The word, "glyph, " is one of those words that sounds less and less meaningful the more you say it. It's like the lazy person's "higeroglyphic, " which isn't that far from the truth. One of the most iconic glyph is the New Orleans fleur de lis, which has become synonymous with Dixieland jazz, Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Saints NFL football team. The origin of the glyph goes back well before the American and National Conferences united to form the National Football League; it dates back to ancient Egypt.
It is hard to pin down a decent definition of the word, "glyph." Some people define it as a typographical mark that has a specific meaning. For instance, if you leave the dot off of the lower case letter "i, " most languages still read it as the letter it is meant to be. In Turkey, however, the letter "i" without the dot means something different from the same letter with the dot. So, in the English language, "i" without the dot is not a glyph; in Turkish, it is a glyph.
Take the Japanese language. It is made up of groups of written symbols, called syllabaries, that within themselves don't mean anything until they are put together with other syllabaries. Diacritics qualify for the status of glyph because they differentiate characters from each other.
So what is the FDL a glyph for, other than beer, snacks, television and, when the Saints don't make the Super Bowl, heartbreak. Apparently, an early Egyptian symbol for an asp, or snake, is believed by some to have been a prototype for the world's first "flower of life." Others say that it is an ancient Roman symbol for fidelity.
The glyph we know and love today goes back to early 11th century France, or rather, the patch of land that was to later become known as France. The first king of what would later become France (Frank), was Clovis I. He is said to have been handed a fleur down from Heaven itself. Later, Philip I, the first King of actual France, integrated it as part of his own royal insignia.
The United Kingdom liked it so much they tweaked it and adapted it for its own royal family. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, uses it today. His version looks like three fluffy white feathers sticking out of a crown.
The French explorer, Sieur de La Salle, came over to the United States in 1682, and claimed the Mississippi Valley on behalf of French royalty. To designate the event, he stuck a white flag with a golden fleur de lis at the mouth of the Mississippi. The glyph moves closer to the state of Louisiana and its iconic city on the Gulf of Mexico.
French settlers who founded New Orleans used the flag. The fleur thus became a very early symbol of New Orleans. For centuries, it has been celebrated in art, architecture, jewelry and football uniforms. There is no single, "correct" fleur de lis. The symbol has taken on many different forms over the years and there are now hundreds of different styles.
It is hard to pin down a decent definition of the word, "glyph." Some people define it as a typographical mark that has a specific meaning. For instance, if you leave the dot off of the lower case letter "i, " most languages still read it as the letter it is meant to be. In Turkey, however, the letter "i" without the dot means something different from the same letter with the dot. So, in the English language, "i" without the dot is not a glyph; in Turkish, it is a glyph.
Take the Japanese language. It is made up of groups of written symbols, called syllabaries, that within themselves don't mean anything until they are put together with other syllabaries. Diacritics qualify for the status of glyph because they differentiate characters from each other.
So what is the FDL a glyph for, other than beer, snacks, television and, when the Saints don't make the Super Bowl, heartbreak. Apparently, an early Egyptian symbol for an asp, or snake, is believed by some to have been a prototype for the world's first "flower of life." Others say that it is an ancient Roman symbol for fidelity.
The glyph we know and love today goes back to early 11th century France, or rather, the patch of land that was to later become known as France. The first king of what would later become France (Frank), was Clovis I. He is said to have been handed a fleur down from Heaven itself. Later, Philip I, the first King of actual France, integrated it as part of his own royal insignia.
The United Kingdom liked it so much they tweaked it and adapted it for its own royal family. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, uses it today. His version looks like three fluffy white feathers sticking out of a crown.
The French explorer, Sieur de La Salle, came over to the United States in 1682, and claimed the Mississippi Valley on behalf of French royalty. To designate the event, he stuck a white flag with a golden fleur de lis at the mouth of the Mississippi. The glyph moves closer to the state of Louisiana and its iconic city on the Gulf of Mexico.
French settlers who founded New Orleans used the flag. The fleur thus became a very early symbol of New Orleans. For centuries, it has been celebrated in art, architecture, jewelry and football uniforms. There is no single, "correct" fleur de lis. The symbol has taken on many different forms over the years and there are now hundreds of different styles.
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