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{{short description|Three-prong spear}} | |||
] sculpture holding a trident]] | |||
{{Other uses}} | |||
A '''trident''' (from ] 'tridens', 'tridentis', from 'tri', three, 'dens', tooth, 'dentes', teeth) is a three pronged staff. | |||
]]] | |||
A '''trident''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|r|aɪ|d|ə|n|t}}) is a three-] ]. It is used for ] and historically as a ]. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will be able to dislodge itself if struck badly. On the other hand, they are not so many as to overly reduce the spear's ]. | |||
The trident is the tool of ] (]) or ] (]) used for the protection of the sea realms, the god of the sea in ]. Other sea deities such as ] or ] were also often depicted with a trident in ]. Later, tridents were used in medieval ], sometimes held by a ] or ]. In ], it is the weapon of ] and is known as a '']'' (] for "triple-spear"). It is also associated with the superhero ]. The trident is an important military (especially naval) symbol as an element for forces such as ], ], ], ], and ]. It is included in many logos including the corporate logos of ] and ] and the athletic logos of ] and ]. | |||
It was used by ] to catch fish. | |||
==Etymology== | |||
As a weapon it was also used by the '']'', ] ]s that used a ] to wrap their adversary and a trident to kill him. | |||
]'', late 16th to early 17th century]] | |||
The word "trident" comes from the ] word ''{{linktext|tridens}}'' or ''{{linktext|tridentis}}'': ''tri'' meaning "three" and ''dentes'' meaning "teeth", referring specifically to the three prongs, or "teeth", of the weapon.<ref> at the Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed on 23 March 2024.</ref> | |||
== Symbolic use == | |||
The ] equivalent is {{lang|grc|{{linktext|τρίαινα}}}} (''tríaina''), from ] ''trianja'', meaning "threefold". The Greek term does not imply three of anything specific, and is vague about the shape, thus the assumption it was originally of "trident" form has been challenged.<ref name=walters/> | |||
From the fish meaning, it is often associated with ], the ] of the sea in ]. By hitting the earth with his trident, Poseidon created the ] and some water sources in Greece. | |||
Latin ''{{linktext|fuscina}}'' also means "trident".<ref>{{citation|editor-last1=Lewis |editor-first1=Charlton T. |editor-link1=Charlton T. Lewis |editor-last2=Short |editor-first2=Charles |editor-link2=<!--Charles Short--> |title=fuscina |work=A Latin Dictionary |publisher=Clarendon Press |year=1879 |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3Dfuscina }}</ref> | |||
As a symbol it is the central figure of the ] of ]. A highly stylised trident (the ''tryzub'') constitutes the ] coat of arms. | |||
The Sanskrit name for the trident, '']'', is a compound of ''tri'' त्रि for "three" and ''śūla'' शूल for "thorn", calling the trident's three prongs "thorns" rather than "teeth" or dant in Sanskrit, making the word "Tridant" for trident.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} | |||
The trident is also the missile ] of the ] ] ], and it often includes a crossed stabiliser to facilitate its fly when thrown. | |||
== Mythology and art == | |||
In ] tradition the trident is associated with ], and his depictions commonly include a trident as his ]. | |||
] island]] | |||
== |
=== Poseidon === | ||
{{Main|Trident of Poseidon}} | |||
The trident is associated with the sea god ]. This divine instrument is said to have been forged by the ].<ref>], '']'' 1.2. {{harvp|Frazer tr.|1921}}, '''1''':11; {{URL|1=http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:1.2|2=text version}} via ].</ref> | |||
Poseidon struck a rock with his trident, causing a sea (or a saltwater spring, called the ]) to appear nearby on the ] in ].<ref>], '']'' 3.14. {{harvp|Frazer tr.|1921}}, '''2''':79 and note 2; {{URL|1=http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:3.14|2=text version}} via ].</ref><ref name=hurwit/> And according to Roman sources, Neptune struck the earth with the trident to produce the first ].<ref>Virgil, {{URL|1=http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi002.perseus-eng1:1.1-1.42|2=''Georgics'' 1.12ff}}, ''apud'' {{harvp|Frazer tr.|1921}}, '''2''':79 and note 2</ref> | |||
* ] is also the codename of the rendering engine in the ] version of ] ] in versions 4-6. | |||
*], an ] used by the ] and ] | |||
Poseidon, as well as being the god of the sea, was also known as the "Earth Shaker",<ref>], '']'' 930.</ref> believed to cause ];<ref name=mackay/>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Mackay catalogs instances in classical literature where Poseidon is connected with the earthquake, but does not cite use of the trident in any, only mentioning its use in creating the horse.<ref name=mackay/>}} some commentators{{Who|date=November 2022}} have extrapolated that the god would have used the trident to cause them,<ref name=cambridge-anc-hist2/> possibly by striking the earth.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} | |||
