The ''Soyombo'' symbol (; mn, Соёмбо, ; from sa,

svayambhu Swayambhu ( sa, स्वयंभू) is a Sanskrit word that means "self-manifested", "self-existing", or "that is created by its own accord". Often, the word swayambhu is used to describe a self-manifested image of a deity, which was not made ...

) is a special character in the Soyombo alphabet invented by

Zanabazar Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar, , , "High Saint Zanabazar"; 1635–1723 (born Eshidorji) was the sixteenth ''Jebtsundamba Khutuktu'' and the first ''Bogd Gegeen'' or supreme spiritual authority, of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) lineage of Tibetan Buddhism ...

in 1686. The name "Soyombo" is derived from Sanskrit ''svayambhu'' "self-created". It serves as a national symbol of

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 millio ...

, to be found on the

Flag of Mongolia The national flag of Mongolia ( mn, Монгол улсын төрийн далбаа, Mongol ulsiin töriin dalbaa, ) is a vertical triband with a red stripe at each side and a blue stripe in the middle, with the Mongolian Soyombo symbol cent ...

, the Emblem of Mongolia, and on many other official documents. In the Soyombo alphabet, the two variations of the Soyombo symbol are used to mark the start and end of a text. It is thought to be possible that the symbol itself may predate the script.

Symbolism

The Soyombo has ten elements in the columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric symbols and patterns. They are fire, sun, moon, two triangles, two horizontal rectangles, the '' Taijitu'' (

yin and yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...

) and two vertical rectangles. The elements in the symbol are given the following significance (from top): * Fire is a general symbol of eternal growth, wealth, and success. The three tongues of the flame represent the past, present, and future. * Sun (●) and moon symbolizes the existence of the Mongolian nation for eternity as the eternal blue sky. Mongolian symbol of the sun, moon and fire derived from the Xiongnu. * The two triangles (▼) allude to the point of an arrow or spear. They point downward to announce the defeat of interior and exterior enemies. * The two horizontal rectangles (▬) give stability to the round shape. The rectangular shape represents the honesty and justice of the people of Mongolia, whether they stand at the top or at the bottom of society. * The '' Taijitu'' symbol (☯) illustrates the mutual complement of man and woman. It is interpreted as two fishes, symbolizing vigilance, because fish never close their eyes. * The two vertical rectangles (▮) can be interpreted as the walls of a fort. They represent unity and strength, relating to a Mongolian proverb: "The friendship of two is stronger than stone walls."

Uses

The Soyombo symbol has appeared on the national

since its independence in 1911 (except between 1940-1945). It served as the Emblem of Mongolia from 1911 to 1940, and was included in the design again in 1992. Mongolian Armed Forces vehicles bear the symbol as a marking. The symbol is seen all over the country, especially on a hillside outside of

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north c ...

. The flag and coat of arms of Buryatia as well as the flag of Agin-Buryat Okrug in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

, and that of the Inner Mongolian People's Party display the top elements (Flame, Sun, and Moon).

Unicode

The Soyombo is available in

Unicode Unicode, formally The Unicode Standard,The formal version reference is is an information technology standard for the consistent encoding, representation, and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems. The standard, ...

as {{unichar, 11A9E, SOYOMBO HEAD MARK WITH MOON AND SUN AND TRIPLE FLAME. There are alternative forms of the Soyombo at U+11A9F, 𑪟, Soyombo Head Mark With Moon And Sun And Flame and U+11AA0, 𑪠, Soyombo Head Mark With Moon And Sun. The Soyombo block was added to Unicode in June 2017 with version 10.0.

Flags incorporating Soyombo variants

File:Flag of Mongolia.svg,

File:Flag of Buryatia.svg, Flag of the Republic of Buryatia File:Flag of Agin-Buryatia.svg, Flag of Agin-Buryat Okrug File:Flag_of_the_Inner_Mongolian_People's_Party.svg, Flag of the Inner Mongolian People's Party

References

National symbols of Mongolia Mongolian writing systems

Symbolism

Uses

Unicode

Flags incorporating Soyombo variants

See also

References