The Alphabetic Labyrinth: The Letters in History and Imagination Theories of their divine origin and mystical significance continued into the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming involved wi. This book examines the many imaginative, often idiosyncratic ways in which
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| Title | : | The Alphabetic Labyrinth: The Letters in History and Imagination |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.50 (315 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0500016089 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Genre | : |
Editorial : From Library Journal Long regarded as a divine gift, the alphabet has been seen not just as a collection of arbitrary signs but as the direct visual embodiment of meaning. Pythagoreans, Kabbalists, neo-Platonists, and medieval Catholic mystics regarded the alphabet as a code that explained the universe. Drucker (art history, Yale) examines these and other ideas about the origins and inherent meanings of the alphabet, relating them to their intellectual milieu. She also discusses developments in the forms of the letters. She notes, for example, how modern typefaces, first developed in the late 18th century, embody Enlightenment philosophy. Her well-written discussion is enriched with over 300 illustrations drawn from important texts and documents. A major study in the history of books and the history of ideas; recommended for academic and public libraries alike.Joseph Rosenblum, Guilford Technical Community Coll., Jamestown, N.C.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The letters of the alphabet have been the object of speculation since their invention almost 4000 years ago. The symbols represent sounds, yet they exist in their own right, often invested with quasi-magical power. This book examines the many imaginative, often idiosyncratic ways in which the letters of the alphabet have been assigned value in political, spiritual, or religious belief systems over two millennia. The birth of writing was linked to religion and cosmology and was endowed with semi-divine status. Plato saw letter-forms as reflecting ideas, while the Pythagoreans assimilated them to number-theory. The Greeks employed letters for occult and divinatory purposes, while the Romans used them in more practical ways, such as the invention of shorthand. The Middle Ages saw the rise of further theories about letters in Christian philosophy, alchemy and Kabbalah. Theories of their divine origin and mystical significance continued into the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming involved wi
It came within a few days and that was via the normal shipping selection. (See #2)
Despite all these "improvement" points, I still enjoyed the story and it was a quick read. The few times he mentions American politicians by name, he rails almost exclusively against the republican party. If only more courses would permit teaching this way.. I hope Sarah Vaughan will be inducted in the inaugural New Jersey Hall of Fame for her services to Arts and Entertainment. That's odd, I thought. It can get pretty weird knowing the reason behind why the KKK wanted to kill these people. Trying to discover the fate of the townspeople, King Rayne sends a scouting party to investigate, but when the party discovers a secret passage hidden deep within the formidable mountains they discover things are worse than they feared. The authors bring this out beautifully including through the use of anecdotes and ancient symbols.. Most were accurate though.
I enjoyed his writing style. Someone once
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