Some of the oldest known symbols are representations of human beings. Different cultures depicted males in varied ways. Male symbols were used to show dominance in some cultures and simple differences in others. Generally, male symbols are symbols of protection and power. Here are some male symbols that were created throughout time.
The Eye of Horus
Symbol of protection, good health, power, life, and resurrection.
The Eye of Horus symbol is a stylized left eye with a triangle, or teardrop, below the iris and a swirl underneath the eye. This symbol came from the God Horus. His right eye represented the sun God, Ra. Horus was also associated with a falcon. The drawing for the Eye of Horus is representative of a falcon’s eye, including the teardrop.
Horus and Seth, the god of chaos, were fighting, and Seth took out Horus’s eye. His eye was restored by Hathor, a consort of Osiris. Horus then offered the eye to his father, Osiris, to restore his life of Osiris. Osiris had died before Horus was born. Osiris was the god of the underworld. The Eye of Horus helped Osiris rule the underworld, becoming a symbol of life and resurrection.
Crook and flail
Symbol of majesty, power, kingship, and fertility.
The crook and flail are symbols of the god Osiris. He was one of the most important gods. He was a god of fertility and the underworld. Osiris was murdered by Seth. Iris, Osiris’ wife, reconstructed him and became pregnant with Horus before Osiris became the god of the underworld.
The crook is used by shepherds to tend their flocks. The flail is used to herd goats. The crook represents kingship, and the flail represents the fertility of the land. These symbols were used by pharaohs in ancient Egypt.
Was
Symbol of power, dominion
The Was symbol contained a stylized animal head, usually a canine or fox, on top of a long staff. It was a sceptre associated with Seth and Anubis, the god of death. Did priests, pharaohs, and gods carry sceptres? The Was sceptre was responsible for the deceased.
Trident
Symbol of power, anger, and temperament.
The trident is a symbol of the god Neptune. It is a long, three-pronged weapon. Neptune was given a trident by the Cyclops during the battle with the Titans. The trident symbolizes the power and anger of Neptune. He has an unpredictable nature, just like the sea. Neptune could be calm one minute and violent the next. He was also associated with earthquakes. Neptune used his trident to control the sea.
The Mars Symbol
Symbol of manhood and power.
The Mars symbol is the most common male symbol in today’s society. It is a circle with an arrow pointing northeast. This symbol is also a representation of iron. Mars was the god of war in ancient Rome, and the planet Mars is a fiery red ball associated with passion.
Thunderbolt
Symbol of power and protection.
Jupiter was the god of the sky. He was one of the main deities in ancient Rome. He controlled the sky, while his brothers Neptune and Pluto controlled the sea and the underworld. Jupiter was the best and greatest god in ancient Rome. He fathered the gods of Roman mythology and brought light to the world. Jupiter controlled the weather and provided protection to the Romans during battle. Jupiter used the thunderbolt to strike down mortals. Other gods in mythology, like Zeus in Greek mythology, also wielded thunderbolts as weapons.
Stag
Symbol of protection, king
The stag is a male deer. He is considered the king of the forest and protects the other deer. Stags are a symbol of the Horned God, Cernunnos. The stag is a protective deity in the Hittite culture. A many-antlered stag in Hungary represents the stag that led the founders of the Magyar people to their land.
Ram
Symbol of strength, leadership, masculine vigour, virility, and command.
The ram is a male sheep. The Ram symbol in the Zodiac symbolizes leadership and authority, male vigour, ardour, and intense force. Amun, a fertility god from ancient Greece, was associated with the ram. He was shown with a ram’s head.
Lingam
Symbol of fertility, regenerative energy, and creation.
Lingams are the symbol for Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is known as the destroyer. Shiva symbolizes the divine regenerative energy that is innate in nature. The lingam is a phallic-like symbol of the productive and creative principle of nature.
Green Man
Symbol of virility, life cycle, and fertilization.
The Green Man is an ancient symbol that has changed over time. The most common form of the symbol is a man’s face peering out of a dense clump of leaves or vines. The three most types of Green Man are the Bloodsucker head with vegetation coming out of all its orifices, the Foliate Head with its head covered in vegetation, and the Disgorging head where the vegetation is spewed from its mouth. The Green Man represents virility and fertilization. The Green Man was originally pagan, but many Green Man images can be found carved on churches. After the Renaissance era, the faces changed from men to animals. The Green Man can be found in Europe, Asia, Arabia, and India.