*], a ] jet ] | |||
In the Renaissance artist ]'s sculpture '']'' (1622–23), Neptune is posed holding a trident turned downwards, and is thought to reenact a scene from '']'' or ]'s '']'' where he is calming the waves to aid ]'s ships.<ref name=wiklins/> | |||
=== Other sea divinities === | |||
In later Greek and Roman art and literature, other sea deities and their attendants have been depicted holding the trident. | |||
Poseidon's consort ] is often identified by some marine attribute other than a trident, which she never carries according to some scholars, though other commentators have disagreed.<ref name=collignon/>{{Refn|The helmeted goddess bearing a trident has been identified as Amphitrite by ] in a carved ] in the collection of ].<ref name=montfaucon/>}}<!--And the ] on ] page--> | |||
Turning to the retinue or a train of beings which follow the sea deities (the ]) the ]s (]) may be seen bearing tridents.{{sfnp|Mylonopoulos|2009|pp=188–189}} Likewise, the ] (''halios geron'') and the god ] are seen holding tridents.{{sfnp|Mylonopoulos|2009|pp=188–189}} Tritons, other mermen, and the ] can also carry rudders, oars, fish, or dolphins.{{sfnp|Mylonopoulos|2009|pp=188–189}} | |||
Oceanus normally should not carry a trident, allowing him to be clearly distinguished from Poseidon. However, there is ] of the deities in ] iconography, and examples exist where the crab-claw headed Oceanus also bears a trident.{{Refn|Oceanus Mosaic from ];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?partid=1&assetid=661249001&objectid=827698 |title=The Oceanus Mosaic |work=The British Museum}}</ref> The "pavement from Ashcroft Villas, | |||
Cirencester" is also mentioned.}}<ref name=wilson/> Oceanus holding a trident has been found on ] ] as well.{{efn|The reverse side on the ] of ], acquired by the ] in 1998.}}<ref name=williams-numismatic/> | |||
Some '']'' have been depicted carrying tiny tridents.{{efn|] mosaics, Rome. In the center is a square with geometric design (star inscribed in circle), and there are four diagonal spokes from it in the shape of a trident.}}{{sfnp|Blake|1936|p=149}} | |||
The trident is even seen suspended like a pendant on a ] in Roman mosaic art.{{efn|], ], Italy.}}{{sfnp|Blake|1936|p=139}} | |||
=== Hindu Religion === | |||
In Hindu legends and stories ], the ] god uses a ] as his principal weapon. The trident is also said to represent three ]s mentioned in Indian Vedic philosophy namely ].{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} The goddess ] is sometimes portrayed with a trident as well.<ref></ref> | |||
A weapon of South-East Asian (particularly ]) depiction of ], a character of ].{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} | |||
=== Miscellaneous === | |||
In religious ], the trident represents the Taoist Trinity, the ]. In Taoist rituals, a trident bell is used to invite the presence of deities and summon spirits, as the trident signifies the highest authority of Heaven.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} | |||
A fork ] used to take their portions of offerings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et08a02.htm|title=1 Samuel 2 / Hebrew Bible in English / Mechon-Mamre|work=mechon-mamre.org|access-date=2012-11-22|archive-date=2020-10-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003092929/http://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et08a02.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
]]] | |||
In ] within the ], the trident is often held by the figure identified as either a Neptune or a triton,{{Efn|Burke assigns trident to Neptune and Eve to Triton. Eve states the Triton is "sometimes called Neptune", while Burke cross-references "merman" to "Neptune".}}<ref name=burke/><ref name=eve/> or a ].{{Efn|], among others write "triton, or merman" implying interchangeability of these terms.}}<ref name=moule/> | |||
The trident held up by an arm is depicted on some ].<ref name=fox-davies/> | |||
==Use== | |||
] | |||
===Fishing=== | |||
In Ancient Greece, the trident was employed as a ] for spearing large fish, especially ] fishing.<ref name=burkert/> | |||
Tridents used in modern ] usually have barbed ], which trap the speared fish firmly. In the ] and ], '']'' is used for harvesting ], ], ] and many species of ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Turner |first1=Andy |title=Fish Gigging: An Ozark Tradition |url=http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2014/09/fish-gigging-ozark-tradition |publisher=Missouri Department of Conservation |access-date=2015-02-12 |archive-date=2019-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811234836/https://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2014/09/fish-gigging-ozark-tradition |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
=== Agriculture === | |||
