These derivations have been traced by Renkama, who illustrated how Greek letters can be transformed into the graphic male and female symbols still recognised today ( fig 2).

What of the graphic symbols themselves? The most established view is that they are derived from contractions in Greek script of the Greek names of these planets, namely Thouros (Mars) and Phosphoros (Venus). Metaphorically, in comparison with the sun and the purest metal gold, iron was baser, harder, and associated with Mars and the masculine copper, which was also base, was softer and associated with Phosphoros or Venus and the feminine. Later, religious rites that revolved around the seasons and were practised by many crafts (but particularly those involving metal-work) formed the links between the gods, astronomical signs, and metals. These heavenly bodies had become associated with the names of gods, a concept the ancient Greeks acquired from the Babylonians. Filled symbols denote clinically affected individuals with facio-scapulo-humeral muscular dystrophy 10įor the ancients, movements of the heavenly bodies seemed to influence the seasons and thus the cycles of growth of plants and of breeding of animals. One version of the classical male and female symbols on a pedigree.

Greek symbol for female