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The Camunian rose (
The motif has been deeply studied by Paola Farina, who created a corpus of all the "camunian roses" known in Val Camonica: she counted 84 "roses" engraved on 27 rocks. Three basic types have been determined:
# swastika type: the 9 cup-marks make a 5 by 5 cross; the contour forms four arms that bend about 90° and every arm includes one of the top cup-marks of the cross. There are 16 “roses” of this type;
# asymmetric-swastika type: the disposition of the 9 cup-marks is the same as the previous; but the contour is different, because only two arms bend 90°, while the other ones join together in a single bilobate arm. There are 12 “roses” of this type;
# quadrilobate type: the 9 cup-marks are aligned in three columns of three cups; the contour develops into four orthogonal and symmetric arms, and everyone includes a cup-mark. It is the more widespread type of “camunian rose”, there are 56 examples.
Regarding the interpretation, not easy for a symbol pertaining to a lost and past culture, Paola Farina suggests that the "Camunian rose" had originally a solar meaning, which then developed into a wider meaning of a positive power, to bring life and good luck.Farina, Paola (1998). ''The motif of the “Camunnian Rose” in the Rock Art of Valcamonica (Italy)**'', TRACCE Online Rock Art Bulletin 10, May 1998
/ref> The symbol is called in Italian "rosa camuna" (camunian rose) because it looks like a
The Camunian rose (Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
: Rosa camuna, Lombard: Rœsa camuna) is the name given to a particular symbol represented among the rock carvings
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
of Camonica Valley (Brescia, Italy). It consists of a meandering closed line that winds around nine cup marks
Cup and ring marks or cup marks are a form of prehistoric art found in the Atlantic seaboard of Europe (Ireland, Wales, Northern England, Scotland, France (Brittany), Portugal, and Spain (Galicia (Spain), Galicia) – and in Mediterranean Europe ...
. It can be symmetrical, asymmetrical or form a swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
.
Meaning and variations
There are many theories about its meaning,Emmanuel Anati
Emmanuel Anati (Florence, 14 May 1930) is an Italian archaeologist.
Biography
Emmanuel Anati was born in Florence in 1930 to Ugo and Elsa Castelnuovo, a family of Jewish origin.
In 1948, he got the scientific maturity in the "Righi" institute o ...
suggests that it might symbolize a complex religious concept, perhaps a solar symbol linked to the astral movement. In Val Camonica
Val Camonica (also ''Valcamonica'' or Camonica Valley, Eastern Lombard: ''Al Camònega'') is one of the largest valleys of the central Alps, in eastern Lombardy, Italy. It extends about from the Tonale Pass to Corna Trentapassi, in the ...
this motif dates back to the Iron Age, particularly from the 7th to 1st centuries BC. There is only one doubtful case datable at the Final Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
(1,100 BC). These figures are placed mainly in the Middle Camonica Valley (Capo di Ponte, Foppe of Nadro
Nadro (Nàder in camunian dialect) is an Italian hamlet (''frazione'') of the comune of Ceto (BS), Ceto (Province of Brescia, BS), Lombardy. It has 655 inhabitants.
It lies 75 km from Brescia, along the ''strada Statale 42 del Tonale e della ...
, Sellero
Sellero (Camunian dialect, Camunian: ; locally ) is a ''comune'' of 1,503 people in the province of Brescia (far 83 km from Brescia) in the middle Val Camonica.
In its territory there are thousands of rock engravings, including the "Rosa cam ...
, Ceto and Paspardo
Paspardo ( Camunian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is situated in Val Camonica
Val Camonica (also ''Valcamonica'' or Camonica Valley, Eastern Lombard dialect, Eastern Lombard: ''Al Camònega'') is one ...
), but numerous cases are in the Low Valley too (Darfo Boario Terme
Darfo Boario Terme ( Camunian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, northern Italy. The name combines Darfo, the ''capoluogo'', with Boario Terme, the largest ''frazione''.
It is bounded by the communes of Angolo Terme, ...
and Esine).
The motif has been deeply studied by Paola Farina, who created a corpus of all the "camunian roses" known in Val Camonica: she counted 84 "roses" engraved on 27 rocks. Three basic types have been determined:
# swastika type: the 9 cup-marks make a 5 by 5 cross; the contour forms four arms that bend about 90° and every arm includes one of the top cup-marks of the cross. There are 16 “roses” of this type;
# asymmetric-swastika type: the disposition of the 9 cup-marks is the same as the previous; but the contour is different, because only two arms bend 90°, while the other ones join together in a single bilobate arm. There are 12 “roses” of this type;
# quadrilobate type: the 9 cup-marks are aligned in three columns of three cups; the contour develops into four orthogonal and symmetric arms, and everyone includes a cup-mark. It is the more widespread type of “camunian rose”, there are 56 examples.
Regarding the interpretation, not easy for a symbol pertaining to a lost and past culture, Paola Farina suggests that the "Camunian rose" had originally a solar meaning, which then developed into a wider meaning of a positive power, to bring life and good luck./ref> The symbol is called in Italian "rosa camuna" (camunian rose) because it looks like a
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
, but this name is a modern invention. A stylized "camunian rose" has become the symbol of the Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
Region.
See also
*Camunni
The Camuni or Camunni were an ancient population located in Val Camonica during the Iron Age (1st millennium BC); the Latin name ''Camunni'' was attributed to them by the authors of the 1st century. They are also called ancient Camuni, to distingu ...
* Rock Drawings in Valcamonica
The rock drawings in Valcamonica (Camonica Valley) are located in the Province of Brescia, Italy, and constitute the largest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs in the world. The collection was recognized by UNESCO in 1979 and was Italy's f ...
* Looped square
The looped square (⌘), also known as Saint John's Arms, Saint Hannes cross (related to Swedish ''sankthanskors'', Danish ''johanneskors'', and Finnish ''hannunvaakuna''), and as the command-key symbol due to its use on the command key on Appl ...
* Swastika Stone
The Swastika Stone is a stone adorned with a design that resembles a swastika, located on the Woodhouse Crag on the northern edge of Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire, England. The design has a double outline with four curved arms and an attached ...
* Western use of the swastika in the early 20th century
The swastika (from Sanskrit ''svástika'') is an ancient Eurasian religious symbol that generally takes the form of an equilateral cross with four legs each bent at 90 degrees in either right-facing (卐) form or left-facing (卍) form. It is ...
References
Bibliography
* * Farina, Paola (1998). ''La “rosa camuna” nell’arte rupestre della Valcamonica'', NAB, 6, pp. 185–205.External links
* * {{cite web, url=http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1366, title=Farina, Paola (1997). ''The "Camunnian Rose", Valcamonica Rock Art'', TRACCE Online Rock Art Bulletin 7, May 1997 , date=12 May 1997 , accessdate=2014-11-26 Symbols Rock art in Europe Swastika