Allomantic(?) Symbols [Secret History spoilers]

[Caevita]

I was a bit surprised I hadn't already found a thread talking about this, to be honest.  If it exists, please let me know.

With that out of the way, Mistborn: Secret History has allomantic symbols at the beginning of every "part," as well as every chapter.  Except it doesn't.  The ones on the chapter heads are what you would expect, symbols tied to one of the sixteen metals on our mystical pie chart of allomancy.  The parts are a little different, though.  Two of them (parts 3 and 4) are attached to Lerasium and Atium, respectively.  The other four (cover/6, 1, 2, and 5) are completely unknown to me.

So let's talk about those, shall we?

[Cover/6+1]I don't have a whole lot to say about the symbols on the inside cover and also part six or part one of SH, except to say that they're both unusually shaped, as allomantic symbols go.  The cover/6 has two lines not pierced by a spike, and One has a spike not attatched to a line, as well as five spikes in total.  All three attributes are seen on only one other symbol (Lerasium has an unconnected line, duralumin five spikes, and Copper an unconnected spike).  I've assumed for a while that the spikes and lines are a hemalurgic map in one way or another, but I can't remember if there's a WoB on that.  I can't make head or tail of these two, though I'm fairly certain they're important somehow.

[2]Moving on, Two has easily the strangest design of the set, so much so it looks like something else entirely.  3 lines, stacked on top of each other evenly, and as many as sixteen spikes.  I say "as many as" because, unlike most allomantic symbols, the majority of the "heads" of the spikes are not in view.  Only six could be considered visible, and they all come to the same point, so it's still difficult to tell... there could be a dot in the middle for all I know.  Considering this part is named Well, this could simply be a symbol of the Well itself.  The sixteen spikes, then, could be a representation of allomancy itself.  We could even claim, since all of the spikes face the center, but many touch only the outermost circle, that the three lines represent the three planes of existence.  The ones reaching toward the center, therefore, would be the metals whose application reaches beyond the mere physical.  This may be reading too much into it, but I'll still wager that the existence of exactly sixteen spikes is intentional.

[5]And that brings us to number five.  Five features a single spike, two lines, and four dots.  Another oddity- all 18 known allomantic symbols (16 plus Atium and Lerasium) have exactly one dot, no more, no less.  This applies to the cover/6 and One as well, though Two is still difficult to tell.  If we go back to my assumption that these symbols are hemalurgic maps of some kind, I had assumed that the dot represented the head, the lines some part of the human body.  This new symbol is a bit perplexing to me after that.  Also strange, every line has been a fragment of a circle.  Usually about 3/4ths of it, though there were exceptions.  The lines in Five seem to be to an oval, much thinner on the axis the spike is placed through, and much longer on the perpendicular.  I... really can't make head nor tail of this one.  I've wondered if Five is tied to Autonomy, one way or another (taking Autonomy's presence, though never directly confirmed in AU, as a given in Scadrial), but it's a bit of a stretch.  Autonomy makes no overt moves in SH at all, in part 5 or elsewhere, unlike parts 3 and 4 which very much starred Ati and Leras.  The other possibility is, of course, that it's the theoretical hemalurgic map that would let Kell return to the physical plane.

TL;DR: No clue about cover/6 and 1st part symbols, 2 might be symbol of the Well or allomancy itself, 3 is Atium, 4 is Lerasium, 5 might be Autonomy's metal or Kell's unique, completely unproven hemalurgy, or somthing else entirely.

I think that's about all.  That one really got long on me.  Anyway, thoughts?  Am I reading too much into it?  Do you have your own theories to share?

EDIT: added tl;dr

EDIT EDIT: added part six (same as cover (inside flap))  Also, just remembered the epilogue has nothing but a single spike for an allomantic sybmol... seems ominous.

