RE: What is With the Strange Symbolism on the Front of an Oreo Cookie?
Oh, this is exciting stuff right there! Twenty years ago I may have gotten even more excited about uncovering conspiracies in everyday objects... You know about the pack of Marlboros? (How could you not! Though I realize, smoking has become very uncool since, and thus the secret symbolism found on cigi packs got less interesting. Could the same fate be awaiting Oreos once high doses of sugar are made uncool too?)
But wait, that's not even what I set out to write!
Could it be that the same symbol could mean different things in different contexts? Take the alleged Patriarchal Cross on the Hungarian (and these days also Slovakian) coat of arms. Though it appears identical, it was actually based on the symbol of the egy sound in the ancient Hungarian script, which also symbolized sacred unity. Even in modern Hungarian the word for the number one is egy.
Or the Iron Cross, which goes back to the order of the Teutonic Knights. Now I'm not saying the two orders were completely separate, on the contrary... But that also meant neither of them had exclusivity on the symbol.
Finally, you may have heard that conquistadors in the lands of the Maya came upon crosses erected in certain spots in the mountains, which looked exactly like christian crosses. Did the Maya know something about Christianity before European contact? Well, the explanation is simple: they didn't. To them the symbol of the cross simply marked the location of springs.
Anyway, as you can see, I still can get excited about these things! So thanks for sharing it. Though I have to admit that the biggest question these days seems to be: why would anyone put any types of symbolism onto a cookie, and sell it to people who could clearly care less about it?
Thank you for your comment and enthusiasm! Interesting about the Hungarian coat of arms. Crosses are a very simple symbol and I'm sure it's meaning is not universal. It's more the combination of all three symbols together that makes a case in my opinion.
That is a great question. Perhaps it's purpose is for subtle advertising. Nobody can be invited into the Free Masonic society, a person has to inquire about it. Maybe the symbolism is there to cause us to subconsciously associate these symbols with positive memories. Or maybe it's just an inside joke.