• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Trident Road Graffiti in Brittany, France

A

Anonymous

Guest
Just had a 24 hour shopping trip to Brittany to stock up the essentials of life - cheese and garlic. ;)

One thing struck me as odd - between Roscoff & Morlaix ( I didn't travel farther affield, they may be more widespread) there were painted white tridents on the roads.

An inverted semi circle bisected with a vertical line.

It was obviously graffiti, I'm fairly up on symbolism, but drew a blank with this - can anyone offer an explanation as to what these marking mean?
 
Although I'm unable to find corroboration in Rudolph Koch's The Book of Signs (First Edition Club of London, 1930), I will nonetheless submit that the symbol means "go fork yourself."
 
Perhaps there is a bizarre cult of Poseiden/Neptune worshippers in Brittany?
 
Hmmmm........ :lol:

I do know that trident imagery has been associated with fighting evil and also, confusingly, causing evil i.e. by belonging to demonised Pagan Gods.

What's the contemporary meaning, and why just on the roads?

Is it some green element trying to hex all road users?

Is it some evil element encouraging road users?
 
Something to do with the movement for Breton independence?

The trident symbol described above also reminded me immediately of the triple line symbol of the Gorsedd of Bards: / | \ .

More info on the Gorsedd here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorsedd

So, Breton bard graffiti?
 
Coppertop said:
Something to do with the movement for Breton independence?
Click to expand...


Quite likely, CT.

They do have a strong regional identity.

It did have a feel of an underground movement, to me.
 
From where I'm sitting, I can see my Dictionary of Sybols on its shelf. But I'd have to climb over a stack of crap to get to it.

I will dig it out later, as I'm fairly sure the symbol described is in there. Actually I think it'a on the cover.
 
It does not, however, belong uniquely to the BDSM world. Besides its basic Celtic significance, this Triskele has become a symbol for Breton Nationalism, a movement for political independence of the French region of Brittany, which has a Celtic background and culture.
Click to expand...

Source

Does it look anything like this:

NotEmb6.gif
 
Thanks for that, Heckler.

It's not that symbol, though.

It's a stretched out 'U' bisected by a vertical line - looks like a stylised trident, but maybe it has another name.

Interestingly, the adopted Breton symbol that you show above is also a Pagan Triple-Goddess symbol, possibly originating from the Celts IIRC.

neptune14pt.gif


It's like this image, but without the bottom cross bar.
 
Quicksilver said:
It's a stretched out 'U' bisected by a vertical line - looks like a stylised trident, but maybe it has another name.

Interestingly, the adopted Breton symbol that you show above is also a Pagan Triple-Goddess symbol, possibly originating from the Celts IIRC.

neptune14pt.gif


It's like this image, but without the bottom cross bar.
Click to expand...

Anything like this? http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/05/051.html
 
Found this from symbols.com, but I doubt this has any significance in this case:
In both the French and the British system of hobo signs
0501.gif
means work or here they give you food if you work.
Click to expand...
Or maybe it has something to do with Tour de France?!
This symbol
0503.gif
is painted on the road especially on the mountain stages where a guy in devil costume chases the riders.

Edit: too slow.
 
Very interesting thanks, guys - i'll pour over it in a while
 
Just yesterday I noted the same grafitti on a pavement in Plumstead [London]. First I thought it was markings for builders but then I saw the signature. It was 3 of them in a row, and I only noted these because of this thread. So not only in france eh?
 
It's also the symbol for Club Med, perhaps they are opening a new resort in Plumstead?


Nah! ;)
 
The thick plottens, eh Dingo?

Maybe an attempt at a Euro-takeover by traditionalist farmers?

Someone must know why they've been daubed on roads - and why just roads?

Is there an underground movement with this symbol?

Is it someone who wants good coverage on the FTMB? :lol:

The tridents must be there for a reason - someone knows - care to come clean?
 
No way, I'll probably get mugged if I'd do that...
Its chavland!
 
Just to be different:

Maybe it's a pitchfork, for building hayricks, etc!

(But don't ask me why they should be on Breton roads! :D )
 
The main drag between Roscoff & Morlaix (and a few little roads around there which we 'visited' when we took a wrong turn. :)
 
Hi - I'm one of Sepulchrave's friends, and I'm from Brittany. I'm pretty sure they're something to do with farmers' protests a few years back - so they probably do represent a pitchfork. More political than esoteric, though. I imagine that they painted them along roads because they thought they'd reach a large number of people that way.
 
OT: has anyone seen graffiti saying '54' ? Just the number, nothing else.
 
Hokum said:
OT: has anyone seen graffiti saying '54' ? Just the number, nothing else.
Click to expand...

No, what area?
 
South coast. Bournemouth, Southampton. Pretty wide spread. It's just 54, sometimes with a circle round it. I assumed it was a local gang, but I can't imagine them travelling to Southampton just to daub it on a railway line.

54 monkeys? :)
 
Incidently, just to throw a decoy iron in the fire, the tridant features on the flag of Barbados. Bajan, Pagans in Exile?

barbados-flag.gif
[/img]
 
Quicksilver said:
Thanks for that, Heckler.

It's not that symbol, though.

It's a stretched out 'U' bisected by a vertical line - looks like a stylised trident, but maybe it has another name.

Interestingly, the adopted Breton symbol that you show above is also a Pagan Triple-Goddess symbol, possibly originating from the Celts IIRC.

neptune14pt.gif


It's like this image, but without the bottom cross bar.
Click to expand...
What you're describing sounds like the Elder Futhark rune Elhaz as seen below:

ro-elhaz.jpg


Elhaz is a rune of protection, personal protection in particular. The rune is also used to safeguard property, such as buildings and vehicles.
 
Sepulchrave said:
Hi - I'm one of Sepulchrave's friends, and I'm from Brittany. I'm pretty sure they're something to do with farmers' protests a few years back - so they probably do represent a pitchfork. More political than esoteric, though. I imagine that they painted them along roads because they thought they'd reach a large number of people that way.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, friend of Sepulchrave.

Using Occam's Razor - that explanation has got to be the real one.

A bit mundane, but there you go.. :roll:

Gnomey, it's got curvy bits and a shorter 'tail', not runic unfortunately - that would be something! :)
 
There could be another explanation, the Tour De France regularly passes through this region of France, and i know from watching previous tours that all sorts of symbols and names are painted on the roads for certain riders and teams. Just a thought.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top