It has been used by farmers as a ] to remove leaves, seeds and buds from the stalks of plants such as ] and ].{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} A form of trident is used by the ]s in the Camargue of southern France for herding cattle.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} | |||
===Combat=== | |||
In ] tridents ({{langx|la|{{linktext|tridens}}}} or {{lang|la|{{linktext|fuscina}}|italics=yes}}) were used by a type of ] called a '']'' or "net fighter". The ''retiarius'' was traditionally pitted against a '']'', and ] to wrap his adversary and then used the trident to fight him.<ref>{{Cite DGRA|title=Gladiatores|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7h1XAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA918}}</ref><ref>Auguet, Roland (2012). ''''. London: Routledge. pp. 56–57, 72–74. {{ISBN|0-415-10452-1}}.</ref> | |||
Tridents were also used in medieval ]. | |||
The trident, known as ], is used as a weapon in the 17th- to 18th-century systems of ].{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} | |||
==Modern symbolism== | |||
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2021}} | |||
The glyph or sigil of the planet ] (♆), which alludes to the trident, is used in ] and ]. | |||
=== Political === | |||
] | |||
] incorporates a Trident.]] | |||
* The Tryzub in the ], adopted in 1918 (in a reinterpretation of a medieval emblem which is traced to the ]. | |||
* The ] and presidential flags of Barbados. | |||
* The "forks of the people's anger", adopted by the Russian anti-Soviet revolutionary organization, ] (NTS). | |||
* ], the personification of ] usually depicted to hold a trident. | |||
=== Civilian use === | |||
* The symbol for ] (see *]) | |||
* King Triton, the mascot of the ], holds a trident, and the trident is omnipresent in ]’s athletic gear (See ]) | |||
* The symbol (since June 2008) for the athletic teams (Tritons) at the ] (]). | |||
* ], the mascot of ], holds a trident. ASU recently{{When|date=October 2018}} redesigned its trident as a stand-alone symbol (See ]) | |||
* The trident was used as the original cap insignia and original logo for the ]. Although the Mariners changed their cap insignia & logo away from a trident theme in 1993, the club allows players to use a trident as a prop after hitting home runs during games. The trident prop used by the team is a replica from the 2018 film '']''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kramer|first=Daniel|title=Mariners embrace Aquaman trident as home run prop|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-introduce-aquaman-trident-as-home-run-prop|publisher=]|website=]|date=April 25, 2023|access-date=August 28, 2023}}</ref> | |||
* An element on the flag of the ]. | |||
* The ] logo. | |||
* ]. | |||
* The ], a 1960s British three-engine jet airliner. | |||
* The ] cycle race trophy. | |||
* The exterior of the ] used three-pronged decorative and structural elements at its base, commonly referred to as "tridents". | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
=== Military insignia === | |||
]]] | |||
* The emblem of the ] | |||
* The emblem of the ] | |||
* The insignia of ] | |||
* With ] in the ]. | |||
* The symbol of the Swedish Coastal Rangers, ]. | |||
* The trident is a recurring element in the colours of certain units of the ]. | |||
* The ], and the ], particularly worn by members of the ], and containing a trident representing the three aspects (Sea, Air, and Land) of SEAL special operations. | |||
* Part of the golden-colored ] of the ], which depicts a trident running vertically in its background. In addition, the Naval Academy’s motto, ''Ex scientia tridens'', literally translates from Latin as "From knowledge, a trident", though the official translation is "From knowledge, seapower" (i.e. using the association of the trident with Poseidon/Neptune and other sea gods as a metaphor for naval might). | |||
* The ship's crests of 13 of the 18 ] submarines of the U.S. Navy prominently feature tridents, as both a symbol of maritime power, and in reference to their payloads of ] missiles. | |||
* The rating badge of the United States Coast Guard ]. | |||
* The ] used by Mongolian Honor guards. | |||
* The insignia of the German ] force, ]. | |||
* The rating badge of the United States Navy Ocean Systems Technician (OT) | |||
==Botanical nomenclature== | |||
A number of structures in the biological world are described as ''trident'' in appearance. Since at least the late 19th century the trident shape was applied to certain botanical shapes; for example, certain ] flora were described as having trident-tipped lips in early ] works.<ref>John Lindley and Thomas Moore (1964) ''The Treasury of Botany: A Popular Dictionary of the Vegetable Kingdom with which is Incorporated a Glossary of Botanical Terms'', Published by Longmans Green, pt.1</ref> Furthermore, in current botanical literature, certain ]s are stated to have a trident-shape (e.g. ]).<ref>C. Michael Hogan (2008) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604021155/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=44736 |date=2009-06-04 }}</ref> | |||