LAST EDIT I PROMISE: Apparently it goes like this:

1.  Malatium (makes sense, given context)

2.  Kredik Shaw (makes sense)

3.  Atium (makes sense)

4.  Lerasium (makes sense)

5.  Steel Alphabetized Aon Ire (makes sense, and super cool)

6.  Ettmetal (makes sense)

Epilogue: Hemalurgy foreshadowing I guess?

Thanks to Eki, WeiryWriter, and The One Who Connects for the info!

Edited December 26, 2016 by Caevita

[Eki]

The symbol for part five is Aon Ire in a Steel alphabet style.

Edit: Oh. and you didn't mention part six, but that one is Ettmetal/Harmonium.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Eki

[Caevita]

Oooh, now this is fun.  Having looked it up, Ettmetal is actually shown on the cover as well as part six.  Thank you for that and the insight about Five.  Any ideas for One or Two?  It being an Aon explains a lot of the inconsistencies about Five, but it wouldn't make much sense to me if either of the earlier two were imported.  Travelers had not yet arrived.  Maybe One (or even Two) could have something to do with silver or lead?  I know, I know, allomantically dead, but what if they were only that way because of Leras's obsession with the number 16?  It's theoretically possible that they have started carrying their own properties now.

Edit: re-looked up symbols, fixed my references.

Edit-edit: re-re-looked up symbols.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Caevita

[BlackYeti]

I'm not sure which symbol you mean when you refer to the cover. My cover looks like this, and obviously there's no symbol on that, can you clarify what you mean here?

 

[Caevita]

I was referring to the inside flap, where it says Mistborn: Secret History in big letters.  Paper page, but just before part one begins.  Sorry for the confusion.

[BlackYeti]

Oh wait, do you have it as part of Arcanum Unbounded? I didn't even think to look it in there since I have the ebook (which doesn't have that page), but I've got it in front of me now. If I'd noticed the above comment which said that it's the same as the symbol for part 6 I wouldn't have had to waste time by asking about it. Anyway, as @Eki said, that one's Harmonium.

[WeiryWriter]

Part One: Malatium

Part Two: Kredik Shaw

Part Three: Lerasium

Part Four: Atium

Part Five: Steel alphabet-stylized version of Aon Ire

Part Six: Ettmetal/harmonium

[The One Who Connects]

Part 1: No idea

Part 2: Kredik Shaw (on the Luthadel Map)

Part 3: Atium

Part 4: Lerasium

Part 5: Aon Ire (As Eki said)

Part 6: Harmonium (As Eki said)

Edited December 26, 2016 by The One Who Connects
Weiry ninja'd me

[Eki]

2 minutes ago, WeiryWriter said:

Part One: Malatium

Heh, just found that too, by accidentally noticing that The Eleventh Metal used the same symbol. Not sure how I missed that before...

3 minutes ago, The One Who Connects said:

Part 2: Kredik Shaw (on the Luthadel Map)

Wow, I never noticed you could view that as a Steel alphabet symbol If I ever noticed it before, I must have just seen it as the literal shape of the fortress.

[Caevita]

Thanks for the clarification, guys!  Black Yeti, that bit about the cover being part six wasn't there as of your earlier comment.  Added it in an edit, as you will see at the very bottom of my post.  Where'd you guys find that it was malatium?  Also, Kredik Shaw.  I knew I should have looked at the maps.  I never give those the attention they deserve.

[Eki]

12 minutes ago, Caevita said:

Where'd you guys find that it was malatium?

Here: http://coppermind.net/wiki/Malatium or here: http://coppermind.net/wiki/Steel_alphabet

[Caevita]

1 minute ago, Eki said:

Here: http://coppermind.net/wiki/Malatium or here: http://coppermind.net/wiki/Steel_alphabet

Thanks!  Also, oooh, they've got the spike there!  Seems I'm not the only one who doesn't know what it means though.

[Eki]

1 minute ago, Caevita said:

Thanks!  Also, oooh, they've got the spike there!  Seems I'm not the only one who doesn't know what it means though.

Yep. Could just be a reference to Hemalurgy, perhaps.

