A circle of stars often represents

unity Unity may refer to: Buildings * Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building * Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper * Unity Buildings, Liverpool, UK; two buildings in England * Unity Chapel, Wyoming, Wisconsin, US; a h ...

, solidarity and

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

s and signs, and is also seen in

iconographic Iconology is a method of interpretation in cultural history and the history of the visual arts used by Aby Warburg, Erwin Panofsky and their followers that uncovers the cultural, social, and historical background of themes and subjects in the visu ...

motifs related to the

Woman of the Apocalypse The Woman of the Apocalypse (or the woman clothed with the sun, el, γυνὴ περιβεβλημένη τὸν ἥλιον; Latin: ) is a figure, traditionally believed to be the Virgin Mary, described in Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelati ...

as well as in

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

allegoric As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

that sometimes depicts the Crown of Immortality.

Woman of the Apocalypse

The

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...

( 12:1, 2 & 5) describes the

: ''And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she being with child cried, travailing in birth. .... And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.'' In

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

tradition she has been identified with the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, especially in connection with the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

. Mary is often pictured with a

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

or Circle of Stars. The doctrine of the

was somewhat controversial in the medieval church, and the liturgical Office for the feast was only established in 1615. In 1649,

Francisco Pacheco Francisco Pacheco del Río (bap. 3 November 1564 – 27 November 1644) was a Spanish painter, best known as the teacher and father-in-law of Diego Velázquez and Alonzo Cano, and for his textbook on painting, entitled ''Art of Painting'', ...

(father-in-law of Velázquez) published his ''Art of Painting'' firmly establishing the detailed correct iconography for paintings of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, which included the circle of stars (he also advised the

inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...

in Seville on artistic matters). This was followed by Murillo and his school in very many paintings, and influenced non-Spanish depictions.

European Flag

The European flag, first adopted by the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

, consists of 12 golden stars in a circle on a blue background. The stars symbolise the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries, though the circle is a symbol of unity. Arsène Heitz, one of the flag designers, in 1987 revealed that his inspiration was the crown of twelve stars of the

, often found in modern

Marian iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

. However, he did not suggest that the finished design held a religious meaning. Paul M. G. Lévy, the official responsible for the design process, denied any religious inspiration for the flag design. Carlo Curti Gialdino, ''I Simboli dell'Unione europea, Bandiera - Inno - Motto - Moneta - Giornata''. Roma: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato S.p.A., 2005. , pp. 80-85. Gialdino is here cited after a translation of the Italian text published by the ''Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe''
cvce.eu

Zodiac

The

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...

is an ancient ''circle of stars''Jeffrey Armstrong , A Western Master of Eastern Wisdom
where some stars are

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

ically combined into 12 star signs also known as

constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...

s. The etymology of the term

comes from the Latin zōdiacus, from the Greek ζῳδιακός �ύκλος meaning " ircleof animals", derived from ζῴδιον, the diminutive of ζῷον "animal".

Crown of Immortality

The Crown of Immortality is a separate and earlier motif (and

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wit ...

) which also uses a circle of stars. It has been widely used since the Early Church as a metaphor for the reward awaiting martyrs, but they are not depicted in art wearing a circle of stars. In art the use is mainly in Baroque allegorical compositions, and those with

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for havi ...

Art gallery

Religious

Image:Mariae Verkuendigung Fuchstal Fresko Magnifikat 2.JPG, A star circle

halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

is found on a ceiling fresco in an Annunciation Church located in Fuchstal, a

Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

of the

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

n district of Landsberg,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Image:Maryaltar2.jpg,

St Mary's Pro-Cathedral St Mary's Church ( ga, Leas-Ardeaglais Naomh Muire), known also as St Mary's Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, the Chapel in Marlborough Street or the Pro, is a pro-cathedral and is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

(

Primate of Ireland The Primacy of Ireland was historically disputed between the Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin until finally settled by Pope Innocent VI. ''Primate'' is a title of honour denoting ceremonial precedence in the Church, and in ...

) with a star circle halo. Image:Boms Pfarrkirche Mariengruppe.jpg, Virgin Mary with a

of stars in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Image:Quito-ecuador-070.jpg, Blessed Virgin Mary also known as

Our Lady of the Good Event Our Lady of the Good Event (Spanish: ''Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso'') is a Catholic Marian title in Spanish-speaking countries. It is often mistranslated as "Our Lady of Good Success" due to the superficial similarity between the Spanish word ...

Quito Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

Image:Immortality.jpg, Crown of Immortality, held by the Allegoric figure Eterna (Eternity) on the

Swedish House of Knights The House of Nobility ( sv, Riddarhuset) in Stockholm, Sweden, is a corporation and a building that maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility. Name The name is literally translated as ''House of Knights'', ...

Fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

by David Klocker Ehrenstrahl File:Gardenenclosed.jpg, "Our Lady the Garden Enclosed", statue of Our Lady of Sorrows at the hermitage church in

Warfhuizen Warfhuizen (Gronings: ''Waarfhoezen'') is a village in province of Groningen, located in the northern part of the Netherlands. It is part of the municipality of Het Hogeland. Warfhuizen consists of two man-made mounds, called ''wierden'', desi ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Image:DULURI.JPG, The statue of Our Lady of Sorrows,

Żejtun Żejtun ( mt, Iż-Żejtun ) is a city in the South Eastern Region of Malta, with a population of 11,218 at end 2016. Żejtun is traditionally known as Città Beland, a title conferred by the grandmaster of the Order of the Knights of Malta, F ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. File:Blessed mary basilica san julio orta.jpg, Blessed Virgin Mary Basilica di San Giulio, Orta, Italy File:SAAM-1933.4.1 1.jpg, Madonna with Halo of Stars, Italy (17th century). File:William-Adolphe Bouguereau The Virgin With Angels.jpg, Regina Angelorum by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1900

