International Journal Of Literature And Languages
103
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue06 2025
PAGE NO.
103-106
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue06-30
The
Symbols Of “
Earth and Air
” From
Angles and Devils
by Dan Braun
Sadikova Dildora Nizomovna
Navoi state university, The Department of Practical English, Lecturer, Uzbekistan
Received:
22 April 2025;
Accepted:
18 May 2025;
Published:
20 June 2025
Abstract:
This article explores the symbolic representations of the elements air and earth in the context of angels
and devils, with a particular focus on their depiction in Dan Brown's novel "Angels and Demons." Through a
semiotic analysis, the study identifies and interprets the key symbols associated with air and earth, such as the
Chapel Chigi (Earth) and West Ponente (Air), as well as their broader metaphysical and narrative significance. In
the novel, earth is consistently linked to power and stability, while air symbolizes intelligence and divine
inspiration. These elements are not only central to the plot's progression
—
guiding protagonist Robert Langdon
through a series of symbolic markers
—
but also reflect deeper philosophical and spiritual associations found in
various esoteric and religious traditions, where earth denotes steadfastness and air represents the subtlety of
spirit or intellect.
Keywords:
Symbols, Angles and Demons, ambigram, air, earth.
Introduction:
In literature, symbolism is a method that
highlights how crucial evocation and suggestions are to
expressing one's innermost feelings or thoughts. It
contains symbols
—
words, locations, people, or things
that have meanings beyond what is on are employed to
create subtle relationships and affinities, particularly
between the material and spiritual realms as well as
between sound, sense, and color, on a literal level. The
idea of a symbol is ambiguous. A symbol is a term,
location, person, or thing that has a meaning beyond its
literal meaning. Despite being interesting in and of
itself, a symbol represents or alludes to something
larger, more profound, loftier, and more intricate
concept or collection of concepts, dispositions, and
behaviors. The idea of a symbolic-semiotic model
draws attention to the aspects of the text structure that
are changing and, in some ways, remain constant, and
it turns the work into an analysis and the overall focus
of the study at every level. In addition to this ambiguity,
symbols also produce mystery through ambiguous
meanings and cognitive dissonance when they are
purposefully used in the same context yet have
opposing or conflicting interpretations. Mystery
breeds curiosity, and the search for hidden meanings
develops mystery.
Symbolism is a unique literary phenomena that
particularly refers to the writings of authors from the
late nineteenth century who rebelled against
naturalism's
scientific
determinism,
realism's
descriptive accuracy, and realism's objectivity.
Symbolism was primarily a Paris-based literary
movement in France, with French authors Arthur
Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, and Stéphane Mallarmé
among its key figures.[1] The idea that the goal of the
arts is to depict the world as it is seen by the senses was
rejected by symbolists. They contend that concepts, as
opposed to sensory or objective description, are
something that are present in all works of art. The way
our minds function may be the reason for the universal
human interest in the usage o
f symbols. “Most of our
normal
conceptual
system
is
metaphorically
structured; that is, most concepts are partially
understood in terms of other concepts,” according to
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson.[2]
In addition to disclosing meaning, symbols can also
imply and hide meaning. They are therefore an
intriguing way to arouse curiosity and reveal notions
and hidden realities. The hidden meanings are
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
revealed when the symbols are closely examined in
their totality. In Langdon's Angels and Demons,
symbology is the study of the meanings of symbolic
hints taken from historical and religious works of art.
METHOD
Dan Brown's Angels and Demons (2000) is replete with
symbols; the author interweaves religious and
historical allusions throughout the narrative. The
Illuminati, a covert group that attempted to bring
religion and science together, has infiltrated the
Vatican with the goal of exacting revenge. The goal of
this research project is to examine the symbols and
symbolism that the novel's protagonist, Professor
Robert Langdon, a religious and historical symbologist,
presents in the book.
A communication from the director of CERN, a
European facility for particle research, wakes up
Professor Langdon early in the morning at the start of
the book. Maximilian Kohler is the director.
