The Story of the Alphabet

by Edward Clodd

6. a. Vegetable forms, similar to those found on Hittite monuments.

b. Floral symbol. The dot above both examples probably represents the head of a stamen or pistil, as of the lily.

7. a. Day-star, or sun, with eight revolving rays.

b. Rays. Star-like symbols occur on Syrian and Asianic seal-stones.

c. This symbol, with its swastika-like offshoots, may be of solar import. The concentric circles may be compared with the Egyptian

, Sun with twelve rays, Sep=times, and with the Chinese hieroglyph for sun with its central dot.