-Invent a Writing System (Alphabet/code) for an imaginary Civilisation, Subculture or Private Language.
Research:
Pictographic/Ideographic Writing Systems
These dimensions are pretty trippy, i can imagine one enjoying them if they were high.
Here i've combined my sliced roman alphabet with arabic to make a new language, looks pretty trippy, might be suitable for stoners.
Here i've combined the english roman alphabet letters to form an arabic alphabet, which acts as a juxtapose as this language can be interpreted either way. Possibly the joining of cultures?
However I am not sure where this writing system is going as it hasn't exactly got a logical meaning as to why i decided to place the top half of the roman alphabet next to the bottom half purely besides my wanna be arabic/turkish language. Although I do like the dimensions, maybe i will try and incorporate that somehow in whatever i end up doing. Thus my research continues.....
I was just thinking that people communicate messages all the time using body languages, it might be interesting to look at different body languages and make symbols from them? It would be using a language that already exists except it would have a written form? Its interesting to look at each posture would signifying different emotions and feelings.
I just found this small pictogram of different gestures conveying different emotions, and below i will try creating symbols using the gesture above.
Before taking my own pictures, I started interpreting my own symbols according to the gestures above. I think my symbols are obvious that they are stick men doing something, maybe not useful to communicate a secret message? maybe i need to simplify my drawings more to make it look more symbol-like then stick men.
Here I've taken my own images of body language, conveying 8 different body gestures that represent different emotions. I can try making symbols using these images.
I decided to explore undeciphered systems, something more abstract which would give me more freedom to think out of the box for my writing system. Undeciphered systems which may be writing are:
Talking Knots
Research:
Pictographic/Ideographic Writing Systems
Intial thoughts to this brief led me back to when i took a trip to Turkey, my fascination for Arabic and Turkish scriptures has grown. Here are few pictures that i took at the Topkapi Palace where the Sultan resided. Absolutely stunning golden scriptures carved on to the palace really inspired me to want to create some sort of writing system that resembled arabic.
Turkish is written using a modified version of the Latin alphabet introduced in 1928 by Atatürk to replace the Arabic-based Ottoman Turkish alphabet. The Ottoman alphabet marked only three different vowels—long ā, ū and ī—and included several redundant consonants, such as variants of z (which were distinguished in Arabic but not in Turkish). The omission of short vowels in the Arabic script was claimed to make it particularly unsuitable for Turkish, which has eight vowels.
The reform of the script was an important step in the cultural reforms of the period. The task of preparing the new alphabet and selecting the necessary modifications for sounds specific to Turkish was entrusted to a Language Commission composed of prominent linguists, academics, and writers. The introduction of the new Turkish alphabet was supported by public education centers opened throughout the country, cooperation with publishing companies, and encouragement by Atatürk himself, who toured the country teaching the new letters to the public. As a result, there was a dramatic increase in literacy from its original Third World levels.
Trying my own little experiments by placing the top half of the Roman Alphabet on the same line as the bottom half, hoping to look like some sort of arabic or turkish language.
Looking at dimensions:
Here i've combined the english roman alphabet letters to form an arabic alphabet, which acts as a juxtapose as this language can be interpreted either way. Possibly the joining of cultures?
However I am not sure where this writing system is going as it hasn't exactly got a logical meaning as to why i decided to place the top half of the roman alphabet next to the bottom half purely besides my wanna be arabic/turkish language. Although I do like the dimensions, maybe i will try and incorporate that somehow in whatever i end up doing. Thus my research continues.....
I was just thinking that people communicate messages all the time using body languages, it might be interesting to look at different body languages and make symbols from them? It would be using a language that already exists except it would have a written form? Its interesting to look at each posture would signifying different emotions and feelings.
I just found this small pictogram of different gestures conveying different emotions, and below i will try creating symbols using the gesture above.
Before taking my own pictures, I started interpreting my own symbols according to the gestures above. I think my symbols are obvious that they are stick men doing something, maybe not useful to communicate a secret message? maybe i need to simplify my drawings more to make it look more symbol-like then stick men.
- Byblos syllabary – the city of Byblos
- Isthmian (apparently logosyllabic)
- Indus – Indus Valley Civilization
- Quipu – Inca Empire (probably numerical only)
- Khitan small script – Khitan
- Cretan hieroglyphs
- Linear A (a syllabary) – Minoan
- Mixtec – Mixtec (perhaps pictographic)
- Olmec – Olmec civilization (possibly the oldest Mesoamerican script)
- Phaistos Disc (a unique text, very possibly not writing)
- Proto-Elamite – Elam (nearly as old as Sumerian)
- Rongorongo – Rapa Nui (perhaps a syllabary)
- Proto-Sinaitic (likely an abjad)
- Zapotec – Zapotec (another old Mesoamerican script)
- Banpo symbols – Yangshao culture (perhaps proto-writing)
- Jiahu symbols – Peiligang culture (perhaps proto-writing)
Talking Knots
Quipu or ‘Talking Knots’ is the nickname for a truly unique way to ‘write down’ information: knots tied into strings. Used by the Inca, this is the only known writing system of pre-Columbian America, and dates back at least 4,600 years. ‘Talking knots’ were widely used for taxation, census taking, historical information, astronomy, and possibly even maps.