Non religious

Flags

Image:Flag of Europe.svg, The

Flag of Europe The Flag of Europe or European Flag consists of twelve golden stars forming a circle on a blue field. It was designed and adopted in 1955 by the Council of Europe (CoE) as a symbol for the whole of Europe. Since 1985, the flag has also been ...

with circle of stars representing European unity Image:International Paneuropean Union flag.svg, Flag of the

International Paneuropean Union The International Paneuropean Union, also referred to as the Pan-European Movement and the Pan-Europa Movement, is the oldest European unification movement. It began with the publishing of Count Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi's manifesto ''P ...

(the stars were added after the creation of the Flag of Europe) Image:Flag of a United States Foreign Service Officer.svg, Flag of

United States Foreign Service The United States Foreign Service is the primary personnel system used by the diplomatic service of the United States federal government, under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of over 13,000 professionals carry ...

Officer Image:Flag of the United States (1777-1795).svg, The

Betsy Ross flag The Betsy Ross flag is a reconstructed early design for the flag of the United States, which is conformant to the Flag Act of 1777 and has red stripes outermost and stars arranged in a circle. These details elaborate on the 1777 act, passed ea ...

(early version of the

Flag of the United States The national flag of the United States, United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rect ...

)
flag
Image:Jack of the CSA Navy 1861 1863.svg, CSN Jack, 1861-1863 Image:Flag of the Confederate States of America (1861-1863).svg,

Flags of the Confederate States of America The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

, 1861-1863 Image:Flag of Missouri.svg,

Flag of Missouri The flag of Missouri, often referred to as the Missouri flag, is the state flag of the U.S. state of Missouri. It consists of three equal horizontal tribands of red, white, and blue stripes, with the arms of Missouri in the center. Designed by ...

Image:Flag of Rhode Island.svg,

Flag of Rhode Island The flag of the state of Rhode Island is white and consists of a gold Anchored Cross, anchor in the center (a symbol for hope) surrounded by thirteen gold stars (for the original 13 colonies and Rhode Island's status as the 13th state to ratify ...

Image:Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg,

Flag of Georgia (U.S. state) The current flag of Georgia was adopted on February 19, 2003. The flag bears three horizontal stripes (a red-white-red triband) and features a blue canton containing a ring of 13 white stars that encircle the state's gold-colored coat of a ...

File:Flag of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine.svg, Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine Image:Flag_of_Myanmar_(1974-2010).svg,

Flag of Myanmar The State Flag of Republic of the Union of Myanmar was adopted on 21 October 2010. Current flag since 2010 The State flagArticle 437 (a), Chapter , Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, (2008) described in the 2008 Constit ...

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

, 1974-2010 Image:United States yacht flag.svg, United States Yacht Ensign Image:Flag of the Cook Islands.svg,

Flag of the Cook Islands The flag of the Cook Islands, officially known as the Cook Islands Ensign, is based on the traditional design for former British colonies in the Pacific region. It is a blue ensign containing the Union Flag in the upper left, and on the right, ...

Image:Flag of Cape Verde.svg,

Flag of Cape Verde The national flag of Cape Verde (Portuguese: ''bandeira de Cabo Verde''; Capeverdean ( ALUPEC): ''bandera di Kauberdi'') was adopted on 22 September 1992, replacing the flag adopted during Cape Verdean independence, fought for with Guinea-Bis ...

Image:Flag of Indiana.svg,

Flag of Indiana The flag of Indiana was designed by Paul Hadley and officially adopted by the state of Indiana on May 11, 1917. It was the state's first official flag and has remained unchanged since then except for the creation of a statute to standardize the p ...

Image:Flag of Louisiana (January 1861).svg,

Flag of Louisiana The flag of Louisiana consists of a rectangular field of blue with the arms of Louisiana, the pelican vulning herself, in white in the center, with a ribbon beneath, also in white, containing in blue the state motto: "Union Justice Confidenc ...

(January 1861, unofficial) Image:Flag of Los Ríos, Chile.svg, Flag of Los Ríos Region, Chile Image:Flag of the Federal Republic of Southern Cameroons.svg, Flag of Ambazonia

Seals

Image:FBISeal.png, The

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

Seal where the circle of stars represent unity of 13 original states. Image:Seal_Of_The_President_Of_The_Unites_States_Of_America.svg,

Seal of the President of the United States The seal of the president of the United States is used to mark correspondence from the president of the United States to the U.S. Congress, and is also used as a symbol of the presidency itself. The central design, based on the Great Seal of the ...

Image:Coat of arms of Brazil.svg,

Coat of arms of Brazil The coat of arms of Brazil ( pt, Brasão de Armas do Brasil) was created on 19 November 1889, four days after Brazil became a republic. It consists of the central emblem surrounded by coffee ('' Coffea arabica'', at the left) and tobacco (''Nic ...

Image:Golden coat of arms of Singapore.jpg,

Coat of arms of Singapore The coat of arms of Singapore is the Coat of arms, heraldic symbol representing the Sovereign state, sovereign island country and city-state of Singapore located in maritime Southeast Asia. It was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore attained Sel ...

Image:Seal of the US Air Force.svg, Seal of

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

External links

The Archetype Form [Model]

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Circle Of Stars Virgin Mary in art Iconography Symbols of the European Union Visual motifs