Pagan Symbolism 3

8/14/2019 Pagan Symbolism 3

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The Relevance of Pagan Symbols in Christianity

Michael J. Perez

FYSE 1087A



As one entity begins to dissolve another a slight !"sion o! the t#o is an

inevitability. $his is %recisely #hat occ"rred in the &o'an E'%ire in the !o"rth cent"ry 1.

As the disse'ination o! (hristianity began to do'inate Paganis' even E'%eror

(onstantine e)%erienced the d"ality. (onstantine #as the !irst and last e'%eror to be o!

both religions. *orn and raised as a Pagan he #as converted to (hristianity d"ring his

reign. + Altho"gh the &o'an E'%ire shortly a!ter (onstantine,s reign began to

sta"nchly o%%ose %aganis' %assing 'any anti-%agan la#s "nder the r"le o! $heod"s it#as not al#ays so. For abo"t three h"ndred years a!ter the death o! Jes"s %aganis'

do'inated the &o'an E'%ire and (hristians #ere #idely %ersec"ted. Altho"gh today

(hristianity is %racticed !ar 'ore !re/"ently than %aganis' the d"ality re'ains.

n his novel an *ro#n disc"sses (hristianity,s 'ani%"lation o! 'any %agan

sy'bols. *ro#n #o"ld lead the reader to believe that (hristianity,s borro#ing o! ideas

is %roo! that (hristianity is a co'%lete and "tter hoa). 2o#ever research sho#s that the

ac/"isition o! 'ost !oreign sy'bols by (hristianity #as necessitated by the harsh anti-

(hristian attit"des d"ring the era directly be!ore the conversion o! the &o'an E'%ire.

Many o! the sy'bols ado%ted by (hristianity carry the sa'e or si'ilar 'eaning as their

%agan co"nter%arts and in 'ost cases it #as not the total destr"ction o! %aganis' that

'otivated (hristians to ado%t and 3'ani%"late4 %agan sy'bols b"t rather the el"sion o!

%ersec"tion by anti-(hristians.



The Rose 4

5

&oses have been in e)istence long be!ore the history o! 'an began. $he earliest

rose !ossils date bac6 a%%ro)i'ately thirty-!ive 'illion years. Petri!ied rose #reaths have

been !o"nd in Egy%tian to'bs indicating the relevance o! the rose to Pagan religions.

$he story o! the rose is also i'bedded in ree6 and &o'an 'ythology. n ree6

'ythology it #as A%hrodite the oddess o! love #ho created the rose. n &o'an

'ythology it #as A%hrodite,s e/"ivalent en"s #ho created the rose. *ased %ri'arily

on the title o! the oddess9es: the rose ca'e to stand !or love and bea"ty. 2o#ever

#hen in an atte'%t to halt en"s,s lascivio"sness ("%id en"s,s son bribed the od o!

Silence #ith a rose it beca'e a sy'bol !or secrecy.

$he sy'bol o! the rose #as "sed long be!ore the days o! (hristianity 'ost

!re/"ently in &o'an ho"seholds. ;arge rose %aintings #ere %laced on the ceilings above

dining roo' tables to %olitely re'ind g"ests not to share #ith anyone #hat they had

heard at dinner. $he ter' sub rosa 9"nder the rose: #as ado%ted a!ter this &o'an

c"sto' and ca'e to stand !or 3in secrecy4.

$he rose sy'bol is not "ni/"e to %aganis'. (hristians sa# the rose as a

'eta%hor !or the !ive #o"nds on (hrist,s head hands and !eet as he h"ng on the cross.

Also a #hite rose #itho"t thorns "s a sy'bol !or the irgin Mary. < n !act there are

very !e# %aintings o! the irgin Mary that do not have a rose so'e#here in the'. $oday

the #hite rose is a sy'bol o! the Madonna #hile the red rose is a sy'bol o! 'artyr,s



blood. n this case altho"gh (hristianity does share the rose as a sy'bol #ith %aganis'

there is virt"ally no correlation bet#een the t#o. (hristians 'ay have indeed ado%ted the

rose as a sy'bol b"t there is no evidence that they 'ani%"lated or altered it !or the

%"r%ose o! s"%%ressing %aganis'.

