Page 241 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Chapter 30.

Aurelio DeSolo’s Symbol Glossary With Explication

Alpha. Traditional: the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and therefore signifying a beginning;
birth; spring; creation; primary force. Meglian: When we paint this symbol, we usually
mean it to stand for more pedestrian beginnings, like the first bite of a tasty meal, or the
first sip of a full tankard of ale while you're still sitting upright and haven't yet vomited
and passed out (Omega); also the initial item in a series, for example: initial image in a
story, clue in a hidden code, or entry in a glossary about symbols.

arch. Trad., Evokes classical architecture, links to Greek philosophers. Represents doorways;
passageway to the beyond. Megl., Is the arch a passage out of a really awful city like
Florence or wherever you're living right now, or does it represent a flow of unwanted
strangers into your hometown? Usually you'll be able to tell whether folks are fleeing or
seeking refuge by the direction they're heading. Also look for arches in non-architectural
contexts, specifically trees. If we've bent a branch downwards in an arch, it's usually a
sign for a passageway or tradition. Look for the differences between a gentle arch like an
upside-down U; see Omega; which signifies an end, and an upside-down V, see Alpha,
conveniently located just above.

armlessness. Trad., Imperfection; striving for improvement; reaching towards an ideal. Megl.,
Many a statue from Hellenistic period is missing an arm or a leg, or both, or three or four.
Originally there was no meaning to a missing arm, because originally these statues had
all four limbs. They became broken over time, merely, and that should have been an end
to it as their limblessness wasn't part of the original design. However, our modern
shallow-thinking unsophisticated Romans have imposed an aesthetic judgment upon the
missing limbs, and even now create brand new statues with limbs deliberately missing.
(Have you seen Michelangelo's new pieta in the Duomo? Not that first marble one he did
in Rome; I'm talking about the more recent Florentine one where there are several figures
propping him up...look closely and see if you can find his left leg.) Perhaps Santi and I
have gone overboard with our limblessness. To us, an armless figure in the ceilings
represents despair and impossibility. An imperfect body; incapable of normality.
Incompleteness. Like a deaf man in a hearing world. Ahem. Bit of an issue for me.

Astragalus. Trad., Astragalus is the name of a Greek gambling game involving the
knucklebones of the goat, often depicted in Greek art. Also a vertical join in a doorway.
Megl., Astragalus is a large genus of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume
family. Witch doctors and shaman and alchemists have been selling astragalus for
centuries, imbuing it with miraculous healing properties. Don’t you believe a word of it.

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