Hexafoil

The hexafoil is a design with six-fold dihedral symmetry composed from six ''vesica piscis'' lenses arranged radially around a central point, often shown enclosed in a circumference of another six lenses. It is also sometimes known as a "daisy wheel". A second, quite different, design is also sometimes referred to by this name; see alternate symbol.

The design is found as a rosette ornament in artwork dating back to at least the Late Bronze Age.

Construction

The pattern figure can be drawn by pen and compass, by creating seven interlinking circles of the same diameter touching the previous circle's center. The second circle is centered at any point on the first circle. All following circles are centered on the intersection of two other circles.

The design is sometimes expanded into a regular overlapping circles grid. Bartfeld (2005) describes the construction: "This design consists of circles having a 1- nchradius, with each point of intersection serving as a new center. The design can be expanded ''ad infinitum'' depending upon the number of times the odd-numbered points are marked off.", citing Drunvalo Melchizedek, ''The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life'' (1999). The attribution of the term "Flower of Life" to Melchizedek (1999) is also found in and in .

Usage

The hexafoil has been very widely used throughout European folk art for a very long period of time. It is attested from at least the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, represented, for example, on ornamental golden disks found in Shaft Grave III at Mycenae (16th century BC). It is also found in some Cantabrian stelae, dated to the Iron Age, as well as Norwegian bronze kettles from the same period

The six-petal rosette is common in 17th to 20th century folk art throughout Europe.

In Portugal, it is common to find it in medieval churches and cathedrals, as the engraved signature of a mason; but also as decoration and symbol of protection on the chimneys of old houses in Alentejo (at times together with the lauburu, or with the pentagram).

In Galicia (Spain) hexafoils are found since the Iron Age in torc terminals and decoration, and is still used in folk art.

It can also be found in the Pyrenees (Cantabria, Navarre, Aragon).

In the United Kingdom the hexafoil is commonly found on churches, but also in barns and private buildings, as well as on cross slabs. The use of the hexafoil as a folk magic symbol was brought from the United Kingdom to Australia by settlers, where a six leaf design with concentric circles have been found in homes and occasionally in public buildings to serve as a sign of protection.Mysterious hexafoil markings in Australian homes point to hidden magical past
Nicole Dyer and Damien Larkins, ABC News Online, 2017-02-22

The Hexafoil was also widely used on gravestones in Colonial America, especially popular in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. The design was commonly used from the later 17th century until the early 19th century.

The design is also known as "Sun of the Alps" (''Sole delle Alpi'') in Italy from its widespread use in alpine folk art. It resembles a pattern often found in that area on buildings. It is used in the coat of arms of Lecco Province. It has also been used as the emblem of Padanian nationalism in northern Italy since the 1990s. In 2001, ''Editoriale Nord'', the publishing company of ''La Padania'', registered the green-on-white design as a trademark.

In Norway it can mostly be found on wooden objects, such as beer bowls, clothes smoothing boards, milk butts, wooden chests, beds, and so on, but it can also be found on the doors of buildings. In Norwegian it's sometimes known as "Olavsrose" (rose of Olaf), although that name is used for another symbol as well.

In Lithuania the hexafoil was found on wooden beer bowls, on spindles, but also on other wooden objects. It is known as "little sun" (saulute) in Lithuanian.

In the Tatra mountains, southeastern Poland and western Ukraine, the mark was commonly carved on roof beams inside peasant huts. In Ukraine it was known as "the symbol of Perun" (''Peruna znak'') and "the thunder mark" (''gromovoi znak'').

In the Russian North the hexafoil was carved near the outside roof of peasant houses to protect them against lightning. The symbol was known as the thunder sign (''gromovoi znak'') or the thunder wheel (''gromovoe koleso''), and was associated with the thunder god Perun.

