U.S.Dept. of Uechi Ryu?

[2Green]

I double checked this after seeing it on TV in case my eyes were deceiving me.
Go to www.dot.gov and tell me if you see anything familiar...?
Any explanation?
NM

[TSDguy]

Land, air and sea?

[Scott Danziger]

Wow, very American.



They're smoking crack in the gov't.

[gmattson]

When John Volpe, former gov of MA and then head of the Transportation Department in Washington, hired his son to design the logo for the department.

I forgot his son's name, but he studied with me during the Columbus Ave era for about two years! Guest which patch he wore during those two years?



Does anyone wish to speculate what his firm charged the government for this "original" artwork?

[Deep Sea]

What was your cut, George???

[RachelL]

With all due respect I have seen this 'original' symbol used in many places. SMU Dartmouth Mass for one used this three fireball logo for many years for their school insignia.
It is also found in and around Okinawa on signs and even product packaging.
Most importantly the symbol has a history and can be found by searching the internet. Two explainations are as follow. [I do not know how to post pictures or I would attach a few that I just found for karate and non karate organizations.not just Uechi ryu.]

[quote]

The meaning of the crest:
The symbol in the center is called "Hidari Mitsu-Domoe (three souls circling clockwise) which is the crest of Ryukyu (Okinawa) royal families.

There are many stories of the crest.

One is that the Crest was adopted in order to mark the event, when the Northern, Central and Southern kings united to form one Kingdom.

Another is about a man called Janne Eikata, who was a councilor to King Sho Nei-O. Janne was a strong supporter of Okinawa's strong cultural and trading ties with China. Therefore Janne refused to accept the treaty proposed by the Satsuma Clan

Because of that Janne was taken prisoner shipped to Kagoshima and sentenced to die by immersion into boiling oil. On the day of the execution Janne asked if he could be allowed to train a little Te (Karate).

After Janne had practiced for a short time he grabbed to Satsuma Samurais and took them with him as he plunged into the cauldron. The three bodies, stimulated by the movement of the boiling oil, floated on the surface and began to spin in a counter-clocwise direction, like an eddy in the shape of three large commas linked together.

To the people of Okinawa Janne Eikata symbolizes loyalty and courage.

As in folklore from any land there are many versions of the origin of the "Hidari Mitsu-Domoe " circling to the left. Perhaps others out there can share other interpretations and maybe someone on Okinawa can add a bit here.

[gmattson]

but... I was just commenting on how the department of transportation got ahold of the symbol.

Volpe's son trained with me in the early 60s....

The logo of the department of transportation was created by Volpe's son. . . after he trained with me. . .

I didn't say anyone has any rights to the symbol. It's origins are in China from what I understand.

I just found it's history in the US Government interesting.

Oh yes, do you remember when UMass adopted it? And what is the history of it's creation?

[Bill Glasheen]

Take your cursor, and place it gently over the logo on the webpage. You will see the following:

U.S. Department of Transportation Logo: Blue Triskellion (sic)

A trip to the American Heritage Dictionary gives us the following:

tri-skel-i-on A figure consisting of three curved lines or branches, or three stylized human arms or legs, radiating from a common center.

A little word study gives us:

tri = three

skelos = leg


So, we have an Irish triskelion...


...a middle-eastern triskelian...



...and a triskelion flag from the Isle of Man...



Here's a little history...

Origin of the triskelion
According to the World Encyclopedia of Flags, by A. Znamierovski, 1999:
'The triskelion (from the Greek "three-legged") is one of the oldest symbols known to mankind. The earliest representations of it were found in prehistoric rock carvings in northern Italy. It also appears on Greek vases and coins from the 6th and 8th centuries BC., and was revered by Norse and Sicilian peoples. The Sicilian version has a representation of the head of Medusa in the center. The Manx people believe that the triskelion came from Scandinavia. According to Norse mythology, the triskelion was a symbol of the movement of the sun through the heavens.'
Jarig Bakker, 27 April 2000

In "Emblemes et symboles des Bretons et des Celtes" (Coop Breizh, 1998), Divy Kervella explores in depth the possible meaning of the triskell. It is the symbol of triplicity in unity, one of the basis of the Celtic religion, and probably originally a solar symbol. Triplicity in the Celtic civilisation is exemplified by:
- the staff of the Celtic pantheon: Lugh, Daghda (Taran), and Ogme ;
- the unique goddess who has three aspects: daughter, wife, and mother ;
- the division of the society in three classes: priestly class, ruling and martial class, and productive class (craftsmen, farmers, fishers ...)
- the philosophical conceptions of the world based on number 3: the three circles of existence, the bardic triads...
The triskell is also often said to represent the three dynamics elements: water, air, and fire, or the wave of sea, the breath of wind, and the flame of fire. One of these elements is sometimes replaced by the furrow of the earth. A more complex interpretation says that the centre of the triskell is the static earth, which receives life from the three dynamic elements. The spiral could symbolize life, dynamics and enthusiasm, as opposed to everything straight and spellbound.

The representation of the triskell must be dextrogyrous (turning to the right). A senstrogyrous (turning to the left) triskell would have a maleficent, or at least hostile meaning. Traditional Breton dances and processions always turn to the right. The war dances of the ancient Celts started by turning to the left to show hostility, and ended by turning to the right, as a sign of victory.

The triskell is close to the hevoud, another Celtic symbol and the Basque lauburu, and is probably of pre-Celtic origin (for instance on the cairn of Bru na Boinne in Ireland).
Ivan Sache, 27 April 2000

Local people have an explanation as to why the legs turn anti-clockwise; this is in order that we do not kneel to the British!
Christine Cain, 4 April 2002

In the 19th century, it became fashionable for the Manx to associate themselves with everything Norse, and it is possible that the supposed Norse origin of the Manx flag came about at this time... although the triskele and swastika(!) were known amongst Norse people, they weren't particularly common... the three-armed symbol however occurs in "stripped-down" form very early on in so called Celtic art, and it's likely that the armour on the legs is a medieval addition. Usually the early forms appeared as a three-armed "swirl" on pottery and the like, and the arms were rounded. This is far more likely than any of the fanciful "Viking" origins. The actual direction of the legs on the flag tends to be arbitrary, although I believe it has been established by law in recent years... one can still see logos, souvenirs etc right next to each other with the legs going in opposite directions. If I remember rightly, there is a wood cut of an early meeting of the Manx parliament, with the triskele clearly depicted on the wall - turning CLOCKWISE!
Ray Bell, 15 November 2002

- allstates-flag.com

- Bill