Customer Reviews

The Book of Signs (Dover Pictorial Archive)

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This is, as its title suggests, an expansive collection of pictoral signs primarily from European sources. The signs are beautifully reproduced, but if you are looking for comprehensive genealogies of the signifiers, you should probably look elsewhere. This book has 493 well-reproduced signs, but their histories are minimally documented without any source/ primary documentation of their origins. The signs are described in short, declarative sentences which readers curious about the meaning of the signs might find discomforting. The research here is not without merit or credibility, but the book is for readers interested in signs for their visual grandeur rather than their significance. An interesting and affordable introduction to signs.

This is a well illustrated book on symbols. I would not call it an essential book for research purposes but it is a nice addition to the library. Some of the symbology is redundant (the furca is illustrated at least 3 times within the book) and I don't find all the explanations agreeable with other resources.

Rudolph Kock, graphic designer, typesetter and bookbinder put together these some 400+ signs along with a good historical capsule along each symbol. I found it to be useful when looking up a symbol and to understand some aspect of the sign, although not entirely in full, but a brief understanding of its roots. While not every sign of occultism is assimulated in this book, there is still plenty for one to be satisfied with. Most of the signs are from Early Christian traditions and those that have stemmed from that religion. Orginally these designs were woodcuts by Frik Kredel, Offenbach and Main. The font used to print in the book was created by Koch himself known as magere deutsche type. Originally published in 1930, this Dover edition is worth every penny, for the artist and the occultist.

"The Book of Signs" is an illustration-rich collection of Byzantine, medieval and related European symbols. The Dover Publications edition is a clean softcover edition of the work which is printed in the author Rudolf Koch's "magere deutsche" typeface (a Gothic / old-style German typeface similar to those used in Germany in the 19th century and earlier).

Useful to the medievalist, the occultist as well as the fantasy roleplayer, the collection includes nearly 500 different symbols collected in 14 chapters. Symbols include Christian, astrological, botanical, and chemical ones from the Byzantine and European traditions; personal and family signs such as early monograms, stonemason's signs and armorial signs; and the Norse runes. The signs themselves are woodcuts, which combined with the older style Germanic typeface give the book a distinctive look. Chapters include a short introduction and most signs include a short description.

The book's strength lies in its wide range of medieval symbols and its evocative visual look (woodcut symbols and German typeface). As a research tool it has limited utility, but for its graphic appearance it is a good choice for the layman. On a side note for AD&D gamers and World of Greyhawk enthusiasts, this work was used as inspiration by Gary Gygax for many of the symbols presented in the World of Greyhawk folio and 1983 boxed set.

Although it seems the author can just attribute nearly any sign to some sort of christian meaning it is a pretty decent book. I was expecting something more along occult lines but it does have some intresting symbols. Don't believe everything you read.

Outstanding in scope but inaccurate in places. For example, the pictoral representation of the Svastika is actually a Sauvastika. The difference is slight from a pictoral sense but major in meaning. A Sauvastika is a sign for magic, night, and destiny while the Svastika is a sign for prosperity, and good fortune. From a pictoral standpoint the difference is, a Svastika is a clockwise swirl like two letter s while the Sauvastika is counterclockwise like two letter z. Personally I believe that continuing research into signs remains important if nothing but to prevent people like Adolf Hitler hijacking good luck, prosperity and religous symbols. I loved this book and on a basic level it covers a wide range of symbols and meanings. In fact if it weren't for slight inaccuracies I would have given it all 5 stars.

I first found this book at my local library and fell in love with all the interesting and little known symbols. The author does put a Christian bent on a lot of the symbols that I could honestly due without. Even on some symbols with a clearly Pagan origin. For example The Triquerta, ( a symbol of The Triple Goddess) he claims is for "banishing evil spirits". The book was written (clearly) a VERY long time ago by an obviously very religious man, but the symbols themselves are so interesting that it is necessary to not get stuck on one mans interpretation. Once you can get past that, the collection of symbolism is enjoyable.

This is the second Dover Pictorial book I have purchased and I was disappointed with both editions. This book at least has the meaning listed below the symbol. I bought this book as a reference material for a graphic symbolism class and was unable to find anything I needed. The book contains a general overview and is a very basic piece of reading material which may be good for beginners on the subject.