== Gallery == | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:statueofshiva.JPG|A statue of Hindu God Shiva, holding a ''trishula'', near ], ] | |||
File:Stone Doors of an Early Medieval Tomb, Ching-pien County.jpg|Two guardian deities of an ancient Chinese tomb, both holding tridents | |||
File:Trident, Burmese, 18th century.JPG|18th-century trident from ] | |||
File:Tridents (Trishul) brought as offerings to Guna Devi., near Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.jpg|Tridents (''trishula'') brought as offerings to ], near ], ], India<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/wtc_steel_artifact_tells_its_own_nm4XpulDud9dzoAFwcPYxJ|title=Iron-willed 'hero' images|date=9 April 2010|work=nypost.com}}</ref> | |||
File:Mas de l'Amarée 15.JPG|] in France | |||
</gallery> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Commons category|Tridents}} | |||
*] | |||
* ] | |||
*] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
==Explanatory notes== | |||
{{Notelist}} | |||
==References== | |||
;Citations | |||
{{Reflist|refs= | |||
<ref name=burke>{{cite book|last=Burke |first=Bernard |author-link=Bernard Burke |title=merman, Neptune, trident |work=The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time |publisher=Harrison & sons |edition=2nd |year=1864 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WmpmAAAAMAAJ&pg=PR42 |pages=xlii, xlvi}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=burkert>{{cite book|last=Burkert|first=Walter |author-link=Walter Burkert |translator-last=Raffan |translator-first=John |translator-link=<!--John Raffan--> |title=The Athenian Acropolis: History, Mythology, and Archaeology from the Neolithic Era to the Present |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1985 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxurBtx6shoC&pg=PA137 |page=137|isbn=978-0-674-36281-9}}<!-- orig. German 1977--></ref> | |||
<ref name=cambridge-anc-hist2>{{cite book|last=Bury |first=John Bagnell |author-link=John Bagnell Bury |chapter=XXII.vi Zeus, Hera, Poseidon |title=The Cambridge Ancient History |publisher=University Press |year=1940 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ijTAAAAMAAJ |page=631 |quotation=Poseidon,..the earth-shaker, whose trident roused the earthquake, and the god of horses.}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=collignon>{{cite book|last=Collignon |first=Maxime |author-link=Maxime Collignon |translator=Jane E. Harrison |translator-link=<!--Jane E. Harrison--> |title=Manual of Mythology: In Relation to Greek Art |publisher=H. Grevel & Co. |year=1890 |url=https://archive.org/details/manualmythology00collgoog |pages=–199}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=eve>{{cite book|last=Eve |first=George W. |author-link=George W. Eve |chapter=Heraldic birds and other figures |title=Heraldry as Art: An Account of Its Development and Practice, Chiefly in England |publisher=Batsford |year=1907 |url=https://archive.org/details/heraldryasartan00evegoog |page=}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=fox-davies>{{cite book|last=Fox-Davies |first= Arthur Charles |author-link= Arthur Charles Fox-Davies |title=The Art of Heraldry: An Encyclopaedia of Armory |publisher=T.C. & E.C. Jack |year=1985 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rfhYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA195}}, p. 195 and Fig. 488, p. 396 Fig. 778 (p. 285)</ref> | |||
<ref name=hurwit>{{cite book|last=Hurwit |first=Jeffrey M. |author-link=<!--Jeffrey M. Hurwit--> |title=The Athenian Acropolis: History, Mythology, and Archaeology from the Neolithic Era to the Present |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1999 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0pQ4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA32 |page=32 |isbn=978-0-521-41786-0}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=mackay>{{citation|last=Mackay |first=L. A. |author-link=<!--L. A. Mackay--> |title=The Earthquake-Horse |journal=Classical Philology |volume=41 |number=3 |year=<!--Jul.,-->1946 |pages=150–154|doi=10.1086/362950 |s2cid=162926974 }} {{JSTOR|267107}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=montfaucon>{{cite book|last=Montfaucon|first=Bernard de |author-link=Bernard de Montfaucon|title=Les Dieux Des Grecs Et Des Romains: Suppl. |publisher=Delaulne |year=1724 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4FxJAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA77-IA17 |page=70}}; Pl. XXV</ref> | |||
