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Gordian Knot

This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Gordian Knot.

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The Gordian Knot is a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (untying an impossibly-tangled knot) solved easily by finding an approach to the problem that renders the perceived constraints of the problem moot ("cutting the Gordian knot").

The knot may have been a religious knot-cipher guarded by Gordian/Midas' priests and priestesses. Robert Graves suggested that it may have symbolised the ineffable name of Dionysus that, knotted like a cipher, would have been passed on through generations of priests and revealed only to the kings of Phrygia.

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Graphical characteristics:
Symmetric, Closed shape, Monochrome, Contains curved lines, Has crossing lines.

Category: Miscellaneous.

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