[Caevita]

1 minute ago, Eki said:

Yep. Could just be a reference to Hemalurgy, perhaps.

Yeah, most likely.  Still interesting, though.  I'm trying to decide whether taking this as evidence for the alphabet as a whole being hemalurgy-influenced is reading too much into it.

[Spoolofwhool]

4 hours ago, Caevita said:

Yeah, most likely.  Still interesting, though.  I'm trying to decide whether taking this as evidence for the alphabet as a whole being hemalurgy-influenced is reading too much into it.

The steel alphabet contains elements of allomancy, feruchemy and hemalurgy. The curves represent the bracer metal minds of feruchemists, the dots represent beads of metal for Allomancer, and the spikes represent hemalurgice spikes. The designs are purely artistic though, nothing canonical can be drawn from the placement of the elements.

Edited December 27, 2016 by Spoolofwhool

[Caevita]

3 hours ago, Spoolofwhool said:

The steel alphabet contains elements of allomancy, feruchemy and hemalurgy. The curves represent the bracer metal minds of feruchemists, the dots represent beads of metal for Allomancer, and the spikesense represent hemalurgice spikes. The designs are purely artistic though, nothing canonical can be drawn from the placement of the elements.

Huh.  Makes sense, but... Doesn't the feruchemical chart have its own, more triangular alphabet?  Is that just the Terris language, or...?

[Spoolofwhool]

26 minutes ago, Caevita said:

Huh.  Makes sense, but... Doesn't the feruchemical chart have its own, more triangular alphabet?  Is that just the Terris language, or...?

There are feruchemical symbols for the metals, I'm not sure what their root is though. Apparently the Steel Alphabet was originally Terris as well. 

[Caevita]

1 minute ago, Spoolofwhool said:

There are feruchemical symbols for the metals, I'm not sure what their root is though. Apparently the Steel Alphabet was originally Terris as well. 

Maybe just another product of the fact that the symbols aren't technically canon, then.  The entire feruchemical set might just be one big lie.

[Spoolofwhool]

3 minutes ago, Caevita said:

Maybe just another product of the fact that the symbols aren't technically canon, then.  The entire feruchemical set might just be one big lie.

I find that unlikely considering they've been officially released in the feruchemical table of metals.

[Caevita]

21 minutes ago, Spoolofwhool said:

I find that unlikely considering they've been officially released in the feruchemical table of metals.

 

4 hours ago, Spoolofwhool said:

The steel alphabet contains elements of allomancy, feruchemy and hemalurgy. The curves represent the bracer metal minds of feruchemists, the dots represent beads of metal for Allomancer, and the spikes represent hemalurgice spikes. The designs are purely artistic though, nothing canonical can be drawn from the placement of the elements.

Please explain.  Are the designs meaningful or aren't they?  I am confused.

[Spoolofwhool]

2 minutes ago, Caevita said:

 

Please explain.  Are the designs meaningful or aren't they?  I am confused.

I don't understand. There are sets of symbols representing the same metals. The steel alphabet contains elements, as that is what inspired the artist to make those designs, so the references to allomancy, feruchemy and hemalurgy are purely artistic. 

Edited December 27, 2016 by Spoolofwhool

[Caevita]

56 minutes ago, Spoolofwhool said:

I don't understand. There are sets of symbols representing the same metals. The steel alphabet contains elements, as that is what inspired the artist to make those designs, so the references to allomancy, feruchemy and hemalurgy are purely artistic. 

Apparently neither of us understand.  Probably my fault one way or the other.  I'm going to take my assumptions from the top, let me know which part I have backwards.

The steel alphabet is a derivative of the the allomantic symbols for different metals.  Related but separate is a set of feruchemical symbols.  How can it be, then, that the steel alphabet represents all of allomancy, feruchemy, and hemalurgy in one?  I had assumed that the seeming inconsistency could be accounted for by your previous comment about the designs for the symbols being artistically, not canonically designed.  I said that bit about the Feruchemical table being a "lie" as more of a joke than anything.  It would become meaningless, both by lore and practical application, if it is neither an alphabet of some kind nor a meaningful symbol.