Most archeologists think that the knotting system contains both numbers and words, but only the numbers have ever been deciphered by modern scholars. The color, position and spacing of the knots might also contribute to their meaning. We don’t know, because talking knots were suppressed by Spanish conquerors in the sixteenth century in an effort to prevent communication of secret messages.
Less than eight hundred quipu, or collections of these knotted strings, survive today. They’re often found inside graves, and archeologists have theorized that they might tell the story of the dead person they were interred with.
Each cluster of knots is a digit, and there are three main types of knots: simple overhand knots, long knots, consisting of an overhand knot with one or more additional turns and figure of eight knots. In the Ascher’s system, a fourth type of know - figutre of eight knot with an extra twist - is reffered to as “EE”.
Thoroughly fascinated by this system, would be interesting if i could make some sort of simpler version of an alphabet using an interesting medium. These Knots remind me of HAIR..... they look like dreadlocks to me, i wonder if i could make some sort of language or writing system using hair.
Using HAIR to communicate a Message
So after looking at Quipu, or ‘talking knots’ it just reminded me of hair strands. I thought what if i made a system by using plaits to communicate a message.
These images making me want to start assigning meanings or alphabets to different sorts of plaits and maybe look at making a plait dictionary before starting off my own plait language? or would i be communicating a trend or mood according to the plait?
After experimenting with different plaits positions to create different symbols, i wondered whether communicating a message with hair would work as a form of communication.
- What does the RED thread mean?
- Should i try using different colours, and if so what do those colours represent?
- What do the shapes with the braids mean?
- WHO would use hair to communicate a message?
Small braids making up different shapes and incorporating colour reminds me of HIPPIES
Thus i must research the both cultures, if I'm going to make some sort of writing system that they would use, and decide which subculture would most likely and logically use hair to communicate a message and what sort of messages would they communicate using their hair?Would they be communicating political views? Religion?
Hippie Culture
Hippies represent the counterculture of the 1960’s. Their lifestyle is usually associated with rock music, hallucinogenic drugs, and long, flowy hair and clothing. They were seen by some as disrespectful and dirty and a disgrace to society, but to many they are a reminder of a more peaceful, carefree part of America’s history. Hippies were strongly against violence and supported liberal policies and freedom of personal expression, their lifestyles centering around the concepts of peace, freedom, and harmony for all people.
Generally, counterculture is used to describe the culture of a group of people whose morals, values, core ideals, and lifestyle differs, contradicts, or is polar to those of mainstream society at the time. Culturally, it is often described as a social equivalent to extremely liberal politics and radicalism.
The hippies of the 1960’s were the teenagers of the baby boom generation, so they were found in large numbers. They were generally Caucasian, middle-class, white teenagers between the ages of 15-25 who were tired of the restrictions put on them by society and their conservative parents. Most lived in urban areas or came from an urban background. They were tired of conforming and began to express themselves in a radical way. Hippies didn’t care about money and worked as little as possible. Instead, many of them shared what they had and lived together in large communes, while others simply lived in poverty by choice. They had very liberal political views and strongly protested the government and the war. The lifestyle of a hippie centered around non-conformity, because hippie culture is all about embracing who you really are and rejecting the need to conform to their society or authorities.
Some of the main
ideas of hippie culture are listed below:
-Do not conform to society.
-Materialism is wrong.
-Technology is unnecessary and oftentimes dehumanizing.
-Be your own person, not who anyone else wants you to be.
Although each hippie embraced his or her own ideals as a part of their new culture, the stereotypical hippie:
-Used hallucinogenic drugs.
-Practiced or were interested in Eastern Religions
-Had very liberal political views.
-Peace and love instead of hate and war.
-Expressed extreme tolerance and on the subject of sexuality and sex.
-Live life to the fullest
-Embrace the peace and love expressed by music, as well as the unification it creates among people, usually rock and roll.
Developing communication using HAIR
After looking at body language, and different gestures and emotions, i realized i could combine emotions with communicating a message using hair. My language could consist of the 10 most common emotions which i would create 10 different hairstyles for. I could have some sort of small catalogue with the 10 different hairstyles and the meaning, and a women could carry this catalogue in her handbag and do her hair according to her mood.
