Trefoil Motif of the Indus Civilization
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"Several scholars have identified the trefoil-ornamented bulls as images of the constellation Taurus (§ 12.1); Willy Hartner (1965:4) speaks in this connection of the horned head of this celestial bull, which is 'dominated by the very bright star Aldebaran [= Rohiṇī] as the bull's eye'." (A. Parpola, Deciphering the Indus Script).
There are several animal statues marked with a triangle on the forehead in Sumerian art. Bulls, antelopes, and Markhor goat bronzes have this feature. I will show some examples. When an animal head was crafted out of valuable copper or bronze, it was usually intended as a sacred object — either an ornament for a holy musical instrument (like the Lyres of Ur) or a temple votive offering. The geometric forehead inlay served as a "sacred brand," distinguishing the animal as a divine, consecrated creature rather than a mundane, wild beast.
Cosmic Symbolism: The downward-pointing triangle is one of humanity's oldest symbols, and in various Near Eastern contexts, it carries celestial meaning. When placed on the head of a bull or caprid, it often symbolized a "star" or "light." In Mesopotamian texts, the constellation Taurus was known as the Bull of Heaven, and major deities were frequently described as possessing a radiant, terrifying divine glow called melammu. The bright, inlaid triangle right on the crown of the head visually anchored this idea of divine, celestial radiance emanating from the animal.
The idea of the sacred triangle comes from Sumeria to the Indus-Vāṉi Civilization (IVC). It can be seen in the Kot Diji phase cow-boat, published by IVC archaeologist Massimo Vidale, and in terracotta jars of the Hakra Ware culture. Furthermore, several zebu statuettes from the Kulli culture and early Harappan sites have the triangle on their foreheads. The ancient Ghaggar-Hakra riverbed has hundreds of Mature Harappan sites (e.g., in the Cholistan Desert). The river name in the Ṛgveda was Sarasvatī, and the Dravidian name for the river is Vāṉi, meaning "sky river" (> Vāṇi = Sarasvatī). The place where the Vāṉi (cf. Vāṉ = sky) river goes into the ground is vavvāṉi (> Bhavāṉipura). For the sky river mythology, see M. Witzel, Sur le chemin du ciel. BEI 2: 213–279, 1984.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasv…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakra_…
Harappans of the IVC converted the triangle motif into a three-dot pattern, representing the traditional Indian fireplace, which consists of three stones serving as a stand on which vessels can be placed above the fire. This three-dot motif can be seen on the forehead of the zebu bulls, and was then geometrically abstracted to a trefoil motif — three fused circles whose outlines are seen prominently on the robe of the Mohenjo-daro Priest-King, bulls, linga stands, bangles, and steatite beads. In the natural world, the trefoil leaves of the Bael/Bilva (Aegle marmelos) tree, which has a Dravidian etymology, were chosen for the trefoil motif. IVC peoples exported the trefoil motif with lapis lazuli of Afghanistan — presumably the blue lapis representing the sky — on "Bull of Heaven" amulets to Sumeria. Like unicorn seals, the Bull of Heaven amulets depict taurine cattle. The Vilva/Bilva tree leaves are associated with the Śiva Lingam in all the Hindu temples of India.
References:
(1) Renate Marian van Dijk-Coombes, Motif of the Bull in the Ancient Near East: An Iconographic Study. MA thesis in Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of South Africa, 2011. For the triangular mark in the forehead, see pp. 58-62.
(2)
researchgate.net/publication…
Photo Note: Copper bull head lyre ornament recovered from the Royal Cemetery of Ur, Iraq, 2550–2450 BCE. Photographed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.