Sorry that this is so late tonight, it's just been one of those days where I can't quite get the right momentum to stay focused. I will admit that tonight's stickers have certainly come up with some interesting ideas, although not really a story behind them. If you look up in the upper left corner of the sign you'll find a Hot Rod Sticker. They're a local piercing parlor that I actually interviewed for the blog earlier in the year that I highly suggest checking out. Then there's a couple of faded and small stickers that I can't really make out. So I ended up focusing most of my research on the blue and black sticker on the right. Granted I didn't come up with a site or artist behind it but the symbols and phrase certainly are an interesting combination. Obviously a large portion of the sticker is dedicated to a demon or a devil, depending on your preferred nomenclature. I think I've mentioned it before but I've always been fascinated with folklore, mythology, and fairy tales. I ended up taking a couple of classes in college which only deepened my interest in the subject. I'm also a non-practicing Catholic so I've also had a little exposure to the Christian ideas of demons. What I find interesting about demonology, and demons in general, is how it occurs in cultures around the world. There's the Christian devil Satan, the Ifrits and Iblis from Islam, the idea of the Mara in Buddhism, the Kelpie from Scotland, and numerous demons in Japanese and Chinese folklore. While every culture has their unique demons, there are some shared similarities in every story. Whether it's a fallen angel, an unclean spirit, or a mischievous creature they are often associated with leading men astray (either to their death or towards evil). They will also often possess people, causing them to become ill and change their personality to something darker and problematic. And while people will often work to avoid association with the evils they see, there are some that seek to control the demons for their own benefit. I can't say that I really read through the full occultopedia entry on demonology, but this site from 1997 was too priceless not to share. But along with the demon there are a couple of items that don't quite mesh with the demonic image. The lantern he is holding is generally seen to be a beacon of hope, a way to light your way and disrupt the darkness. It can be a representation of God, a pathway through death, and even the warmth of love. The demon even has a heart on his chest, semi- reminiscent of the sacred heart. And then there is the phrase, "In a world made of steel, made of stone." Clearly this was the first thing I tried to research, since it was one of the bigger and unique aspects of the sticker. I was definitely surprised when my top result actually turned out to be the song "What a feeling," from the movie Flashdance. This phrase is actually the end of the second set of lyrics at the beginning of the song, before we hit the refrain. Again this is a bit of a hopeful message, looking to get you to keep on moving and not to let life pull you down. So these ideas seem to be rather conflicting with the typical image of demons. Although it could be drawing more on the idea of the Greek daimon, which was more of a powerful being than sinister entity. Or it could be that idea of redemption. Or I could simply be reading far too much into this image, which is the most likely scenario. Sorry but my computer refuses to link correctly, so here's the sites I was using. http://pittsburghstickerproject.weebly.com/home/a-conversation-about-holier-places-and-stickers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon http://www.occultopedia.com/d/demonology.htm http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/the-story-of-god-with-morgan-freeman/articles/demon-and-devil-folklore-from-around-the-world/ http://artofmourning.com/2011/01/30/symbolism-sunday-the-lantern/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085549/
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Maggie Ondrey
An amateur photographer and writer capturing a small portion of the city. Archives
August 2017
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