by Larry Solomon,
copyright © 2002, 2005
Interpretation of a multitude of symbols makes it possible to
"read" Bosch's paintings, many of which contain narratives of Christian
stories that were well known in his time. The usual translation of
these symbols involves a complex route where each image has many
symbolic interpretations which depend upon context. Although context is
important, the trouble with this license is that it results in confused
contradictions, i.e., many conflicting interpretations of Bosch's
symbolism. The results are so confused that there is virtually no
agreement on what a painting like the Garden of Earthly Delights
means. For example, scholars can't even agree upon the general meaning
of the central panel. Some have concluded, like Fraenger, that the
central panel is a positive image celebrating nudity and a
devil-may-care attitude. He suggested that Bosch may have been a member
of the Society of Free Spirits, Adamites, who celebrated nudity and
denied evil. Most scholars, however, take the opposite view that Bosch
was a Christian moralist whose recurring message is the warning that
the torments of Hell will be retribution for a life of sin. See the
References for sources on medieval and Bosch symbolism.
Some scholars have used an alchemical approach to the symbolism, suggesting that Bosch's images are focused in the alchemy that was practiced in his day. Others have sought to interpret the images in terms of general Christian or Medieval symbolism. There is considerable disagreement on this avenue of interpretation as well. Another route is to use either Freudian symbolism or Jungian archetypes as a basis to explore subconscious connections of which perhaps even Bosch himself was unaware. The dreamlike quality of his images certainly suggests that the last route should be included, or at least considered, in an interpretation.
In my translation of the images I considered Freudian and Medieval Christian symbols as well as Jungian archetypes. My purpose was to limit the symbolic meanings to include only those most consistent with the images and narratives. The result of the synthesis is a strong indication of Bosch's moralistic intentions. The following chart contains the results of this study.
Bosch's image |
Meaning
|
Source
|
WordAssociation
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Animals/beasts |
Devils, Sin |
DH |
bestial |
|
Ape |
Mimic, lie, mockery |
DH |
aping it |
|
Arrows, piercing (also knives, swords, etc) |
Punishment, Sexual Intercourse | M |
|
|
Badge/shield |
Shielding, covert evil | D |
shielding |
|
Bagpipes |
lasciviousness, sex, androgyny, male testicles | M |
|
|
Bat wings |
Satan | FO |
black |
| Birds, fleeing, flying | Loss of morality, loss of spirit | O |
|
|
Birds, general (see also bird species) |
Devils, amorality, depravity | DH |
|
|
Bird, spoonbill |
Drunkard | Tr |
|
|
Black |
Corruption, evil, death | O |
|
|
Blue |
Deceit, folly | O |
|
| Boat or water-skis | Fragile protection from sinking into abyss (of sin) | ||
|
Book, reading or preaching from |
Misused knowledge or scripture |
H |
"book learning" |
| Boot | Hate | M |
"under the boot" |
|
Branches, dead |
Death, malignancy, scourge | O |
|
| Bridge |
Transition |
F |
|
| Bubble, transparent cracked | Fragile pleasures | O |
Bubble is about to break |
|
Butterfly |
Inconstancy, Capriciousness |
DMF |
|
|
Cap/hat, blue |
Hypocrisy, deceit,covert | O |
|
|
Cave |
Entrance to underworld |
HF |
|
|
Cherries, fruit |
Sensual temptations, sexual appetite |
MD |
virginity |
|
Circle/circling figures |
Cycle of life and death/reincarnation |
H | |
|
Cock |
Pride, lechery |
M |
proud as a cock |
|
Crawling creatures |
Sins of the flesh | ||
|
Crescent/Sickle shape |
Devil’s emblem, evil omen, heresy, Islam, pagan |
DMH |
|
| Crow/Raven | Maleficent | MF | |
|
Crown |
Authority |
H |
|
|
Deer |
Soul, Christ | MO |
|
|
Dogs eating man |
Punishment for envy | M |
|
|
Drinking, drink |
Evil indulgence | ||
|
Duck |
Stupidity, drunkard (watery), deceit | O |
|
|
Eagle |
Pride | O |
|
|
Ears sliced by knife |
Infidelity, defamation | O |
|
|
Ears, droopy |
Dumb, stupidity | ||
|
Egg |
Alchemy/magic, changeling, birth |
DHM |
|
|
Eggshell, broken |
Defective birth/death, collapse, degeneration |
H |
|
|
Eye |
All seeing, spying |
H |
All-seeing eye |
|
Faces, grotesque |
Evil intent | ||
| Fish in water | Christians | MH |
|
|
Fish out of water |
Death of Christian principles, licentiousness, sin | M |
|
|
Fire/Flames |
Torments of Hell | M |
|
|
Sword, flaming |
Judgment, sacrifice | F |
|