<ref name=moule>{{cite book|last=Moule |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Moule |title=Heraldry of Fish: Notices of the Principal Families Bearing Fish in Their Arms |publisher=J. Van Voorst |year=1842 |url=https://archive.org/details/heraldryfishnot00moulgoog |page=}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=walters>{{citation|last=Walters |first=H. B. |author-link=<!--H. B. --> |title=Poseidon's Trident |journal=The Journal of Hellenic Studies |volume=13 |issue=37 |year=1892–1893 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2YkrAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA13 |pages=454, 459, 45<!--13–20-->}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=wiklins>{{citation|last=Wilkins |first=Ann Thomas |author-link=<!--Ann Thomas Wilkins--> |title=Bernini and Ovid: Expanding the Concept of Metamorphosis |journal=International Journal of the Classical Tradition |volume=6 |number=3 |year=2000 |pages=403–404<!--383–408-->}} {{JSTOR|30222585}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=wilson>{{citation|last=Wilson |first=R. J. A. |author-link=<!--R. J. A. Wilson--> |title=Aspects of Iconography in Romano-British Mosaics: The Rudston 'Aquatic' Scene and the Brading Astronomer Revisited |journal=Britannia |volume=37 |publisher=Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies |year=2006 |pages=297–299<!--295–408-->|doi=10.3815/000000006784016693 |s2cid=190728064 }} {{JSTOR|30030523}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=williams-numismatic>{{citation|last=Williams |first=J. H. C. |author-link=<!--J. H. C. Williams--> |title=Septimius Severus and Sol, Carausius and Oceanus: two new Roman acquisitions at the British Museum |journal=The Numismatic Chronicle |volume=159 |year=1999 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u2oaAAAAYAAJ&q=Oceanus+trident |pages=310–311<!--307–313-->}} {{JSTOR|42668508}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
;Bibliography | |||
{{refbegin}} | |||
* {{cite book |last=Blake |first=Marion Elizabeth |author-link=Marion Elizabeth Blake |title=Roman Mosaics of the Second Century in Italy |work= Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome |volume=13 |place=New York |publisher=University of Michigan Press for the American Academy in Rome |year=1936 |series=Loeb classical library |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ydxLLwCbN98C&q=dolphin+trident |pages=67–214}} {{JSTOR|4238589}} | |||
* {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Frazer tr.|1921}}|author=Pseudo-Apollodorus |author-link=Pseudo-Apollodorus |translator=J. G. Frazer |translator-link=J. G. Frazer |title=Apollodorus: The Library |volume=1 |place=New York |publisher=G. P. Putnam's Sons |year=1921 |series=Loeb classical library |isbn=9780674991354 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GKcNAAAAIAAJ }}; {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=PqQNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA79|2=Vol. '''2'''}} | |||
* {{cite book|last=Mylonopoulos |first=Joannis |author-link=<!--Joannis Mylonopoulos--> |title=Odysseus with a trident? The Use of Attributes in Ancient Greek Imagery |work=Divine Images and Human Imaginations in Ancient Greece and Rome |publisher=BRILL |year=2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v7q9CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA171 |pages=171–204 |isbn=978-9-047-44165-6}} | |||
{{refend}} | |||
{{Greek religion|state=collapsed}} | |||
{{Fishing tackle|expanded=techniques}} | |||
{{Fisheries and fishing}} | |||
{{Pole weapons}} | |||
{{Seattle Mariners}} | |||
] | |||
{{weapon-stub}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 23:15, 2 January 2025
Three-prong spear For other uses, see Trident (disambiguation).A trident (/ˈtraɪdənt/) is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will be able to dislodge itself if struck badly. On the other hand, they are not so many as to overly reduce the spear's concentration of force for piercing.
The trident is the tool of Poseidon (Greek) or Neptune (Roman) used for the protection of the sea realms, the god of the sea in classical mythology. Other sea deities such as Amphitrite or Triton were also often depicted with a trident in classical art. Later, tridents were used in medieval heraldry, sometimes held by a merman or triton. In Hinduism, it is the weapon of Shiva and is known as a trishula (Sanskrit for "triple-spear"). It is also associated with the superhero Aquaman. The trident is an important military (especially naval) symbol as an element for forces such as Hellenic Navy, United States Navy SEALs, United States Naval Academy, Cyprus Navy, and Nepali Army. It is included in many logos including the corporate logos of Maserati and Club Med and the athletic logos of Manchester United F.C. and Arizona State University.
Etymology
The word "trident" comes from the Latin word tridens or tridentis: tri meaning "three" and dentes meaning "teeth", referring specifically to the three prongs, or "teeth", of the weapon.
The Greek equivalent is τρίαινα (tríaina), from Proto-Greek trianja, meaning "threefold". The Greek term does not imply three of anything specific, and is vague about the shape, thus the assumption it was originally of "trident" form has been challenged.
