Crescent
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robot Adding: [[hr:Polumjesec]], [[ja:三日月]]
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:''For things named Crescent, see [[Crescent (disambiguation)]].''
[[Image:Crescent.svg|thumb|right|167px|An example of an artistic crescent — in this case a large circle with a smaller one removed.]]
[[Image:Gibbous-Crescent-half-ellipse-in-circle.svg|right|thumb|167px|An astronomically correct crescent shape (in blue), complemented by a ''[[gibbous]]'' shape.]]
In art and symbolism, a '''crescent''' is generally the shape produced when a [[circle|circular]] disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge, so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points (usually in such a manner that the enclosed shape does not include the center of the original circle).
In [[astronomy]], a crescent is the shape of the lit side of a spherical body (most notably the [[Moon]]) that appears to be less than half illuminated by the [[Sun]] as seen by the viewer. Mathematically, assuming the [[Terminator (solar)|terminator]] lies on a [[great circle]], such a crescent will actually be the figure bounded by a half-[[ellipse]] and a half-circle, with the major axis of the ellipse coinciding with a diameter of the semicircle. The direction in which the "horns" (the points at the intersection of the two arcs) face indicates whether a crescent is ''waxing'' (also ''young'', or ''increasing'') or ''waning'' (also ''old'', or ''decreasing''). Eastward pointing horns (pointing to the left, as seen from the Northern hemisphere) indicate a waxing crescent, whereas westward pointing horns (pointing to the right, as seen from the Northern hemisphere) indicate a waning crescent. Note that the directions the horns point relative to the observer are reversed in the Southern hemisphere.
[[Image:Flag of Turkey.svg|150px|thumb|left|The [[flag of Turkey]] was adopted in 1844. Its geometric proportions were standardized in 1936.]]
The [[crescent and star]], while generally regarded as [[Islamic symbols]] today, have long been used in [[Asia Minor]] and by the ancient Turks, earlier than the advent of [[Islam]]. According to archaeological excavations, [[Göktürks]] used the crescent and star figure on their coins. The 1500-year-old coin includes three crescent moon figures and a star near a person:
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/photo/32005/m7782.jpg
The crescent was the symbol of the [[Sassanian Empire]] of Persia (Iran) and is prominently displayed on the crowns of its rulers<ref>Michael G. Morony, Iraq After the Muslim Conquest,Gorgias Press LLC, 2005. pp 39-40. Excerpt: [[Yazdegerd]] I (399-420) was the monarch represented with a crescent moon on the front of his crown.</ref>. After the Arab conquest of that empire in 651 CE, it was gradually adopted by later caliphates and Muslim rulers as an established and recognized symbol of power in Western Asia. It was also a symbol of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Though the crescent was originally a secular symbol of authority for Muslim rulers, it is now often used to symbolize the [[Islamic]] faith. However, it should be noted that the crescent was not a symbol used for [[Islam]] by [[Muhammad]] or any other early Muslim rulers, as the Islamic religion is, in fact, against appointing "Holy Symbols" (so that during the early centuries of Islam, Muslim authorities simply didn't want any geometric symbols to be used to symbolize Islam, in the way that the [[cross]] symbolizes Christianity, the [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]] was a commonly-occurring symbol of Judaism, etc.). This is why early Islamic coins were covered with Arabic writing, but contained no visual symbols.
Despite this mixed history, many Islamic nations and charities use the crescent symbol on their flags or logos (e.g. [[Pakistan]], [[The Red Crescent]], etc. — though currently none of the Arab states in [[Arabia]] or the [[Mashreq]] have crescents on their flags). Therefore it could be argued that this usage is meant to signify Islamic identity or Muslim brotherhood.
[[Image:Flag of Pakistan.svg|150px|thumb|left|The flag of [[Pakistan]]]]
[[Image:Herb Leliwa.jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Leliwa]]. [[Poland|Polish]] noble [[coat of arms]] with crescent as a heraldic symbol.]]
[[Image:Triple-Goddess-Waxing-Full-Waning-Symbol.png|thumb|150px|right|The crescent as a neo-pagan symbol of the [[Triple Goddess]].]]
Note that in the case of an astronomical crescent, such as the moon observed in the sky, the outer arc will be 180° (a half-circle as previously mentioned), while the Islamic crescent symbol (Arabic هلال ''hilāl'') is generally shown with an outer arc significantly greater than 180° (as seen in the illustrations above).
The crescent moon is also a symbol associated with the [[Hinduism|Hindu]]'s iconography: with the [[Deva (Hinduism)|deity]] [[Shiva]], who wears it at the top of his matted hair.
The crescent is also used as a [[heraldry|heraldic]] symbol. However, this usage is not affiliated in any way with Islam. The roots of the Slavic crescent can be traced to the old Slavic pagan [[Slavic mythology|beliefs]]. In [[England|English]] and [[Canada|Canadian]] [[heraldry]] a crescent is the [[Cadency|cadence]] mark of a second son.
The crescent symbol is also used to represent the moon in [[Astronomical symbols|astronomy]] and astrology, and to represent silver (the [[Astrology and alchemy|metal associated with the moon]]) in alchemy, where, by inference, it can also be used to represent qualities that silver possesses. (Alchemy and Symbols, By M. E. Glidewell, Epsilon.)
==See also==
* [[Gallery of flags with crescents]]
* [[Star and crescent]]
* [[Crescent Sailboat]]
* [[Coat of Arms of Croatia]]
* [[Lunar phase]]
* [[Flight 93 National Memorial#Crescent of Embrace|Flight 93 National Memorial]]'s proposed ''Crescent of Embrace'' (controversial design proposal)
* The word '''Crescent''' appears in the name of some places, such as [[Crescent City, California]]
* [[New Orleans]] is nicknamed ''The Crescent City'', and a crescent, or crescent and star, is used to represent the city officially. The origin is the crescent shape of the old city, hugging the East Bank of the [[Mississippi River]]. The historical crescent, which includes the [[French Quarter]] and was one of the few places where settlement was possible before the construction of the [[levee]] system, did not flood during [[Hurricane Katrina]]. The choice of the star and crescent symbol is a relic of the [[krewe]]s, many of which adopted "[[Oriental]]" costume and rituals, like other societies of the 19th century.
* Also the name of the [[Hawaii]]an city [[Hilo]] means crescent.
*[[DreamWorks]] and [[DreamWorks Animation]] logos
{{commonscat|Crescents}}
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.fotw.net/flags/islam.html#ori The origin of the Islamic crescent]
*[http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Lune.html MathWorld article on geometric "Lune"]
*[http://www.moonsighting.net Worldwide Moon Sighting Reports]
*[http://engagemn.com/2007/12/19/the-crescent-shines-for-all/ The Crescent Shines for All, Not Just Muslims]
[[Category:Symbols]]
[[Category:Phases of the Moon]]
[[bs:Polumjesec]]
[[de:Mondsichel]]
[[eo:Islama lunarko]]
[[fa:هلال (نشانه)]]
[[hr:Polumjesec]]
[[he:סהר]]
[[nl:Wassende maan]]
[[ja:三日月]]
[[pl:Półksiężyc]]
[[pt:Crescente]]
[[ru:Полумесяц]]
[[simple:Crescent]]
[[fi:Kuun sirppi]]
[[tr:Hilal]]