|
Flowers |
Sexual reproduction | deflowered |
|
|
Foot, club or injured |
Devil, morally degenerate (something wrong) | ||
|
Fountain |
Lord’s word (fount), elixir of life | ||
|
Fruits/cherries |
Sensual temptations, reminder of original sin | ||
|
Funnel |
Madness, corruption, deceit |
BaxDM |
empty-headed |
|
Gibbet/Gallows |
Indictment, guilt |
H |
|
|
Gnome/Grillo |
Underworld spirit, demon | M |
|
|
Halo |
Divinity | ||
|
Hand, left |
Deviousness | F |
|
|
Hand pierced by knife |
Christ’s teachings stabbed |
||
|
Harp |
Deceptively divine (of the earth), seducer | M |
|
| Hat, top | Deceiver (pretentiousness) | ||
|
Hay |
Materialism, measure of greed and wealth |
MH |
|
|
Horse, winged |
Capriciousness | ||
|
Jewels |
Souls |
H |
|
|
Jug or vase |
Emptiness, female sex, vagina, female trap |
MHTr |
|
| Jug or hat on stick or foot | Sexual act | ||
|
Key |
Opening conjugal door, phallus, sex | M |
|
|
Knife |
Anger, male sex symbol | M |
|
| Knight, merman | Demon searching for victims | ||
|
Ladder, climbing (also staircase) |
Ambition, transition, sexual invitation |
MH | |
|
Lamb |
Jesus/obedience to God |
MH |
Lamb of God |
|
Lute |
Erotic temptation | M |
|
|
Magpie |
Babbler, deceiver, thief, drunkard | ||
|
Mask |
Concealment | ||
| Mermaid, Merman | sexual seduction, lechery | MH | |
|
Mirror |
Vanity |
H |
|
|
Money |
Greed | "Money is the root of all evil" |
|
| Mollusc (see oyster) | |||
|
Monkey (see also "Ape") |
Lies, mimic, gossip | O |
|
|
Musical instruments |
Temptation, pernicious pleasures | ||
|
Nudity |
Sexual provocation, lasciviousness, shame | O |
|
| Nun in window or door | Procuress | ||
| Obesity | Gluttony | ||
|
Owl peering |
Satan looking for victims, creature of the dark |
HDOBald |
|
|
Ox |
Servitude, strength |
H |
"Strong as an ox" |
| Oyster or Mussel shell | Adultery, Female, sexual passion, entrapment | MHF |
|
| Palm Tree | Tree of Good and Evil | M | |
|
Peacock |
Pride, vanity | DM | |
|
Pig |
Gluttony | MF |
pig |
|
Pigeons or other birds in loft |
Brothel |
H |
|
|
Pine cone |
Purity, fertility | O |
|
|
Pink |
Sensual world | ||
|
Rabbit |
Fecundity | MF |
"they breed like rabbits" |
|
Rat |
Deceiver, untrustworthy |
H |
|
|
Raven, Crow |
Evil omen, devil | All |
|
|
Robin/Redbreast |
Lust, lechery | M |
|
|
Reptiles |
Devils | O |
|
|
Riding |
Sexual act | H | |
|
Rooster |
Pride, Infidelity, lust | O |
|
|
Salamander |
Alchemy, Trickster | ||
|
Satyr (half man, half goat) |
Demon, pleasure seeking |
FH |
|
|
Scorpion |
Treachery, hypocrisy |
H |
sting of a scorpion |
|
Scroll |
Misuse of scripture | ||
|
Sexual pleasure |
Sinful indulgence | ||
|
Sheep |
Stupid, unclean, Christian flock | ||
|
Shell, broken |
Corruption, lost virginity, rape | ||
| Shield, armor | Covert | H | |
| Spectacles, person with | One who cannot see, easily misled | ||
|
Sphere, blue |
Adultery, deceit |
H |
|
|
Ship |
Roman Church |
DH |
|
| Sirens (see mermaids) |
|
||
|
Skull |
Death | ||
|
Snake/serpent |
Devil, demon | M |
|
| Sphere, cracked | Bubble of pleasure is about to break | ||
|
Spikes |
Hazards, warnings | ||
|
Spider |
Web of Satan | F |
|
|
Sun |
Christ/prophet | ||
|
Swan |
Devil’s emblem, hypocrisy, prostitution, corruption | M |
|
| Swan on flag | Prostitution | H |
|
|
Sword |
Weapon of murder, anger | ||
|
Sword, flaming |
Sacrifice | ||
|
Table, game |
Conniving, gambling, drunkenness |
H |
|
|
Thistle |
Corruption, hazard | ||
|
Thorny fruit |
Painful, hazardous temptation | ||
|
Thorns |
Hazard, pain, punishment | a thorny problem |
|
|
Toad/frog |
Filth, devil, evil, cruelty |
DMHWF |
|
|
Tower |
Refuge of God | ||
|
Tree |
Life, spirit | M |
|
|
Tree of knowledge |
Expulsion from paradise, Fall of man | ||
|
Tree-man |
Knowledge | ||
|
Tree, palm |
Righteousness | F |
|
|
Trees, barren or rotten, hollow |
Sp ritual death, evil, corruption |
H |
|
|
Trumpets |
Last judgment | Tr |
|
|
Tube |
Female trap | ||
|
Undercover/shawl/blanket |
Deceit, covert, concealed | ||
|
Unicorn |
Purity, Virgin, Christ | M |
|
|
Vomiting |
Gluttony, corruption | ||
| Water, immersion in | Hazard, warning | ||
|
Wheel |
Torture, machination |
H |
|
| White | Divine power | M | |
|
Woman, nude |
Lasciviousness, sin, prostitute, seduction | D |
|
|
Wounds |
Corruption (something wrong) |
H |
|
|
Yoke |
Subservience | ||
The following image map shows how these symbols may be used to interpret the meaning of part of the Lisbon St Anthony triptych by Bosch.
Sources:
D=Delevoy
M=Torviso & Marias
T = Tolnay
H=Harris
O=Orderr
F=Fontana
Tr=Trnek
W=Whittlesey
B=Bax
Bald=Baldass