Talismanic Devices and Imbuements on Islamic Arms

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

HELLO JIM... What a great thread!!

I heard that the arc sign called variously hogs back or eye lash marks was a secret sign made by prisoners to signal to a visitor or onlooker that all was OK … Would that indicate that the dots were actually toes..? And taken from ancient tradition as three is an auspicious number in many structures.

Thank you! It is good to see some traction in looking into these markings, which as noted regarding the typical lack of attention to explaining or any particular attention other than mentioning their presence.

These and many of the markings which were discussed over years in the trademarks thread have had many suggestions and explanations discussed, and most are of course apocryphal but indeed feasible in numerous cases.

What has brought us to these curious paired arcs (usually dentated) were the triple dots at the end of each arc. It seems certain such symbols may have been placed congruently with others to disguise them in degree.

As mentioned, in the case of 'dots' in Islamic parlance, in many cases the number and configuration may have simply been for 'luck', but with regard to the 'three' that may well have been with religious significance. It is always hard to guage just how much influence diffused into various cultures and regions from another, but the varied examples and cases can be estimated on their own merits.