A Question on American Symbolism

[Tenochtitlan]

I was looking at the 1 dollar bill the other day and begun searched for symbols. I came across the eagle that had arrows, berries, and an herb held with its feet. What do they symbolize and why is there exactly 13 of each.

Another question is: why does the US flag have exactly 13 flags? What does that symbolize?

Also there is a pyramid and an eye at the peak. I believe that it is called the all-seeing eye. What are they implying?



Note: I counted only after I have read somewhere that there were 13 of each.

 

[sysyphus]

I know that the 13 represents the original 13 colonies that formed the United States. The rest I cannot explain, though I'm suspect the the eye in the Pyramid thing is LSD related.

 

[Turner]

"13" when dealing with the American gov't generally denotes the original 13 colonies, as sysyphus said. However, I don't know beyond that.

Have you tried googling for results? I think the pyramid also has something to do with the Illuminati, if you happen to believe in that kind of thing.

 

[zulu9812]

The all-seeing eye is supposedly a symbol of the Illuminati, Freemasons or some other secret society.

 

[GoldEagle]

Could arrows, berries, and herbs have to do with the respect for Native Americans? Or the symbolism of the North America in the 1700s?

 

[Turner]

Respect for Native Americans? The government? Puh-leaze!

But let's not threadjack....

 

[Tenochtitlan]

The all-seeing eye is supposedly a symbol of the Illuminati, Freemasons or some other secret society.

If so, why is it on the money?

 

[happy_Alex]

The eye on a pyramid represents Gods ability to see everything, i e all sides.

 

[aussieboy]

If so, why is it on the money?

Many of the Founding Fathers were connected with the Freemasons. It was very popular among the intelligentsia during their time.

As others have said, the occurence of 13 in symbolism is the original 13 states that formed the Union.

 

[blackheart]

Eagles: the Bird of America. The arrows are for war, the shrubs (olive branches) are for peace. War and peace on each side.

13 flags: Original 13 colonies

Pyramida with Eye: symbol of the Freemason's, most of the foundind fathers were part of this organization

There's also a lot of other, more-hidden symbols on each of the bills to help protect against counterfeiting.

 

[Tenochtitlan]

Did a search and found this interesting video, check it out

 

[odintheking]

13 - 13 original colonies
Eye Pyramid - Freemason thing; most of the Founding Fathers were masons
Arrows and Olive Branches - America's capability to do war or diplomacy

 

[JtheJackal]

Here are the real meaning of the symbols (ie: no freemanson illuminati stuff)

http://money.howstuffworks.com/question518.htm

 

[Evil Tyrant]

I was looking at the 1 dollar bill the other day and begun searched for symbols. I came across the eagle that had arrows, berries, and an herb held with its feet. What do they symbolize and why is there exactly 13 of each.

Another question is: why does the US flag have exactly 13 flags? What does that symbolize?

Also there is a pyramid and an eye at the peak. I believe that it is called the all-seeing eye. What are they implying?



Note: I counted only after I have read somewhere that there were 13 of each.

I don't really know for sure about the berries and arrows, but I suspect they symbolise the US in peace and war. Berries=peace, arrows=war, the herb thing looks like the berries are growing on it, so I think it is part of the berry motif. I don't really know for sure, but that is my guess.

As others have mentioned, the number 13 refers to the founding colonies, originally they added a star and a stripe for each state that joined the union, but as more states joined the union, the number of stripes began to get out of hand so they decided to restore the flag to it's original 13 stripes and only add a star for each state.

The all seeing eye is a mason thing, and is probably on there because many of our founding fathers were masons.

 

[cgannon64]

Even if most of the Founding Fathers were freemasons, the current $1 bill wasn't designed until the 20th century (IIRC). So why the hell would it be on there?

Let's not forget that there was an anti-Mason party in American politics. Seems like a fairly controversial thing to put on the bill.

 

[shadow2k]

Most of the founding fathers were NOT freemasons. Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Only nine of those men were confirmed to be Masons.

William Ellery
Benjamin Franklin
John Hancock
Joseph Hewes
William Hooper
Robert Paine
Richard Stockton
George Walton
William Whipple

The official seal of the US was accepted on June 20, 1782. The eagle is the front, and the pyramid/eye is the back. Ben Franklin was the only Mason involved in the design of the seal, and he did not contribute anything of masonic origin. The pyramid/eye was submitted by the first committee's consultant, Pierre Du Simitiere...a non-mason. Although it was turned down originally, it was redesigned a bit by the third committee and finally accepted by congress.

Congress' official interpretation of the pyramid/eye = The Pyramid signified Strength and Duration: The Eye over it & the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favor of the American cause.

 

[Steph]

13 - 13 original colonies
Eye Pyramid - Freemason thing; most of the Founding Fathers were masons
Arrows and Olive Branches - America's capability to do war or diplomacy

Is it true that Bush wants to make a new version of the US great seal without the Olive Branches?

 

[The Last Conformist]

I always thought the eye-in-a-triangle was a symbol of God. It's certainly been used that way in other contexts (incl. on some Bibles I've seen!).

 

[PHSikes]

Is it true that Bush wants to make a new version of the US great seal without the Olive Branches?

Yes,
And he is just a CLONE of his father,
AND doesn't like stem-cell research because then we'll find out just how many 'people' in government are really ALIENS!!



Sorry, someone had to do it

 

[Pyrite]

"Yes,
And he is just a CLONE of his father,
AND doesn't like stem-cell research because then we'll find out just how many 'people' in government are really ALIENS!!"

Damn, that's what this all seeing eye is alluding too innit, some sort of alien overlord that built the pyramids and the united states government. That predator movie had somethin to it.