The Fazer Rooster

At the city center of Helsinki stands a Björn Weckström statue called The Fazer Rooster. Helsinki art museum introduction:

"The Fazer Group donated 'The Fazer Rooster' to the City of Helsinki as a part of its 100th anniversary celebrations. The work belongs to the collections of the Helsinki Art Museum. 'The Rooster' is located in front of Fazer's famous café on Kluuvikatu. It was unveiled on September 17, 1991. The bronze sculpture is a stylized Fazer symbol, a rooster. In fact, it is so stylized that it invites the viewer to see other forms - someone has suggested that Weckström used a cervical vertebra of an elk as a model."

See how there's yet another obelisk?

Mr. Karl Fazer, the founder of Fazer company, was a Freemason. Are you surprised to hear that the rooster is a masonic symbol?

Karl Fazer and the masonic "hidden hand"

Rooster was one of the symbols of the Greek god Hermes. In Rome, this god was known as Mercury.

Hermes/Mercury and the rooster

In masonic context, Hermes/Mercury is an embodiment of masonry. The symbolism of freemasonry is considered as hermetic.

"Mercury, as known to the Romans and as Thoth by the Egyptians, the god Hermes, is considered by Pike to represent the Master of the Lodge." - Russell R. Boedeker, 32nd degree Freemason

"Manly P. Hall in his work, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, states, “…he [Hermes] was the author of the Masonic initiatory rituals…Nearly all of the Masonic symbols are Hermetic in character" - ibid

"In all the old manuscript records which contain the Legend of the Craft, mention is made of Hermes as one of the founders of Freemasonry." (masonicdictionary.com)

Another famous symbol of Hermes is the caduceus. He inherited it from his Egyptian counterpart Thoth. Thoth, the god of wisdom, was depicted with a head of an ibis bird. There is an interesting passage in the Bible about rooster and ibis.

"Who gives the ibis wisdom or gives the rooster understanding?" - Job 38:36 (New International Version)

Funny how easy it is to find blatant paganism from the Bible.

Hermes holding the caduceus

Thoth holding two caduceuses

Hermeticism is an integral part of freemasonry ("Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn", "Hermetic Degrees",  "Hermetic Rites" etc.) and the esoteric arts of "the Elite". The father of hermeticism is the mythical Egyptian high priest and mage called Hermes Trismegistus. For Freemasons he is the so called forefather of masonry. 

"Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great Hermes," emerged from the amalgamation of the wisdom gods Hermes and Thoth and is one of the most enigmatic figures of intellectual history. Since antiquity, the legendary "wise Egyptian" has been considered the creator of several mystical and magical writings on such topics as alchemy, astrology, medicine, and the transcendence of God. Philosophers of the Renaissance celebrated Hermes Trismegistus as the founder of philosophy, Freemasons called him their forefather, and Enlightenment thinkers championed religious tolerance in his name. To this day, Hermes Trismegistus is one of the central figures of the occult — his name is synonymous with the esoteric." - Florian Ebeling

Hermes Trismegistus

Hermes symbolism is widely used by "the Elite":

Hermes and the UBS bank

Hermes statue, Rochester, USA

Hermes, Grand Central Terminal, New York, USA

Golden boy (Hermes), Manitoba legislative building, Winnipeg, Canada

Hermes, Budapest, Hungary

Freddie Mercury statue, Switzerland

Hermes logo

Hermes statue in the first James Bond movie Dr. No (upper right corner)

Going back to The Fazer Rooster. The obvious Hermes symbolism is not the only layer of symbolism in this statue. There is another layer, not too surprising for the readers of this blog.

First we have to look at the satellite image of Helsinki. The statue forms a straight line on the map with the tarot statues of Lönnrot memorial and Alexander II statue.

From left to right: Lönnrot memorial, The Fazer Rooster, Alexander II

And another line:

From left to right: Lasipalatsi clock tower, The Fazer Rooster, The Stone of the Empress  

And another:

From left to right: Fact and Fable, The Fazer Rooster, The Law

And another:

From left to right: Aleksis Kivi statue, The Fazer Rooster, The Shipwrecked 

See the pattern? Always in the middle.

Let's take a closer look on the two last lines. The Fazer Rooster is in the middle and the four other statues around it are all tarot statues. Fact and Fable depicts the tarot card Star, which is ruled by the sign of Aquarius.

On the opposite side is The Law, which depicts the tarot card Strength, which is ruled by the sign of Leo.

Aleksis Kivi statue represents the card The Hierophant, which is ruled by the sign of Taurus.

On the opposite side is The Shipwrecked, which represents the card Death, which is ruled by the sign of Scorpio.

The four tarot statues around The Fazer Rooster

The four signs, Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio are the four Fixed signs of the zodiac, forming a cross on the zodiac wheel.

Fixed signs

There are two tarot cards, that have these signs on the corners of the card: Wheel of Fortune and The World. In the most well known tarot deck, Rider-Waite, The World has Sophia the goddess of wisdom in the middle.

(The card is somewhat confusing, because the symbol of the sign of Scorpio used to be and eagle.)

