The Migration of Symbols

This is a study of the migration and mutation of symbols by a late 19th century Belgian lawyer and Masonic scholar, Count Goblet d'Alviella (b. 1846, d. 1925). Originally published in 1891 in French, this book covers a huge web of interchangeable symbols, which are found over a wide range of cultures through the Near East, India, Europe, and further abroad, notably in Mesoamerica. He attempts to explain the widespread use of symbols such as the Swastika, the Tree of Life, the Winged Globe, the Trident and the Caduceus. Despite the title, d'Alviella does not adhere to one theory; instead he has a whole toolkit, including diffusion, mutation, independent origins and appropriation, as well as psychological, historical and sociological explanations.