by Dr. Qazim Namani
The number 7 is one of the numbers that has left its mark on our folk art, inherited to our time. This number had symbolic meaning and other explanations with religious and supernatural worldviews.
A few days ago, a photo came from my friend Fehmi Ajvazi, which he had taken in the Selishtë locality, at the exit of the village of Zhegër, the valley towards the border in the village of Stanqiq, Municipality of Gjilan. I think it is a tombstone (the tomb of Jetullah Halimi – Sefer in Selishtë) with ancient symbolism that is often found in our folk art.
On this stone, the symbol of the cult of the sun with seven rays is clearly visible and above the sun, the symbol of the moon. What impressed me in this case is the symbolism of the number seven, so let’s see the importance and presence of this number in the symbols of cult and art in general in the Dardanian culture and among the ancient peoples of the world.
The number 7 is among the numbers that has left its mark on our folk art, inherited to our time. This number had symbolic meaning and other explanations with religious and supernatural worldviews. Data on the symbolism of this number in our scientific literature are scarce, but in Dardanian folk culture and crafts it is present and its presence is sufficiently presented in the symbolism of Dardanian art and religion.
In our folk art, symbols with the number seven are rarer to be presented to us, whether as decorative symbols or cult symbols. This number today, in modern times, represents the days that complete the week in the periodic calendar, therefore it has special importance for all peoples. In the most ancient times, the symbolism of this number as a cult symbol is encountered by many peoples of the world, starting from the Far East to Western European countries.
This accidental finding of this symbol in our popular culture has great importance in the tradition of culture, religion as an astrological symbol that symbolizes the movement of the seven celestial bodies. This is also evidenced in our popular tradition passed down from generation to generation, the seven sides of the earth and the seven sides of the heavens, and our body has 7 endocrine cells, which are responsible for the production of hormones. The seven wonders of the world, which help compose the history of humanity.
In ancient times and in antiquity, settlements were built between seven hills to survive invasions and natural disasters. In the field of art today, this number symbolizes the seven fine arts. It is interesting to know that this number also symbolizes the seven colors of the Rainbow, which today miraculously preserves this symbolism of the colors of the Rainbow in the clothing of Albanian women in Medvedja and the surrounding area.
Also, from generation to generation in our folk tradition, the saying has been preserved: “He struck seven blows on the ground”, which I think in this case means funerals on occasions of burial. Among many peoples, this number is considered a lucky number, as the number of angels, which means the inner spiritual world, the connection of man with God, and the communication of angels with the deceased.
The number 7 is considered the perfect number. In this concept we have 7 important metals for this area, which are lead, copper, tin, iron, silver, gold and mercury. In the world of Astrology this number represents the 7 astrological planets:
Sun, Moon, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus. In numerology, we discover what the natives of the 7 are like, how they interact with the world and their strengths and weaknesses. Angel number 7 symbolizes inner strength, and so, if you often see the number 7, it may be your angels who make you capable and feel strong and dominant in life’s challenges.
The number 7 also appears frequently in culture and history. For example, there are seven wonders of the world, seven days of the week, seven circles of the universe, seven sins and seven basic musical notes. The number 7 has several positive and negative aspects to analyze and its meanings within the most diverse religions.
This number has more meaning than one might imagine, it is an indicator of perfection, but there are other factors that surround this mystical number. In addition, Snow White took refuge in the house of the 7 dwarfs and, when breaking a mirror, it is believed that the person who broke it will have 7 years of bad luck, since this time corresponds to an entire cycle in our lives.
In ancient times, among the Aryans, belief was created in seven stars, seven concentric continents and seven streams of soma (the sacred liquid that the Aryans drank during their rituals and which they poured into the hearth in honor of the god Agni).
We find the same thing in the Brahmanical Mysteries, where these degrees symbolize the seven worlds of the Hindu universe: the lowest is “Earth,” followed by the “World of Re-existence,” the “Heavens,” the “Middle World,” the “World of the East” in which souls are born, the “Palace of the Blessed,” and finally the “Realm of Truth” where Brahman resides.
The “Bhagavata Purana,” written about a thousand years ago, mentions that within each universe there are seven layers: earth, water, fire, air, sky, total energy, and the false self. (Bonus thought: the same scripture below says that “there are innumerable universes besides this one, and though all are infinitely large, they move like atoms within you, and therefore you are also unlimited.”)
In Islam, there are seven heavens, seven different levels of heaven, that is, seven different levels to which the good go after death, depending on how good they were. Hell, on the other hand, has seven gates for seven different followers of Satan. Muslims walk around the Kaaba seven times. The naming ceremony of a child takes place on the seventh day after its birth.
In Hinduism, there are several protocols involving the number 7 during the wedding ceremony. The bride and groom make exactly 7 rounds around the sacred fire, while the guru who presides over the ceremony recites several mantras. Finally, the bride and groom take 7 steps together and, for each of them, make a vow for the lives of the two who are waiting.
The number 7 has been part of humanity since the beginning of time and, since then, it has gathered thousands of symbolisms. In religion, it is a prominent number since creation. The number 7 is full of mysteries and meanings. It has symbolism in religion and esotericism, as it is present in sacred writings and in various rituals practiced. In spiritism, the Earth is divided into spheres. These spheres surround our planet and are divided into 7.
They are: the Abyss, the Darkness, the Earth’s Crust, the Umbral, the Transition Zones, the Superior Spheres and the Luminous Spheres. The number 7 in the Bible appears in the chapter of Genesis. God took 6 days to create the world and used the seventh to bless his project and rest. We have in the Bible the description of the 7 sins and also the 7 virtues. Furthermore, the trumpet was blown 7 times before the wall of Jericho collapsed.
The number 7 also represents the union of 3 (representing Spirit) with 4 (representing matter). The 7 were God’s trusted messengers, called Archangels.