From the upper left corner: Aquarius, Scorpio (used to be an eagle), Leo and Taurus

But if you look at some other older decks, instead of Sophia there is someone else as the main character of the card. Can you guess who?

The World and Hermes

The World and Hermes

Fact and Fable

At Esplanadi park, Helsinki, stands a Gunnar Finne statue Fact and Fable. Helsinki art museum introduction:

"In 1928 a competition was arranged for a memorial to Zacharias Topelius. The competition was won by Gunnar Finne's with his entry 'Fact and Fable', which was later unveiled in 1932.

'Fact and Fable' consists of two allegorical female figures: 'Fact' with the flame of truth on her palm, and 'Fable' with the crown-headed bird of fable resting on her fingers. The figures face opposite directions: 'Fact' looks down the Esplanadi park while 'Fable's' gaze is turned to the sidewalk off Pohjoisesplanadi'. The figures are formed in a way which accents non-material features, and the imagery is refined and pure. The aim has been to create an illusory atmosphere in both the maidens' figures and in the balancing composition."

Fact and Fable

Topelius and the masonic "hidden hand"

First of all, Zacharias Topelius (aka Sakari Topelius) was a Freemason. So it's more than likely, that the memorial has some hidden in plain sight symbolism. Just look at the details, and see how this statue is yet another example of tarot symbolism.

Flame and a bird? And nude females?

The statue depicts the card Star. The most common tarot deck, Rider-Waite, has on this card a nude female pouring water from two jugs. On the background one can see a bird. In this version, the card does not have the flame. But if look at some other decks, like the old Marseille deck, you can see there is also a flame on the card.

Rider-Waite Star

Marseille Star

But why does the statue have two ladies instead of one?

To understand that, you need to know something about this card. This card represents the combined power of intellect and imagination. When you are in the state of "creative flow", you are using both sides of your brain. The lady pouring the water on earth and water represents exactly this. She is using both conscious mind (water poured on ground --> analysis, reason, evidence) and sub-conscious mind (water poured on water --> imagination, intuition, symbols, archetypes).

Fact and Fable represent a corrupt version of this. Or one could say the statue represents a reversed Star. Two naked ladies facing different directions represents a divided mind which has no natural connection or flow of the both sides of mind.

The Finnish name of the statue is Taru ja Totuus. The English translation Fact and Fable is not quite accurate. "Taru" means "story", like an allegorical story or children's tale. "Totuus" means "truth", not fact. Truth and fact are not quite the same.

"Tarot" used to be known as "taruth", which is the etymological origins for "truth". You see the obvious etymological connection the name of the statue has with tarot? Taru. Truth.

Tarot is way older than is commonly believed. Tarot as a divination art has its origins in ancient Egypt. Words like tarot, taruth, truth, thought, torah and the Finnish taru are all etymologically connected. Looking for the origins of these words leads you to way back in ancient Egypt. One of the oldest known goddesses of Egypt was called Taurt - the hippopotamus.

Taurt

Taurt was the great mother goddess, which represented the constellation of Ursa Minor. This constellation was very important for ancients, for it was one of the never-setting constellations near the pole star. In the Dendera zodiac you can see Taurt right in the middle.

Taurt in the middle of Dendera zodiac

More examples of tarot statues on page Esoteric statues.

Wall Street Bull

One of the most famous sculptures in New York City is the Charging Bull by Arturo Di Modica. The statue stands in Bowling Green and is also known as Wall Street Bull.

Wikipedia:

"The 7,100-pound (3,200 kg) sculpture stands 11 feet (3.4 m) tall and measures 16 feet (4.9 m) long. The oversize sculpture depicts a bull, the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity, leaning back on its haunches and with its head lowered as if ready to charge. The sculpture is both a popular tourist destination which draws thousands of people a day, as well as "one of the most iconic images of New York" and a "Wall Street icon" symbolizing Wall Street and the Financial District."

The esoteric symbolism of the statue has an obvious link to astrology and the sign of Taurus. But there is more to it.

To understand the deeper esoteric symbolism of the statue, one must be familiar with the history of "the Elite" that goes back to ancient Egypt and pharaoh Akhenaton. I recommend you read first the article Akhenaton and the Hyksos kings.

Bull symbolism has a special meaning in the Cult of Aton. When Akhenaton implemented the religious reform in Egypt, only the worship of the sun god Aton was allowed. Worship of other gods was forbidden, except few gods which were tolerated. One of the exceptions was the Mnevis bull.

" ... the Mnevis bull was one of the few deities apparently tolerated by Akhenaten who decreed that a cemetery for the divine animal was to be made in his capital Akhetaten" - Richard Wilkinson (The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt)

Mnevis bull

The probable reason for this "toleration" was the fact the Mnevis bull had a close connection to the old sun god Ra (or Re), which was kind of a prototype of Aton. In Egyptian mythology Mnevis bull was considered as the soul ("ba") of Ra.