Latin fuscina also means "trident".
The Sanskrit name for the trident, trishula, is a compound of tri त्रि for "three" and śūla शूल for "thorn", calling the trident's three prongs "thorns" rather than "teeth" or dant in Sanskrit, making the word "Tridant" for trident.
Mythology and art
Poseidon
Main article: Trident of PoseidonThe trident is associated with the sea god Poseidon. This divine instrument is said to have been forged by the cyclopes.
Poseidon struck a rock with his trident, causing a sea (or a saltwater spring, called the Erechtheis) to appear nearby on the Acropolis in Athens. And according to Roman sources, Neptune struck the earth with the trident to produce the first warhorse.
Poseidon, as well as being the god of the sea, was also known as the "Earth Shaker", believed to cause earthquakes; some commentators have extrapolated that the god would have used the trident to cause them, possibly by striking the earth.
In the Renaissance artist Gian Bernini's sculpture Neptune and Triton (1622–23), Neptune is posed holding a trident turned downwards, and is thought to reenact a scene from Aeneid or Ovid's Metamorphoses where he is calming the waves to aid Aeneas's ships.
Other sea divinities
In later Greek and Roman art and literature, other sea deities and their attendants have been depicted holding the trident.
Poseidon's consort Amphitrite is often identified by some marine attribute other than a trident, which she never carries according to some scholars, though other commentators have disagreed.
Turning to the retinue or a train of beings which follow the sea deities (the marine thiasos) the Tritons (mermen) may be seen bearing tridents. Likewise, the Old Man of the Sea (halios geron) and the god Nereus are seen holding tridents. Tritons, other mermen, and the Nereides can also carry rudders, oars, fish, or dolphins.
Oceanus normally should not carry a trident, allowing him to be clearly distinguished from Poseidon. However, there is conflation of the deities in Romano-British iconography, and examples exist where the crab-claw headed Oceanus also bears a trident. Oceanus holding a trident has been found on Romano-British coinage as well.
Some amorini have been depicted carrying tiny tridents.
The trident is even seen suspended like a pendant on a dolphin in Roman mosaic art.
Hindu Religion
In Hindu legends and stories Shiva, the Hindu god uses a trishula as his principal weapon. The trident is also said to represent three gunas mentioned in Indian Vedic philosophy namely sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika. The goddess Kali is sometimes portrayed with a trident as well.
A weapon of South-East Asian (particularly Thai) depiction of Hanuman, a character of Ramayana.
Miscellaneous
In religious Taoism, the trident represents the Taoist Trinity, the Three Pure Ones. In Taoist rituals, a trident bell is used to invite the presence of deities and summon spirits, as the trident signifies the highest authority of Heaven.
A fork Jewish priests (Kohanim) used to take their portions of offerings.
In heraldry within the UK, the trident is often held by the figure identified as either a Neptune or a triton, or a merman.
The trident held up by an arm is depicted on some coats-of-arms.
Use
Fishing
In Ancient Greece, the trident was employed as a harpoon for spearing large fish, especially tuna fishing.
Tridents used in modern spear-fishing usually have barbed tines, which trap the speared fish firmly. In the Southern and Midwestern United States, gigging is used for harvesting suckers, bullfrogs, flounder and many species of rough fish.
Agriculture
It has been used by farmers as a decorticator to remove leaves, seeds and buds from the stalks of plants such as flax and hemp. A form of trident is used by the gardians in the Camargue of southern France for herding cattle.
Combat
In Ancient Rome tridents (Latin: tridens or fuscina) were used by a type of gladiator called a retiarius or "net fighter". The retiarius was traditionally pitted against a secutor, and cast a net to wrap his adversary and then used the trident to fight him.
Tridents were also used in medieval heraldry.
The trident, known as dangpa, is used as a weapon in the 17th- to 18th-century systems of Korean martial arts.
Modern symbolism
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The glyph or sigil of the planet Neptune (♆), which alludes to the trident, is used in astronomy and astrology.
Political
- The Tryzub in the Coat of Arms of Ukraine, adopted in 1918 (in a reinterpretation of a medieval emblem which is traced to the Volodymyr the Great.
- The national and presidential flags of Barbados.
- The "forks of the people's anger", adopted by the Russian anti-Soviet revolutionary organization, National Alliance of Russian Solidarists (NTS).
- Britannia, the personification of Great Britain usually depicted to hold a trident.
Civilian use
- The symbol for Washington and Lee University (see *Washington and Lee Generals)
- King Triton, the mascot of the University of California, San Diego, holds a trident, and the trident is omnipresent in UCSD’s athletic gear (See UC San Diego Tritons)
- The symbol (since June 2008) for the athletic teams (Tritons) at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL Tritons).