10 Hairstyles
I just drew out possible hair designs that women could use to communicate a message.
I feel that the different hairstyles in this concertina might be too DIFFERENT to communicate such emotions, therefore I was thinking to look at the pictures I took that communicate body language, and using the symbols I made, braid the postures on to hair and that would be the way to communicate emotions.
A braid symbolized earlier, which was woven from three strands of the unity of body, mind and soul. He also stood for the influences that started an adolescent girl and the specific self-image as a woman. In dreams a braid also represents femininity and sensitivity. Braid also can be exhort to concentrate power and energy to a target.
Psychologically:
Braided hair was once the symbol of order and cleanliness. Braiding hair of ribbons or knitting – are available to weave dreaming, which means, that the influences of life going into a coherent whole. Who in a dream weaves a braid, in waking life defends itself against progress.
Spiritually:
Very subtle influences come into play when the dreamer begins to evolve spiritually. A braid of the crown on his head refers to spiritual power.
I need to decide what sort of meaning I want my braids to portray, and assign meanings to the different braids. Maybe i should start but looking at at different braids and understanding my meaning from those braids and looking at different names of braids.
TESTING BRAIDS WITH COLOUR AND MAKING DIFFERENT SHAPES
After experimenting with different plaits positions to create different symbols, i wondered whether communicating a message with hair would work as a form of communication.
- What does the RED thread mean?
- Should i try using different colours, and if so what do those colours represent?
- What do the shapes with the braids mean?
- WHO would use hair to communicate a message?
Small braids making up different shapes and incorporating colour reminds me of HIPPIES
Thus i must research the both cultures, if I'm going to make some sort of writing system that they would use, and decide which subculture would most likely and logically use hair to communicate a message and what sort of messages would they communicate using their hair?Would they be communicating political views? Religion?
Hippie Culture
Hippies represent the counterculture of the 1960’s. Their lifestyle is usually associated with rock music, hallucinogenic drugs, and long, flowy hair and clothing. They were seen by some as disrespectful and dirty and a disgrace to society, but to many they are a reminder of a more peaceful, carefree part of America’s history. Hippies were strongly against violence and supported liberal policies and freedom of personal expression, their lifestyles centering around the concepts of peace, freedom, and harmony for all people.
Generally, counterculture is used to describe the culture of a group of people whose morals, values, core ideals, and lifestyle differs, contradicts, or is polar to those of mainstream society at the time. Culturally, it is often described as a social equivalent to extremely liberal politics and radicalism.
The hippies of the 1960’s were the teenagers of the baby boom generation, so they were found in large numbers. They were generally Caucasian, middle-class, white teenagers between the ages of 15-25 who were tired of the restrictions put on them by society and their conservative parents. Most lived in urban areas or came from an urban background. They were tired of conforming and began to express themselves in a radical way. Hippies didn’t care about money and worked as little as possible. Instead, many of them shared what they had and lived together in large communes, while others simply lived in poverty by choice. They had very liberal political views and strongly protested the government and the war. The lifestyle of a hippie centered around non-conformity, because hippie culture is all about embracing who you really are and rejecting the need to conform to their society or authorities.
Some of the main
-Do not conform to society.
-Materialism is wrong.
-Technology is unnecessary and oftentimes dehumanizing.
-Be your own person, not who anyone else wants you to be.
Although each hippie embraced his or her own ideals as a part of their new culture, the stereotypical hippie:
-Used hallucinogenic drugs.
-Practiced or were interested in Eastern Religions
-Had very liberal political views.
-Peace and love instead of hate and war.
-Expressed extreme tolerance and on the subject of sexuality and sex.
-Live life to the fullest
-Embrace the peace and love expressed by music, as well as the unification it creates among people, usually rock and roll.
Developing communication using HAIR
After looking at body language, and different gestures and emotions, i realized i could combine emotions with communicating a message using hair. My language could consist of the 10 most common emotions which i would create 10 different hairstyles for. I could have some sort of small catalogue with the 10 different hairstyles and the meaning, and a women could carry this catalogue in her handbag and do her hair according to her mood.
10 Hairstyles
I just drew out possible hair designs that women could use to communicate a message.
Here are possible front covers for the small catalogue that can go in a women's handbag.
A hairstyle is a result of evolution from simple threads upon a person’s head into a fashion statement, nothing short of a brand of self-expression. Braids are one of such styles adorned by women lest they never find opportunity to speak one’s mind or heart. Braiding is of a mark of their emotion, their testament, their forbidden message, their untold story and a way to communicate that story of how they truly feel. Braiding is an encrypted message used to convey meanings behind hidden emotions.
Experimenting
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