a hexagonal shape represents the regularity of natural laws;
the enclosure of the hexagon in a circle is a recognition that such regularity is itself enclosed in a greater scheme;
the hexagon-in-a-circle is the symbol of Owan the Sunsmith.
A circle is an appropriate symbol for the point of contact between the finite known and the infinite unknown. See:
Socratic Fiction?
The Unknown
Witchcraft, Natural Philosophy And The Universe
A circle also symbolizes the solar disc. The Sun is the source of light and life, thus the agency by which the One knows itself in and through sentient organisms.
A circle also encloses the yin-yang symbol, representing the interpenetration of opposites. (See The Night Face, II, pp. 562-563.)
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And, of course, the circle is a sacred symbol for the nation of Larsum, on the planet Ivanhoe (as we see in "Three-Cornered Wheel"). Albeit that story was set long before THE NIGHT FACE.
Sean
Post a Comment