Explain your avatar

[HectorOfTroy]

It's Jinyoung Park from the Lookism web graphic novel. A troubled genius and fighting legend.

[rothaer]

I chosed my current avatar because oak leafs and acorns are a German-connected symbol that shows up in many contexts. I don't even know how that evolved. But I noticed that in spite of all big political changes it has been used by every political system. So you can say that it is a politically neutral symbol that all can agree on. I like that idea very much.

I'll show it once using the German 1 mark coin. In the left column you have from top to bottom two variants from Imperial Germany and two variants from the Weimar Republic. In the right column you have it from the Third Reich, from the FRG and two variants from the GDR. You will find that on all coins in some form is used the symbol in question.



Compared to all these 1 mark coins the much disliked by me euro is a total cut of traditions, of course. But the avers of the FRG 1, 2 and 5 cent coins does exhibit oak leafs and acorns and does it even pretty prominent and determined, I think.



Do people from abroad perceive any German-relatedness of this symbol? I'm curious.

[Dick]

Hermes/Mercury from the painting "The Souls of Acheron" (1898) by the Hungarian Jewish artist Adolf Hirschl.

Archeron is a river in northwestern Greece.

[MCMXCV]

My avatar represents the coat of arms of my historical region (duchy), where I live and from which all my known ancestors originate. I’ve found this particular depiction online and it’s supposedly from the year 1523.

[Hektor12]

Well, it's kind-of who I am.

Explain my avatar.

[Kazimiera]

Explain my avatar.

You're the crafty cuttlefish who hoodwinks Mr Muscles by silently creeping into his harem to steal all his women.

[MCMXCV]

Are people from abroad aware of the German-relatedness of this symbol? I'm curious.

I first noticed oak leaves on pfennig coins lying around at home in my early childhood. I don’t remember connecting them to Germanness, as many countries use distinctive flora and fauna on their currency; however, I did later realise it’s commonly used in the German context.

It’s nice to see there’s such a neutral symbol with tradition.

As an interesting fact, the Croatian 5-lipa coin of the now defunct kuna also had this motive.

[Jankec]

My new avatar, this handsome man:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalking_Cat

[rothaer]

I first noticed oak leaves on pfennig coins lying around at home in my early childhood. I don’t remember connecting them to Germanness, as many countries use distinctive flora and fauna on their currency; however, I did later realise it’s commonly used in the German context.

It’s nice to see there’s such a neutral symbol with tradition.

As an interesting fact, the Croatian 5-lipa coin of the now defunct kuna also had this motive.

Yes, nice. Actually a number of countries refer to the oak although in a German context it seems to be particularly widespread. Here's a collage with some more usages from very different German eras and countries:

[rothaer]

(...)

As an interesting fact, the Croatian 5-lipa coin of the now defunct kuna also had this motive.

Maybe Scarface F can enlight its particular motivation?