I just noticed something rather fascinating in my reading. The logo of Charter 77 that I have a copy of bears a rather striking resemblence to the glyph of John Dee, who of course spent some time in Prague in the 16th century. It certainly seems to have "inspired" the former in some way. Dee's glyph can be seen here if you are interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageeeHieroglyph.gif I cannot find an image of the Charter logo online, but if you know it perhaps you might see the resemblance? What is the symbolism in the Charter logo? Am I just seeing things here? There is no explanation offered for what that logo meant, and I'd like to know in general if anybody here would be so kind. Thank you in advance.
I didn't know that Charta 77 had logo. Their documents were mostly just texts written on typewritter, as far I know, like this: http://libpro.cts.cuni.cz/charta/docs/p ... rty_77.pdf
Well, that document you posted is interesting enough. Thank you for including it. I've never actually seen one of the "real" documents- only read them, and in translation of course. I wish I could find a link to that logo. It's a vertical line with a horseshoe placed at the top, intersecting the line about a quarter of the length down. There is a smaller parallel line within the bisected area of the main vertical. At the bottom, another horseshoe, only this one with arrow-points on the tips. Below, the numbers "77", in the European style with crossmarks on the legs of the sevens. It's very cryptic, and done in a "rough" style that almost looks like graffiti. I'm usually pretty good at visual symbolism, but I cannot understand what any of those lines and arrows would signify. Of course, I'm an American and I'm guessing it's references that only a Praguer would know. Thanks again for your help.
John Dee's sign you posted reminds me combination of astrological signs for Sun, Moon an and planets: http://www.astrology-numerology.com/symbols.html which is understandable. It would be good if you could find that Charta 77 logo. By the way - there is swedish punk band with same name, maybe the logo is related to band and not to politic initiative.
Yes, you understand things perfectly. Dee's glyph signified his ideas of the interconnectivity of the Universe, and all things within it. It is worth noting, I think, that while Dee was an alchemist he was also a remarkable mathemetician- supposedly, he is the basis for Prospero. And the great Newton also favored the Black Arts. So this isn't some charlatan like his partner Kelly or the brigand Mamugnia. Anyway, if you are interested (and enjoy cryptic texts), here is Dee's explanation of his celebrated glyph from Monas Hieroglyphica, a really charming bit of exploration by Rudolph II's favorite court magician: THEOREM II Neither the circle without the line, nor the line without the point, can be artificially produced. It is, therefore, by virtue of the point and the Monad that all things commence to emerge in principle. That which is affected at the periphery, however large it may be, cannot in any way lack the support of the central point. THEOREM III Therefore, the central point which we see in the centre of the hieroglyphic Monad produces the Earth, round which the Sun, the Moon, and the other planets follow their respective paths. The Sun has the supreme dignity, and we represent him by a circle having a visible centre. THEOREM IV Although the semicircle of the Moon is placed above the circle of the Sun and would appear to be superior, nevertheless we know that the Sun is ruler and King. We see that the Moon in her shape and her proximity rivals the Sun with her grandeur, which is apparent to ordinary men, yet the face, or a semi-sphere of the Moon, always reflects the light of the Sun. It desires so much to be impregnated with solar rays and to be transformed into Sun that at times it disappears completely from the skies and some days after reappears, and we have represented her by the figure of the Horns (Cornucopia).
I asked around. If you have book like this: Then upper part of that symbol is hammer and sickle - it's communist symbol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_and_sickle Lower part is anchor.
You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. Ha! A hammer and a sickle- of course it is! I was looking right at it and couldn't see it! This is what happens when you think too much and don't use your eyes. Thank you for finding that picture. Interesting, though- I remember '77 stating explicitly it was not an opposition party, or movement. An anchor tends to pull something down- or maybe hold it in place? If the goal of '77 was to get the CZ communist party to simply enforce its own laws and adhere to Helsinki, the anchor is a bit provocative. It is a striking slogan, though. And that cover is very well designed. I'm junking my John Dee thesis. Thank you very much for your efforts.
It seems this book wasn't published until 1998, when there wasn't need to caution. The symbol could be irony or merely designer's idea. http://libpro.cts.cuni.cz/publ_infoch.htm You can try to contact people from web VONS - http://www.vons.cz/kontakty VONS - (Výbor na obranu nespravedlivě stíhaných / Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Persecuted - https://www.praha.eu/jnp/en/extra/years ... s_ago.html
Well, now I heard alternative opinion - that it isn't hammer and sickle, but just characters CH (like CHarta) - which make sense, if you think about it