An ambigram is the mark of an old cult known as the
Illuminati, which Robert immediately recognizes as the
representation of the emblem. It is used to describe
those who assert that they have illumination that has
been directly conveyed from a higher power or as a
result of a wealth of human knowledge. According to
historical accounts, the Illuminati was a group of
brilliant thinkers during the Renaissance, including the
renowned scientist Galileo, who ruled his time with his
science papers and discoveries, and the artist Bernini.
Fearing that their scientific ideas would have an impact
on Christian theology, the Vatican tracked for and
removed the society's members from Rome. Such a
community was established about a century later,
according to historians in 1776 in Bavaria.
Within an hour and a half, Kohler phones Langdon to
ask for his assistance. Robert first expresses reluctance
to offer his assistance, but ultimately consents. He then
lands at CERN following a Mach 15 flight in the Boeing
X-33 prototype.
At last, he encounters Maximilian Kohler. He travels to
CERN after being led to Leonardo Vetra's personal
laboratory, the scene of the crime.[3]
DISCUSSION AND RESULTS
The symbol of Air. In Dan Brown's novel Angels &
Demons, the Air symbol is one of the four elemental
markers used by the Illuminati in the ritualistic killings
of Catholic cardinals. Emphasizing the novel's concept
of dualism and hidden meanings, the Air symbol is
crafted as an elegant ambigram
—
a design that reads
the same when inverted. The second cardinal, Lamassé,
is murdered under the sign of “Air”. Langdon and the
police find him on the brink of death in St. Peter’s
Square. He struggles to breathe before succumbing,
with the ambigram of "Air" marked on his chest. This
scene not only advances the plot but also underscores
the contrast between air
—
symbolizing breath, life, and
spirit
—
and its suffocation, representing death.
The element of Air symbolizes intellect, spirit, and the
invisible force that drives our planet. Its use in the
murder reflects the Illuminati’s weaponization of
natural elements as tools of vengeance against the
Church. St. Peter’s Square, located within Vatican City,
serves as the second “altar of science”, dedicated to the
element of Air. This square is one of the most
renowned works of the Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo
Bernini, rich in ancient and symbolic meanings,
emdiving both religious and scientific ideas.
The second marker on the “Path of Illumination” is a
circular stone slab inscribed with West Ponente. It
features an angel representing the blowing wind. West
Ponente translates to "west wind," and the angel's
breath
—
the direction of the air
—
guides the way to the
third “scientific altar.” This is part of an ancient
symbolic system where each element (earth, air, fire,
water) is represented through distinct markers and
locations.
On the path of enlightenment, Langdon and the reader
are directed toward the next location in the Illuminati’s
deadly sequence using this symbol. Visually striking and
memorable, the Air ambigram features a symmetrical,
open design incorporating both straight and curved
lines. This graphic design embodies the novel’s central
theme
—
the blurred boundary between science and
religion, as well as the duality of good and evil.
A hypertextual analysis of the symbol draws
connections to William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where
the element of air (atmosphere) deepens the
philosophical and psychological themes of the play.
Particularly in the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, this
symbol holds significant weight. The atmospheric air in
the monologue represents the stark contrasts between
life and death, action and inaction, reason and
madness. The words "To be, or not to be" not only pose
an existential question but also reflect the
environment’s impact on the protagonist. Shakespeare
uses air not just as a natural phenomenon but as a
powerful symbol of the characters’ inner conflicts and
contradictions.In ancient myths and teachings, the Air
symbol carries diverse meanings, making its
interpretation in various works complex.
Hypo-Hypertextual Analysis of the Earth Symbol
In Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons, the four elements
play a central role, unfolding in an organic sequence
throughout the novel. "Earth" is depicted as one of the
four fundamental elements (fire, air, water, earth),
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
each critically shaping the narrative through murders
and cryptic symbols. The sacred "Earth" symbol in the
novel is represented by soil, as earth can be artistically
and literarily expressed in various forms
—
sand,
mountains, earthquakes, and even the green hues of
trees and plants
—
each emdiving significant aspects.
However, every symbol carries eclectic meanings,
applied differently depending on context.
The first "Altar of Science" is located in the Chigi Chapel
(Capella della Terra or "Chapel of Earth") within the
Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, presented as the
symbol of the Earth element. It is here that the first
cardinal (Cardinal Ebner) is found murdered, his mouth
stuffed with soil, suffocated, and marked with the
ambigram of "Earth."
