h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Concerning the new logo, I have a couple of questions. What is a mural crown? And why was it holding a hammer and sickle? That latter sounds vaguely communist.

A mural crown is what you find on top of a city wall for instance. Something like battlements. Yes, the hammer and sickle is vaguely communist because in both cases it's a symbol for the working class.

My first guess was this as the symbol of Byzantium. I've also seen it used to represent Christianity, with one head representing the Catholic, the other the Orthodox Church (Protestants didn't get a look in).

<BB<

I think I read that the Holy Roman Empire took it from Byzantinum, but I'm not sure.

Thanks for the explanation, Tav.

(making notes with pencil and green crayon)

Thanks for the info, and great photo! See, if I had been walking through the park, with my dog, (or imaginary dog , and seen the statue, I'd have asked

So now I know.

cc

I'm happy that you found it interesting.

Hi there folks! Tavaron, I enjoyed this as well. The double-headed eagle is actually a very, very ancient symbol ... like, four or five thousand years old now if not actually more, and lots of peoples/groups have used it as an emblem. The reason for the two heads might be a desire for symmetry. If you show an eagle from the front with spread wings, and *facing directly to the front* you can't see its nice curved beak. But if its head is turned to one side to show off its beak, it's not perfectly symmetrical any more. Thus: double the sideways-turned head and you have something that's symmetrical and also bad*ss.

Anyways, some years ago I came up with the following device as a 'solution', for use as a decorative element in some of my fantasy stories ...

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Illustrations%20General/Arendeklein.jpg

Love those eagles, Willem. I understand the symmetry. In fact, I respond to it.

Interesting, symmetry.

I like looking at symbols for their symmetry, like the Fleur de Lys, for example. Nice symbol, the Fleur de Lys, but I don't know what its about.

I'm straying from eages here, though.

Thanks again, all, for interesting thoughts.

cc

PS

Typo.

Eages are eagles.

Or are they? .

Sorry, I get stupid with typos. .