- Sparky the Sun Devil, the mascot of Arizona State University, holds a trident. ASU recently redesigned its trident as a stand-alone symbol (See Arizona State Sun Devils)
- The trident was used as the original cap insignia and original logo for the Seattle Mariners. Although the Mariners changed their cap insignia & logo away from a trident theme in 1993, the club allows players to use a trident as a prop after hitting home runs during games. The trident prop used by the team is a replica from the 2018 film Aquaman.
- An element on the flag of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
- The Maserati logo.
- Club Méditerranée.
- The Hawker Siddeley Trident, a 1960s British three-engine jet airliner.
- The Tirreno–Adriatico cycle race trophy.
- The exterior of the World Trade Center used three-pronged decorative and structural elements at its base, commonly referred to as "tridents".
- Manchester United F.C.
- Crawley Town F.C.
- Fredonia Blue Devils
- Tampa Bay Tritons
- White Rock Tritons
- Nkana F.C.
Military insignia
- The emblem of the Hellenic Navy
- The emblem of the Cyprus Navy
- The insignia of Nepal Army
- With Poseidon in the 31st Brigade.
- The symbol of the Swedish Coastal Rangers, Kustjägarna.
- The trident is a recurring element in the colours of certain units of the Finnish navy.
- The United States Naval Special Warfare Command, and the Special Warfare insignia, particularly worn by members of the US Navy SEALs, and containing a trident representing the three aspects (Sea, Air, and Land) of SEAL special operations.
- Part of the golden-colored crest of the United States Naval Academy, which depicts a trident running vertically in its background. In addition, the Naval Academy’s motto, Ex scientia tridens, literally translates from Latin as "From knowledge, a trident", though the official translation is "From knowledge, seapower" (i.e. using the association of the trident with Poseidon/Neptune and other sea gods as a metaphor for naval might).
- The ship's crests of 13 of the 18 Ohio-class submarines of the U.S. Navy prominently feature tridents, as both a symbol of maritime power, and in reference to their payloads of Trident D-5 missiles.
- The rating badge of the United States Coast Guard Marine Science Technician.
- The Tug Banner used by Mongolian Honor guards.
- The insignia of the German commando force, Kampfschwimmer.
- The rating badge of the United States Navy Ocean Systems Technician (OT)
Botanical nomenclature
A number of structures in the biological world are described as trident in appearance. Since at least the late 19th century the trident shape was applied to certain botanical shapes; for example, certain orchid flora were described as having trident-tipped lips in early botanical works. Furthermore, in current botanical literature, certain bracts are stated to have a trident-shape (e.g. Douglas-fir).
Gallery
- A statue of Hindu God Shiva, holding a trishula, near Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
- Two guardian deities of an ancient Chinese tomb, both holding tridents
- 18th-century trident from Thailand
- Tridents (trishula) brought as offerings to Guna Devi, near Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India
- Camargue trident in France
See also
- Bident
- Eighteen Arms of Wushu
- Leister
- Military fork
- Pitchfork
- Sai
- Trishula
- Symbols of the Rurikids
- Trident (UK nuclear programme)
- Tug (banner)
Explanatory notes
- Mackay catalogs instances in classical literature where Poseidon is connected with the earthquake, but does not cite use of the trident in any, only mentioning its use in creating the horse.
- The reverse side on the denarius of Carausius, acquired by the British Museum in 1998.
- Porta Capena mosaics, Rome. In the center is a square with geometric design (star inscribed in circle), and there are four diagonal spokes from it in the shape of a trident.
- Villa della Pisanella, Boscoreale, Italy.
- Burke assigns trident to Neptune and Eve to Triton. Eve states the Triton is "sometimes called Neptune", while Burke cross-references "merman" to "Neptune".
- Thomas Moule, among others write "triton, or merman" implying interchangeability of these terms.
References
- Citations
- "Trident" at the Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed on 23 March 2024.
- Walters, H. B. (1892–1893), "Poseidon's Trident", The Journal of Hellenic Studies, 13 (37): 454, 459, 45
- Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles, eds. (1879), "fuscina", A Latin Dictionary, Clarendon Press
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke 1.2. Frazer tr. (1921), 1:11; text version via Perseus Project.
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke 3.14. Frazer tr. (1921), 2:79 and note 2; text version via Perseus Project.
- Hurwit, Jeffrey M. (1999). The Athenian Acropolis: History, Mythology, and Archaeology from the Neolithic Era to the Present. Cambridge University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-521-41786-0.
