Every social environment has its own special insignia. They can be traced in the manner of communication, and in appearance. Hippies, for example, clearly have slang speech (vernacular and English: “bag” - bag, “shoes” - shoes, “flat” - flat, “drink” - booze, “dude” - guy, “old” - hippies, having experience, etc.), the hair is long and loose, in clothing they show the motifs of costumes from different countries. But there is a special paraphernalia. It includes a “hiratnik” (a hair strap made of ropes, bright ribbons, leather, jeans), baubles (jewelry with a special semantic load, can only be gifted) and a pacific. These are special hippie characters. The last and most important of these signs will be discussed.
What is a hippie symbol?
This sign is a regular circle divided by lines into four parts. According to some sources, it appeared earlier under the slogan “No to radioactive waste!”, And according to others, it has a completely different meaning. What do the hippies themselves say about this? For them, a circle means continuity and unity. And the picture inside is the imprint of the pigeon's paw. By the way, this particular bird is considered a symbol of peace. It turns out that the hippie sign (photos are placed in the article) is a kind of statement: “We stand for peace!”
Details
The Pacific can be found not only in the accessories of the pacifists, but also in clothes. Hippie sign - what does it mean today? Why is it so important and so clearly advertised?
Hippies are pacifists. Those who know Latin, it is easy to understand the thinking and views of these people. Recall: Latin pacificus translates as “pacified”. The root is "peace." There is clearly a statement: “Hippies Against Violence!” This is the basis of the pacifist worldview. A true hippie does not accept violence, even if it may be required for protection. For these people, harmony in the “man-nature” community is very important. Hippies are inherently very peaceful. Despite their rejection of the many values of civilization, they defend their own rights and views without resorting to cruelty. Hippies are ready to suffer, defending beliefs, and at the same time they will be happy. Digging deeper …
The basis of pacifism
The hippie peace sign is the Algiz rune, though upside down. She is known both in direct form and in reverse. Let's consider in more detail. The Scandinavian direct Algiz is also called Mannar (from man - man). The diagram depicts a person turning to heaven, which means the desire for a higher consciousness. A straight line, intersecting a circle in the center, also points to the universal axis (center), symbolizing the upper light worlds. The inverted rune symbolizes the world tree with roots going far deeper (into the earth, into the lower world, to the dead). In occultism, the bowels of the earth have always been associated with the feminine principle.
The appeal to the archetypal, matriarchal principle in the hippie environment cannot be overlooked. This is manifested primarily in appearance. For example, all hippie men should have long hair in which ribbons with bells are woven. We have already talked about ideology: hippies protest against wars and any violence in principle. But the main thing for them is the appeal to the subconscious within themselves, to intuition, to their own dreams. Hippies show a genuine interest in the traditions of peoples, in the ancient world culture, esoteric and philosophical teachings, the teachings of shamans. The folk wave is caught up in the fields of art, music, and cinema. Seeking themselves, hippies drove away from the gassed, stuffy cities to India, Tibet, the Australian jungle, Mexico. They are alien to the public, mired in dependence on money.
Hippies are considered nomads. Like gypsies. Their whole life is endless hitchhiking. By the way, the inverted Algiz can also be traced in the gypsy Vedic traditions. True, here hippie signs are interpreted differently. The drawing in the circle is nothing but the crow's foot. Why? Algiz inverted means the lower world (death). A crow eats everything, not disdain and carrion. Roma (and not only) the carcass of the gypsies have always been associated with the other world. True, the hippies themselves are skeptical of this relationship. They prefer to call the crow a pigeon - in honor of the birds of the world.
First theory
The Cold War between the States and the USSR in most countries was accompanied by numerous demonstrations and protests against the development of nuclear weapons and the deployment of missiles in Europe. Active participants in rallies were pacifists. Even then, those hippie signs that we see today appeared. Numerous images of pacifists, painted on clothes, posters and even on faces, were probably even more common than slogans like: “No nuclear war!”. It is not surprising that some now perceive the hippie sign as a limitation of nuclear weapons. The figure itself represents a rocket, and the circle indicates that terrible weapons should be limited or even prohibited.
Second theory
It is called the "pigeon." We have already considered this option above. According to this version, the paw of the bird of the world is enclosed in a sign of infinity. It is a symbol of calm, universal love and happiness. And infinite. It recalls the “pigeon” anti-war drawings of the well-known Pablo Picasso, on the one hand, and the biblical story of the old man Noah, who survived the Flood, on the other. Remember who brought the news that the flood was about to end? It was just a dove holding an olive branch in its beak (Genesis, chapter eight). This theory of the appearance of a pacifist looks more beautiful and, probably, even more interesting. But there are other explanations.
Other options
Perhaps these theories are the most fantastic, but nevertheless have the right to life. Hippie signs, according to this theory, were taken from a rune. We have already talked about this above (the fifteenth rune of Elder Futhark called "Algiz").
Some believe that the pacific symbolizes the horned head of an elk. This animal is considered noble and strong. It personifies "hope, security, protection, help."
Another interpretation of the hippie sign is a growing reed (sedge). He constantly strives up. It is explained as the desire for wealth, power, exaltation over others. The desire to surpass rivals in any skill is full of ambition. The modern rune master from Norway believes that the hippie sign is an image of a Valkyrie with a sword, therefore, is interpreted as "fearlessness, strength." True, hippies themselves do not particularly like this explanation.