Gallery

File:Armenian Khachkar with Swastikas Sanahin Armenia 1.jpg, Khachkar with hexafoils and swastikas in Sanahin, Armenia
File:Golden rosettes from the women graves.jpg, Ornamented gold disks from Shaft Grave III at Mycenae (16th century BC), Archaeological Museum, Istanbul.
File:Domus Ortaglia brescia by Stefano Bolognini25.JPG, Roman-era mosaic (2nd century), Domus dell'Ortaglia, Brescia
File:Monasterio de Iranzu, Abárzuza. Estela.jpg, Cantabrian stele at the Monastery of Iranzu, Navarre
File:Selection of carvings from the Castro de Santa Trega.jpg, Selection of carvings from the hillfort of Santa Trega, Galicia (La Tène period, c. 1st century BC)
File:Chiesa 3 Galdo degli Alburni.jpg, Facade of the medieval church in Galdo degli Alburni, Province of Salerno
File:WheelerStone1742FranklinCT.jpg, Hexafoils featured prominently on a Colonial New England gravestone carved by Obadiah Wheeler in Franklin Connecticut.
File:Chiesa di San Domenico di Lucera.JPG, Facade of the church in San Domenico, Lucera, Province of Foggia (ca. 1300)
File:FoL Sanok 1681.jpg, ceiling beam displayed at the Rural Architecture Museum of Sanok (Poland) dated to 1681.
File:Sole delle Alpi inciso su un portale - Erbanno (Foto Luca Giarelli).jpg, Masonry in casa Federici, Erbanno, Val Camonica
File:Runcata-detail.jpg, Wall painting on the facade of farmhouse Runcata in St. Ulrich in Gröden, Ortisei, Val Gardena, South Tyrol
File:Sun of the Alps.svg, Green-on-white "Sun of the Alps" as used by the Lega Nord and in Padanian nationalism
File:RozetaSymbol.png, Perun's sign as used within Slavic Native Faith

Origin

The origin and meaning of the symbol are not known, but many researchers have independently suggested that it is of religious origin, and very likely served as a protective symbol. There are two main theories for its meaning and origin.

Solar symbol

Peralta Labrador (1989) cites a proposal according to which the design in the La Tène (Celtic) period was a solar symbol associated with the god Taranis. Other researchers have also described it as a solar symbol, but no reasoning for this has been given. However, the Lithuanian ("little sun") and Italian ("sun of the Alps") names do suggest a solar origin.

Thunder wheel

Garshol (2021) suggests that the rosette is actually a wheel with spokes, and that it originally signified the Proto-Indo-European thunder god Perkwunos, later becoming associated with his various incarnations, such as Taranis, Thor, Perun, and Jupiter. The Russian and Ukrainian names of the symbol, as well as other more involved arguments, are given as rationale.

Alternate symbol

The name hexafoil is sometimes also used to refer to a different geometric design that is used as a traditional element of Gothic architecture, created by overlapping six circular arcs to form a flower-like image. The hexafoil design is modeled after the six petal lily, for its symbolism of purity and relation to the Trinity. The hexafoil form is created from a series of compound units, and exists as a more complex variation of the same extruded figure. Other forms similar to the hexafoil include the trefoil, quatrefoil, and cinquefoil.

The other hexafoil design is implemented in various Gothic buildings constructed in the 12th through 16th century. The traditional design is used in cloisters, triforiums and stained glass windows of famous buildings such as Notre-Dame, Salisbury Cathedral, and Regensburg Cathedral. Stone cut-out hexafoils are displayed in a plate tracery style in the Salisbury Cathedral, creating a pattern along the triforium.

It can also be see as a framing design in ''Bible moralisée.'' They are often rendered in red, blue, gold or vibrant orange and surround biblical scenes in the bible. The hexafoil style of framing was often used in conjunction with architectural framing to provide the text with more depth, creativity, invention, and volume. Old Testament illustrations were surrounded by hexafoil frames while moralization depictions favored architectural frames.

See also

* Overlapping circles grid
*Triquetra
*Triskelion
*Foil (architecture)

References

{{reflist

Gothic architecture
Circles
Magic (supernatural)
Geometric shapes
Ornaments
Rotational symmetry