In our analysis, the concept of “earth” manifests not
merely as a physical element but also as the foundation
of humanity, a symbol of stability, and the complex
interplay between life and death. The idea of being
buried in soil signifies the cycle of human return to the
earth (“from dust to dust”), reflecting both the cyclical
nature of existence and the finality of human life.
From a hypo-hypertextual theoretical perspective,
analyzing the "earth" symbol deepens its meaning in
the novel: earth is not just a natural element but a
multifaceted concept encompassing cultural, social,
and metaphysical layers. Through this symbol, the
author explores humanity’s intricate relationship with
its environment, traditions, and the modern world,
while also reflecting how different cultures,
mythologies, and philosophical systems interpret the
concept of "earth."
Ultimately, the “Earth” symbol becomes one of the
novel’s central motifs, probing humanity’s eternal
questions
—
life, death, meaning, and legacy.
The “Earth” symbol encompasses multiple layers of
significance. In its denotative sense, it is understood as
physical "soil" or the planet itself. Connotatively,
however, it evokes ideas of fertility, origin, stability,
and the material foundation of existence. From a
semiotic perspective, the "earth" symbol is a product of
social convention and cultural tradition
—
its meaning is
not derived from a natural or iconic connection but is
instead arbitrarily assigned within a given context.
Hypotextual Roots of the Earth Symbol.
In the framework of hypotextuality, the historical roots
of the "earth" symbol trace back to ancient Egyptian
and Asian civilizations, making it possible to trace its
presence in texts and cultural narratives from millennia
ago. "Earth" or "soil" is among the oldest types of
symbols, appearing as allegories, personifications, or
deifications
—most commonly in the form of the “Earth
Goddess” (or, in Egyptian mythology, the god Geb).[5]
Before the Hel
lenistic period established the Earth’s
spherical shape, its primary characteristic was
perceived as a flat plane. In Egyptian hieroglyphs, the
word for "earth" or "soil" was depicted as a flat stretch
of land with grains of sand. In Sumerian cuneiform, the
sign KI (
𒆠
), meaning "earth" or "place," originated from
the depiction of a threshing floor. Meanwhile, the
Chinese character for "earth" (
土
) evolved from the
image of a lump of clay on a potter’s wheel.[6]
CONCLUSION
The article concludes that the interplay of these
elemental symbols is integral to the narrative structure
and thematic depth of “Angels and Demons,”
demonstrating how ancient cosmological concepts
continue to shape modern storytelling and the
portrayal of the eternal conflict between good (angels)
and evil (devils). The exploration of air and earth
symbols in the context of angels and devils reveals not
only their deep-rooted cultural and philosophical
significance, but also their remarkable intertextuality
across literary and religious traditions. Both elements
—
earth,
representing
stability,
fertility,
and
groundedness,
and
air,
symbolizing
intellect,
communication, and transcendence
—
are archetypal
motifs that recur throughout global mythologies,
spiritual texts, and modern literature. Their use in
works like "Angels and Demons" is enriched by this
intertextual network, as these symbols act as bridges
connecting contemporary narratives to ancient
cosmologies
and
collective
cultural
memory.
Intertextuality intensifies the reading experience by
enabling symbols such as earth and air to carry layered
meanings, shaped by prior texts and traditions. These
symbols are not isolated; they participate in a vast web
of references, motifs, and archetypes that allow
authors to evoke and reinterpret classic themes, thus
expanding the semantic depth of their works. For
example, the earth and air elements, present in both
Eastern philosophies and Western esoteric traditions,
serve as universal signifiers of foundational and
transformative forces, and their juxtaposition in
literature often mirrors the eternal dualities of
materiality and spirit, order and inspiration, good and
evil. Ultimately, the intertextuality of earth and air
symbols demonstrates that literature is a dynamic
dialogue across time and cultures. By embedding these
elemental motifs, authors not only enrich their
narratives but also invite readers to trace connections,
discover new interpretations, and appreciate the
enduring power of symbolic language.
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106
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Brown, Dan. “Angels and Demons”–
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