Visually we get acquainted with this concept, considering the Icons. Each one above the heads of the Saints depicts rings - nimbuses. This is an indicator of their holiness.
Nimbus in Orthodoxy
In Christianity, the glow around the head has its own specific meaning. This is the one who has attained the highest connection with the Lord. In addition, halo is an indicator of righteousness. The person who could not sin and do good in life could receive the status of a saint. He was then portrayed with a halo over his head.
Interestingly, the shape of the glow can be not only round. Sometimes it is depicted in the form of a triangle, less often - a hexagon. The head of Jesus is always inscribed in a round halo. In addition, there is also a cross - a symbol of faith. Saints have always been depicted with a golden glow. But among the great martyrs it could have been silver.
Nimbus of a different form
Despite the fact that the two religions have the same basis, there are significant differences in their interpretations. So, the halo of an angel in Catholicism can take inconceivable forms. Christian icon painters depict a circle above his head, Catholic - a glow around her. The frescoes in some temples depict worshipers with square nimbuses. It is believed that this is a special tribute to people who have done good things for society. The square shape of the glow is a sign that this is an earthly man who has received special trust from the Saints. From the seventh century to the present day frescoes have been preserved, which depict worshipers next to the Saints. There is also an explanation: this is a man who invested his money in the construction of the temple. The saint is his patron.
History of the origin of the concept
Scientists put forward many versions of the origin of the symbol. Some believe that the halo is a stylization in the icons of the disks with which the ancient Greeks covered their statues from the sun. There are more elevated versions. According to one of them, light came from the gods who came to people.
If you abstractly imagine, it looked as if a person was standing against the sun, which peeps from behind his head. Such were the higher beings of the ancients. So they depicted them, which left a lot of material evidence - from cave painting to books. In any case, the version that the halo is an indicator of closeness to God is more real.
How is the concept used in science
The concept was so figurative that when the stars and stars began to study, they could not come up with a more suitable word. Rather, the terms arose, but did not take root. So, the phrase "halo of the Sun" characterizes the whole phenomenon, which is otherwise called the halo. This is the appearance of a kind of aura around a light source. It is connected with the fact that the rays have to interact with the atmosphere before they reach our eyes. It turns out that the energy beam is eroded, forming a beautiful ring. A halo happens around any celestial source of light, and not just near the Sun. Myopic people almost always observe it. This is due to the characteristics of perception. Gloria - called the phenomenon of the formation of a glow around aircraft.
Nimbus in Philosophy
The meaning of the concept has often been used in other sciences. So, if it is necessary to characterize the correctness, justice of a certain phenomenon, then they talk about its halo. Thus, it is clear that this phenomenon or person manifests a kind of “righteousness”. Nimbus can also be used to debunk those stable phenomena or social traditions that go against, for example, morality. Then the concept is interpreted as arbitrarily appropriated. For example, removing a halo from a leader. That is, what a person declares is not a value to society.
