History Of Graphic Design
Posted on October 5th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Posted in words
The Halo is both pagan and un-Christian in origin. Many centuries before Christ was born natives decorated their heads with a crown of feathers. This symbolized their relationship with the sun-god. The “halo” of feathers represented the circle of light that distinguished the shining divinity in the sky. They believed that by wearing such a “crown” they could actually turn themselves into a kind of sun and become a divine being.
Later the Roman emperors who began to think of themselves as divine beings wore a crown in public to imitate the sphere of light from the sun.
In Christianity, halos around the head of a figure mark it as divine or saintly. In the third and fourth centuries, the halo was used only for Christ and the lamb. In the fifth century and after, it was extended to the Virgin Mary, angels and saints. By the eight century square halos were used to designate donors, bishops and popes.
Another interesting, related tidbit: to protect statues out in the open from the rain, snow, droppings of birds and other deteriorating effects, a circular plate (usually wood or brass) was fixed upon the heads. This too contributed to the development of what we refer to as a “halo.”
The word halo comes from the Latin word “nimbus” which means “cloud” or “mist.”
sources: Trivia-Library.com, encyclopedia.com
Posted by Steve
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