratman or “thread-spirit” doctrine in which the line symbolizes the life force that animates all living beings and which is eternal and renascent. Like Proteus, the shape-shifter, the line can assume any form until, in the end, it returns to its source. Birth, death, rebirth and the continuity of the social order were all illustrated using the continuous line.
The Shameless Woman, 2020
This paper will explore the motif referred to as the “Shameless Woman” which appears in the art o... more This paper will explore the motif referred to as the “Shameless Woman” which appears in the art of many cultures around the world. I will discuss some of the meanings associated with it and more importantly, its probable origins, using the work of the American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904–1969). Dr. Schuster believed that the motif was originally a generic ancestor figure—not necessarily a woman—excerpted from a repeating pattern that was once part of an ancient system for depicting genealogical relations.
This paper will explore various manifestations of the heavenly ladder, an image found in the art,... more This paper will explore various manifestations of the heavenly ladder, an image found in the art, ritual and folklore of many peoples around the world. The heavenly ladder is part of an ancient cosmology and provides a means for spirits to ascend to and descend from Heaven. The American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969), provided solid evidence for the paleolithic origin of this symbol and showed how it had its roots in genealogical as well as cosmological and eschatological ideas.
The symbolism connected with the fiber arts is remarkably consistent throughout the world and con... more The symbolism connected with the fiber arts is remarkably consistent throughout the world and contains a number of common themes of which the most important is the “Thread-Spirit” doctrine, found in many cultures—Hindu, Islamic, European, Chinese, Amer-Indian—suggesting great antiquity. The doctrine, once understood, gives meaning to the varied symbolism derived from the related arts of knotting, sewing, spinning and weaving. The doctrine is expressed both in language and art and appears in various forms in the folktales of the world as well as in the sacred writings of the world’s major religions.
The motif of crossed male and female figures is of great antiquity if we can judge from its wides... more The motif of crossed male and female figures is of great antiquity if we can judge from its widespread distribution. The American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969) collected examples from many cultures and time periods. He believed that these figures represented the first Man and Woman of the tribe or group—like Adam and Eve—and that their crossing signified the act of creation. Their point of intersection, indicated by a checkerboard pattern in later periods, marked the center of the world, where creation began. We will also look at some related forms such as two-headed figurines and Y-posts which cast light on the ideas that evolved from this simple image and which were expressed in diverse ways in art, divination, astrology, metaphysics and mathematics.
The writings of Carl Schuster (1904-1969) represent the single most important body of work ever a... more The writings of Carl Schuster (1904-1969) represent the single most important body of work ever assembled on traditional art and symbolism yet they remain unknown to the general public. This paper will summarize a work he published in 1964 titled “Skin and Fur Mosaics in Prehistoric and Modern Times” supporting it with several other articles he published on related topics. I will discuss his findings and explain how they are of relevance to scholars studying paleolithic symbolism and rock art and in a more general sense, to all students of traditional art.
This paper will concern itself with the ancient and widespread practice of finger amputation and ... more This paper will concern itself with the ancient and widespread practice of finger amputation and the symbolic significance of handprints. The historical record provides sufficient evidence to show that fingers or finger joints were originally associated with relatives and that they were amputated in mourning for the deceased. I will discuss and comment on some of the evidence as well as a number of related ideas and practices which have an important bearing on the subject.
Carl Schuster’s life-long study of clothing designs and body ornamentation offers a new challenge... more Carl Schuster’s life-long study of clothing designs and body ornamentation offers a new challenge to Alexander Marshack’s theory of Paleolithic calendars and reveals some of the real mysteries of the art.
The use of undulating or zigzag lines to represent water is a symbol of some antiquity and is wel... more The use of undulating or zigzag lines to represent water is a symbol of some antiquity and is well known to art historians and archeologists. Although clearly meant to represent the ripples or waves that appear on moving water or other liquids, these wavy lines have an older but not unrelated provenance involving fertility and procreation. This paper will investigate the history of this motif in Europe and Asia and explain how the shift from Paleolithic to Neolithic culture gradually changed its meaning.
The antlers and horns of animals have served a symbolic function from the earliest times. I will ... more The antlers and horns of animals have served a symbolic function from the earliest times. I will summarize the existing evidence and expand it using the researches of the American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969), who collected and analyzed a number of related symbols, including Y-posts, two-headed figures, and shaved sticks. In this way, I hope to get at the basic ideas that lie behind the various manifestations of the symbolism of horns.
John Cargill, a tombstone designer for the Charles Blake Company, discovered that certain Celtic ... more John Cargill, a tombstone designer for the Charles Blake Company, discovered that certain Celtic knot-work designs were encoded music. His work helps to illustrate the ancient connection between knotted cords and body joints, both of which served as mnemonic devices.
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Videos by Mark Siegeltuch
Papers by Mark Siegeltuch
This paper will look more closely at the symbolism of rotation and in particular, its relationship to ancient ideas about time, birth, death and rebirth. It will also seek to find support for this older more metaphoric form of thought and expression using ideas borrowed from the study of language and cognitive psychology.
My primary sources for this paper include the works of Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) on the traditional meaning and function of ornamentation and the researches of the American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969) who believed that geometric art was originally figurative and part of a system for depicting social, cosmological and eschatological ideas.
This paper will look more closely at the symbolism of rotation and in particular, its relationship to ancient ideas about time, birth, death and rebirth. It will also seek to find support for this older more metaphoric form of thought and expression using ideas borrowed from the study of language and cognitive psychology.
My primary sources for this paper include the works of Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) on the traditional meaning and function of ornamentation and the researches of the American art historian, Carl Schuster (1904-1969) who believed that geometric art was originally figurative and part of a system for depicting social, cosmological and eschatological ideas.