\'Yin Yang\' Sign in Greco-Roman Culture

[Agraes]

Two shields patterns from the Notitia Dignitatum display an esse design, the Armigeri and the Mauri osismiaci. The later were a unit stationned in western Armorica, originally made up from Maurs but likely by the late 4th century mostly drawn up from locals, Osismi armoricans, hence its name.





There are quite a lot of esses (I better like that name than the 'Yin Yang' given the pattern seems to appear quite late in the middle ages in asian art) in LaTene and early medieval insular art.

See for exemple:
http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg546/sca...es=landing

Or on this 6th century latchet brooch from Ireland:
http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg689/sca...es=landing

We (my group Letavia - 5th century Britons) decided to change our shield patterns recently, going for the Mauri osismiaci.