Symbol Theory

            The symbol of the flag, which identifies the Takanir institution of government, can most certainly be classified as a condensed symbol in terms of Victor Turner’s dominant symbol theory. The reason the Takanir flag can be viewed as condensed is because it represents a variety of vocations and meanings across Takanir culture. Not only does the flag represent unity and continuity of Takanir culture, but it also represents the five animal dignitaries, as well as the precious Zebra God. Takanir see their flag and feel that it represents them as a people-group; it distinguishes them from other cultures. But much more than that, the Takanir are able to distinguish their own personal place within their culture by viewing the five colors and understanding which of the colors is indicative of their personal dignitary. The outline of the flag is black as are the dividing lines between each dignitary’s colors. This purposeful coloring depicts their religious belief in the Zebra god and His encompassing ability to protect the Takanir as well as interconnect the Takanir people with their dignitaries. The variety of vocations the flag takes on to each member of Takanir culture is what qualifies it as a condensed symbol.

            When considering the symbolic leg paint of the Takanir, which displays the Takanir institution of family and kinship, the leg paint expresses a second qualification of Turner’s dominant symbol theory - unification of disparate significata. The leg painting (though kinship paint is certainly not only limited to one’s legs in Takanir culture) signifies kinship by tying together family relation, a specific familial dignitary, social acceptance, unity, as well as the ingesting of power from the dignitary.  The colors painted on each family member are the colors of their specific animal dignitary; the symbol on the blog post below is that of two kin painted as their dignitary, the giraffe. While first and foremost, these colors represent one’s kin’s personal guardian, the paint is also indicative of social status. To be painted is to be kin, but also to be a part of Takanir society; to not be painted is to deny kin, and worse, to deny one’s animal guardian.  The painting not only instills ideas of kinship and unity, but also social order and status. In addition, however, the Takanir often paint crimson paint in addition to the other paint previously discussed so as to encourage the positive powers of the dignitary to seep into Takanir blood.  Thus, unification occurs in the Takanir kinship symbol to bring together the separate ideas of family relation, one’s family dignitary, unity, social status, as well as the absorption of dignitary power.

            The religious symbol for the Takanir is that of their Zebra god’s stripes. This symbol may appear extraordinarily simplistic, but the Zebra god’s stripes as a religious symbol are actually quite polarized; polarization, of course, is the last qualification of a dominant symbol theory. When considering the sensory pole, the colors of black and white give way to deep emotionally physiological reactions from the Takanir. As mentioned in the blog before, just seeing these two colors co-exist will result in immediate prayer and worship. However, the colors of the Zebra god have deeper, ideological meanings. The stripes and colors display the reasonable, judicial, impeccably fair nature of the Zebra god and the lack of any other colors imply that the Zebra god is not capable of making the emotional mistakes of many human Takanir. The Zebra god represents the continuation of peace, justice, and protection in Takanir society as well as the perpetual intervention of chosen animal dignitaries.  The contrasting difference between the sensory pole and the ideological pole is clearly depicted in the Takanir’s religious symbol.