- Virgil, Georgics 1.12ff, apud Frazer tr. (1921), 2:79 and note 2
- Hesiod, Theogony 930.
- ^ Mackay, L. A. (1946), "The Earthquake-Horse", Classical Philology, 41 (3): 150–154, doi:10.1086/362950, S2CID 162926974 JSTOR 267107
- Bury, John Bagnell (1940). "XXII.vi Zeus, Hera, Poseidon". The Cambridge Ancient History. University Press. p. 631.
Poseidon,..the earth-shaker, whose trident roused the earthquake, and the god of horses.
- Wilkins, Ann Thomas (2000), "Bernini and Ovid: Expanding the Concept of Metamorphosis", International Journal of the Classical Tradition, 6 (3): 403–404 JSTOR 30222585
- Collignon, Maxime (1890). Manual of Mythology: In Relation to Greek Art. Translated by Jane E. Harrison. H. Grevel & Co. pp. 197–199.
- Montfaucon, Bernard de (1724). Les Dieux Des Grecs Et Des Romains: Suppl. Delaulne. p. 70.; Pl. XXV
- The helmeted goddess bearing a trident has been identified as Amphitrite by Montfaucon in a carved carnelian in the collection of Maréchal d'Estrées.
- ^ Mylonopoulos (2009), pp. 188–189.
- "The Oceanus Mosaic". The British Museum.
- Oceanus Mosaic from Withington; The "pavement from Ashcroft Villas, Cirencester" is also mentioned.
- Wilson, R. J. A. (2006), "Aspects of Iconography in Romano-British Mosaics: The Rudston 'Aquatic' Scene and the Brading Astronomer Revisited", Britannia, 37, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies: 297–299, doi:10.3815/000000006784016693, S2CID 190728064 JSTOR 30030523
- Williams, J. H. C. (1999), "Septimius Severus and Sol, Carausius and Oceanus: two new Roman acquisitions at the British Museum", The Numismatic Chronicle, 159: 310–311 JSTOR 42668508
- Blake (1936), p. 149.
- Blake (1936), p. 139.
- Powerful Kali Mantra for Protection - In Sanskrit, English with Meaning
- "1 Samuel 2 / Hebrew Bible in English / Mechon-Mamre". mechon-mamre.org. Archived from the original on 2020-10-03. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
- Burke, Bernard (1864). merman, Neptune, trident (2nd ed.). Harrison & sons. pp. xlii, xlvi.
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ignored (help) - Eve, George W. (1907). "Heraldic birds and other figures". Heraldry as Art: An Account of Its Development and Practice, Chiefly in England. Batsford. p. 95.
- Moule, Thomas (1842). Heraldry of Fish: Notices of the Principal Families Bearing Fish in Their Arms. J. Van Voorst. p. 218.
- Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1985). The Art of Heraldry: An Encyclopaedia of Armory. T.C. & E.C. Jack., p. 195 and Fig. 488, p. 396 Fig. 778 (p. 285)
- Burkert, Walter (1985). The Athenian Acropolis: History, Mythology, and Archaeology from the Neolithic Era to the Present. Translated by Raffan, John. Harvard University Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-674-36281-9.
- Turner, Andy. "Fish Gigging: An Ozark Tradition". Missouri Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2019-08-11. Retrieved 2015-02-12.
- Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Gladiatores". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. London: John Murray.
- Auguet, Roland (2012). Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Games. London: Routledge. pp. 56–57, 72–74. ISBN 0-415-10452-1.
- Kramer, Daniel (April 25, 2023). "Mariners embrace Aquaman trident as home run prop". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- John Lindley and Thomas Moore (1964) The Treasury of Botany: A Popular Dictionary of the Vegetable Kingdom with which is Incorporated a Glossary of Botanical Terms, Published by Longmans Green, pt.1
- C. Michael Hogan (2008) Douglas-fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii, globalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Strõmberg Archived 2009-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
- "Iron-willed 'hero' images". nypost.com. 9 April 2010.
- Bibliography
- Blake, Marion Elizabeth (1936). Roman Mosaics of the Second Century in Italy. Loeb classical library. Vol. 13. New York: University of Michigan Press for the American Academy in Rome. pp. 67–214.
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:|work=
ignored (help) JSTOR 4238589 - Pseudo-Apollodorus (1921). Apollodorus: The Library. Loeb classical library. Vol. 1. Translated by J. G. Frazer. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780674991354.; Vol. 2
- Mylonopoulos, Joannis (2009). Odysseus with a trident? The Use of Attributes in Ancient Greek Imagery. BRILL. pp. 171–204. ISBN 978-9-047-44165-6.
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