"The divine bull of Heliopolis which was known to the Egyptians as Mer-Wer and called by the Greeks Mnevis was originally an independent deity who was incorporated into the worship of the sun god at an unknown early date. Manetho claimed that the god's cult was introduced in the 2nd dynasty, but he appears in only a minor capacity as the 'bull of Heliopolis' in the Pyramid Text. Yet at some point Mnevis came to be regarded as the ba or 'power' of Re and a manifestation of the combined Re-Atum and as such gained considerable importance." - ibid

Mnevis bull and the solar disc (similar to Aton) between its horns

More examples of hidden in plain sight symbolism of statues on page Esoteric statues.

Three Smiths

Right in the middle of Helsinki city center stands a Felix Nylund statue called Three smiths. Helsinki art museum introduction:

"The statue was commissioned by the Pro Helsingfors foundation, which donated it to the City of Helsinki. Felix Nylund (1878-1940) entered a sculpture with a smith theme in 1913 in the competition for the J.W. Snellman memorial. In 1919, Nylund made a drawing where the three smiths are placed on top of a 10-metre column. Although these early plans were never realized, Nylund reapplied the theme in the `The Three Smiths' which was to be placed in front of the Old Student House.

The `Three smiths' has been interpreted to symbolize, for instance, human labour and cooperation between people. The model for the master smith was Paavo Koskinen, a brick layer. The facial features are from the poet Arvid Mörne. The smith raising the hammer is a self-portrait of the young Nylund, while the third smith was modelled on the stone cutter Aku Nuutinen, an important assistant of Felix Nylund's. The statue is realistic with tones of Classicism. The statue is cast in bronze and its pedestal is red granite. The Latin text "MONUMENTUM - PONENDUM - CURAVIT - LEGATUM - J. TALLBERGIANUM - PRO HELSINGFORS A.D. MCMXXXII" is inscribed on the pedestal."

Three smiths

Three smiths

Symbolizes human labor and cooperation? Yeah, right.

There are two layers of esoteric symbolism in this statue. If you know anything about Freemasonry and masonic symbolism, you should be able to notice this one common masonic symbol - the hammer.

Masonic symbolism: Three hammers

Masonic symbolism: Hammer

Masonic symbolism: Hammer/gavel

There's a reason why this statue has three smiths and one of them is called the master smith. This is a reference to the original masonic grade system, which had only three grades, and the highest grade was called master mason. Today these three lowest grades are called the blue lodge.

Hammer has a part in the initiation ceremony of the third grade. In this ritual, the candidate gets struck by a hammer.

Masonic symbolism: Hammer and the initiation of the third grade

The origins of the hammer symbolism in the masonic context goes back to the myth of Tubal Cain.

"Tubal Cain has been consecrated among Masons of the present day as an ancient brother. His introduction of the arts of civilization having given the first value to property. Tubal Cain has been considered among Masons as a symbol of worldly possessions." - Albert Mackey

"The Mason must 'follow in the footsteps of his forefather, Tubal-Cain, who with the mighty strength of the war god hammered his sword into a plowshare." - Manly Palmer Hall

Tubal Cain and a hammer in front of the UN building in New York

On esoteric level, the symbolism of the hammer is about shaping the world into the liking of the "Elite". This is communicated loud and clear in the famous Fabian Window in London School of Economics. Hammer has become the symbol of the socialist (collectivist) agenda of the "Elite".

Fabian Window: Hammering the world

Other examples of hammer symbolism:

Hammer in the USSR emblem

Hammer and the masonic compass in the East-Germany emblem

The pope and the hammer

And of course the products of the entertainment industry of the "Elite" are sometimes depicted with the hammer:

Pink Floyd and the marching hammers

The Beatles, the hammer and three nails on the head - subtle masonic symbolism

Let's go back to the Three smiths. The second layer of hidden in plain sight esoteric symbolism is about tarot. The statue depicts the card Wheel of Fortune.

Three smiths:

1. The pedestal is of round shape.
2. The statue has three characters.
3. One of the smiths is a leading master smith
4. The master smith holds an iron bar.
5. There is text on the round pedestal.
6. The statue is in front of a book store and a former university building.

Wheel of Fortune:

1. The wheel is a round object.
2. The card has three characters.
3. One of the characters, the sphinx, is at the moment a ruling figure. (The one at the top.)
4. The sphinx holds a sword, which was once an iron bar.
5. There is text on the round wheel.
6. There are four characters in the corners reading a book.

In mythology we have many gods with hammers. In Fenno-Scandinavia the hammer was the symbol of Thor / Ukko (Finnish version). Both were thunder gods.

Thor's hammer

Ukko's hammer
(Finnish word for thunder is ukkonen)

In ancient Greece the smith god was called Hephaestus. In Rome he was called Vulcan. They were the gods of the volcanoes. An erupting volcano was considered as Hephaestus/Vulcan at work.

Hephaestus / Vulcan

The volcano god at work

What very few people seem to know, is that all the smith gods are based on the oldest of them all, Goibniu of the Irish mythology. He was the blacksmith of the tribe of the goddess Danu - Tuatha de Danann.

Goibniu