[Spoolofwhool]

44 minutes ago, Caevita said:

The steel alphabet is a derivative of the the allomantic symbols for different metals.  Related but separate is a set of feruchemical symbols.  How can it be, then, that the steel alphabet represents all of allomancy, feruchemy, and hemalurgy in one?  I had assumed that the seeming inconsistency could be accounted for by your previous comment about the designs for the symbols being artistically, not canonically designed.  I said that bit about the Feruchemical table being a "lie" as more of a joke than anything.  It would become meaningless, both by lore and practical application, if it is neither an alphabet of some kind nor a meaningful symbol.

In-Cosmere, the steel alphabet represents the allomantic. In our reality, the artist who create the individual designs drew on elements of hemalurgy, allomancy and feruchemy to design them. I have no idea though whether they are viewed as containing elements of allomancy, feruchemy and hemalurgy in-Cosmere.

[The One Who Connects]

Quote

The three sets of symbols show the progression of the Allomantic text through the ages. The earliest script is from Hero of Ages. It was changed and modified into the Terris script symbols we see in Well of Ascension. After more time, the Terris script morphed into what is now known as the Allomantic Alphabet or the Steel Alphabet, which are the symbols used in Mistborn: The Final Empire. We've extrapolated the Steel Alphabet into a script that's more-standardized and refined for the chapter headings in Alloy of Law, which takes place 300 years after Hero of Ages.

—Isaac Stewart on the history of the icons.^[4]

Quote

From the Steel alphabet page on the Coppermind. (The symbols are for Zinc)

The far left symbol is in Ancient Terris.
Image 2 is an intermediary, something slightly more akin to the Steel Alphabet.
Image 3 is the Steel Alphabet we all know and love.
The last image is in the Modern Day Steel Alphabet, of Wax/Wayne's time.

What this implies, at least to me, is that the two languages diverged sometime around the intermediary (image 2) because they are largely the same symbol. I say around because had the intermediary been the common ancestor, all of the Feruchemical symbols should appear similar to the Allomantic ones. Most of them do, but not all.

Quote

Zinc       Brass     

The Feruchemical Symbol for Zinc is largely the same as the Allomantic one, just rotated 90 degrees. Brass however, has no such easy explanation.

Zinc and Brass (Rioter & Soother respectively) Brass is also the most different, barring Atium. The other symbols that are different are Tin(easiest to reason through), Steel/Iron, Aluminum, Pewter, and Brass/Atium (most changed)

All of the other metals (including Duralumin) are either largely unchanged or have a simple logic to them, like Zinc did in the above example.

Edited December 27, 2016 by The One Who Connects
Image size.

[Caevita]

1 hour ago, The One Who Connects said:

From the Steel alphabet page on the Coppermind. (The symbols are for Zinc)

The far left symbol is in Ancient Terris.
Image 2 is an intermediary, something slightly more akin to the Steel Alphabet.
Image 3 is the Steel Alphabet we all know and love.
The last image is in the Modern Day Steel Alphabet, of Wax/Wayne's time.

What this implies, at least to me, is that the two languages diverged sometime around the intermediary (image 2) because they are largely the same symbol. I say around because had the intermediary been the common ancestor, all of the Feruchemical symbols should appear similar to the Allomantic ones. Most of them do, but not all.

The Feruchemical Symbol for Zinc is largely the same as the Allomantic one, just rotated 90 degrees. Brass however, has no such easy explanation.

Zinc and Brass (Rioter & Soother respectively) Brass is also the most different, barring Atium. The other symbols that are different are Tin(easiest to reason through), Steel/Iron, Aluminum, Pewter, and Brass/Atium (most changed)

All of the other metals (including Duralumin) are either largely unchanged or have a simple logic to them, like Zinc did in the above example.

Thank you!  This explains it very well.