What does the FEMOCO2013 logo stand for?
In developing the FEMOCO2013 logos, we came up with various approaches to the design. Through a vote, we chose the above version. It which contains two important symbolic metaphors for us, which we would like to describe a bit ...
The Dragonfly
Dragonflies are extraordinary flying beings. They probably have the best sense of vision among insects and contrary to a widespread misconception, dragonflies are not poisonous and cannot sting. So, they are completely harmless to humans and dragonflies never aggressively attack people.
Dragonflies possess a number of popular names that can be traced back to their use in mythology and folklore. Thus, in Germanic mythology, dragonflies were considered sacred and assigned to the goddess Freya or god Frigg. Missionaries reversed the significance of Freya / Frigg, along with associations relating to their day, Friday. Consequently, dragonflies became "vicious needles", "devil pins" or "eye-stingers", and Friday became an unlucky day. This common misconception, spread by missionaries, gave the dragonflies a bad reputation. The widespread fear of dragonflies, caused by the notion of them as stinging insects, has held to this day.
People in East Asia and various Native American peoples, view dragonflies more positively. They symbolize sophistication and activity and are a symbol of renewal after great suffering times.
In Shamanic interpretations, the dragonfly bestows wisdom and cautions against the misuse of knowledge. It brings the depth and wisdom of the past, the power of development, growing above and beyond oneself and the return of ancient knowledge in a new cycle. Since the dragonfly is often associated with water, it strengthens intuition and the ability for quick, sensible actions. It also brings the ability to understand and interpret things without words, as well as the power to set clear boundaries. Their unpredictable movements refer to the art of distraction and deception in combat. One finds the dragonfly among arts of the Navajo Nation, in the ceramics of the Zuni, the petroglyphs of the Hopi and jewelry of the Pueblo peoples.
In Japan, dragonflies are symbols of courage, strength and happiness, and they often appear in art and literature, especially haiku, a Japanese short poem. The love for dragonflies is evident from the fact that there is a specific name for almost all of the 200 species of dragonfly in Japan.
Dragonflies are very old and extremely adaptable creatures. They reach their greatest strength in the summer with the heat and the sun and their fantastic, reflective colors are created by the irradiation of light.
Dragonflies can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They are even found in the Himalayas, at the height of 6000 meters.
In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Gunda-Werner-Institut in der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
