Glozel: Schist Rings

These are examples of continuous writing on schist rings. Turn the rings clockwise. The orientation of the characters will change, so that they can be read correctly.

The example above is inventory number G.F. 70 from the Glozel collection. First we need to identify the starting point for the text. It is the picture of the swimming deer. They are the subject. Turn the ring, so that the image of the deer is facing you. This is the starting position (fig. 1).

The first character is shí 十 or wǔ X. It is an ideograph of four points and the centre, in other words everywhere.

Next we have a pictograph of a tomb.

So now we know that the deer died. Next we learn how they died.

There is a pictograph of a crater lake 〇, followed by gǔn or gěn 〡, the ideograph for vertical things, so perhaps downed (fig. 2).

Then, we have a handwritten version of the character rén 人, which normally means people but it can mean creatures, and two gǔn or gěn side by side, that give an idea of gushing (fig. 3).

Lastly, we see what I think is the symbol for water (fig. 4).

Of course, we didn’t witness the event, but we can get an idea of what the writer was saying, which in English might run something like: ‘There were dead deer everywhere. The lake downed the creatures with gushing water.’

On the second example (G.F. 66), the starting position is the space (fig. 1). From here you can see a pictograph of a crater lake 〇, followed by the symbol for water.

Turning the ring, you come to a handwritten form of the character rén 人, meaning people. Then there is the character èr 二. Er means two, but it is also the ideograph for all things to do with duplicity. Here it means betrayed (fig. 2).

Next you see yīyī 〡 一, meaning one by one (fig. 3).

Lastly, at the position in figure 4, you see shí 十 or wǔ X, the ideograph for everywhere. Then, two gǔn or gěn side by side. This character is an ideograph for vertical things, so perhaps it means gushed.

Thus we have the same event described in a different way. In English, it might perhaps be: ‘Water from the lake betrayed people one by one. It gushed everywhere.’

The second example is really quite small. Mr Ferryn gives the scale as 1 col. = 8 mm.

Image Credits:

Example 1: Anneau G.F. 70: Musée de Glozel: Source: http://www.museedeglozel.com/Pierre.htm: Accessed: 29 December 2012

Example 2: Anneau G.F. 66: Patrick Ferryn: Courtesy, Patrick Ferryn