Spiral symbols are among the earliest rock carvings humans have made. But what do they mean?

Some people suggest they may have represented the sun, or a portal to the spirit world.

Others think that they had a more functional purpose, such as a simple calendar to keep track of the seasons.

The above spirals are found in the Newgrange monument in Ireland, built during the Neolithic period, around 3200 BC (before Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids). This is a kerbstone - there are even more spirals on the entrance stone.

Were they meant to ward off evil spirits? To call in friendly ones?

Were they there simply because people counsidered them beautiful?

We don’t know - and we may never find out.

spudmurphy [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

But we can turn to a modern artist for a very insightful take on the meaning of the spiral.

Louise Bourgeois, a 20th century French-American artist has this to say”

“The spiral is an attempt at controlling the chaos.”

Bourgeois stressed the spiral’s two opposing directions: inward and outward.

The outward movement represented “giving, and giving up control, trust and positive energy….” While the winding in of the spiral embodied “a tightening, a retreating, a compacting to the point of disappearance.

I think that’s one of the most relatable and plausible interpretations I’ve seen so far.

Today, look for spirals as symbols.

Can you spot them used in logos, on products, prints? What do you think they mean?

Share your symbolic spirals using the hashtag #kramerseye on Twitter or Instagram. And if you’d like to see some of Louise Bourgeois spirals, which sadly I can’t show due to copyright restrictions, head over to MoMA’s complete collection of Bourgeois’ print and books, which you can find here.

Listen to today’s podcast