7

The Fish

8

$he sy'bol o! the !ish has been !o"nd on arti!acts that date as !ar bac6 as +000

*.(. $he %revalence o! this sy'bol is #ides%read a'ong ancient civilizations and has

been !o"nd in #hat #ere the 6ingdo's o! $"ran Asia Minor ndia (haldea *abylonia

Media Meso%ota'ia Persia and Egy%t. = ;ittle by little this sy'bol o! divinity ac/"ired

h"'an characteristics and evolved into the hal!-'an hal!-!ish Phoenician od agon.

>n the island o! (rete this trident bearing od #as na'ed *aal taan. 10 Pagans sa# the

od agon? *aal taan as a sy'bol o! both h"'an and ani'al !ertility. 11 Scholars

believe that the !ish #as chosen to re%resent !ertility %artially beca"se o! its ability to

carry and lay so 'any eggs and %artially on behal! o! the belie! that li!e began in the

ocean.



So'eti'e a!ter the co'ing o! (hrist (hristians ado%ted the sy'bol to re%resent

the Savior Jes"s (hrist. t is /"ite %ossible that this sy'bol ado%ted this alternate

signi!icance #hen Peter the A%ostle established his !irst E%isco%al See in Antioch Persia

#hich had been a veritable Mecca !or agon #orshi% in the Pagan era. 1+ A 'ore

co''only acce%table e)%lanation to (hristians is that the "se o! the !ish as a sy'bol is

derived !ro' $he @e# $esta'ent #hen in John +1 = Jes"s t"rns a !e# !ish into h"ndreds

to !eed the h"ngry. 1

$he %revalence o! the sy'bol in (hristianity #as greatly a'%li!ied #hen a

(hristian scholar discovered a clever acrony' !or the ree6 #ord !or !ish.

IX YC or ichtus 9!ish: beca'e IHCOYC XPICTOC HON YIOC C THP. n

English this translates to 3Jes"s (hrist od,s son Savior.4 1B Soon a!ter this revelation

o! #hat can only be coincidence (hristians every#here began to "se the !ish as a secret

code. $he &o'an E'%ire still vehe'ently o%%osed to (hristianity #as a%%arently

oblivio"s the sy'bol,s 'eaning. $he !ish beca'e a vital tool in the secret

co''"nications bet#een (hristians in the !irst to !o"rth cent"ries 15 and is a

/"intessential e)a'%le o! ho# (hristians ado%ted Pagan sy'bols in order to avoid

%ersec"tion and still co''"nicate #ith each other.

Soon a!ter the conversion o! (onstantine and the &o'an abandon'ent o!

Paganis' the !ish began to !ade as a (hristian sy'bol. t #as no longer necessary to "se

the !ish as a secret code. @evertheless the !ish #as assi'ilated into 'ainstrea'(hristian sy'bolis' and ca'e to stand !or the E"charist !ollo#ing in the !ootste%s o!

Pagan Egy%tians #ho sa# the eating o! a !ish as a rit"al sy'bolizing the "nion o! h"'ans

and divinity. 1< Altho"gh so'e %arallels can be dra#n bet#een this (hristian "se o! the



sy'bol and the %agan "se it is again clear that (hristians did not "se the !ish in order to

#i%e o"t %aganis'.

Satan and The Serpent

17

$o co'%rehend the (hristian conce%t o! Satan one '"st !irst e)%lore the J"daic

"nderstanding. Je#s o! ancient ti'es did not believe in Satan. For a long ti'e they

"nderstood that the !orces o! good and evil #ere all as%ects o! od. 18 t #as the Pagan

doctrines o! Mithrais' that ac/"ainted the Je#s #ith the idea o! an evil being se%arate

!ro' od. 1= 2o#ever the na'e 3Satan4 is 'ost li6ely derived !ro' Egy%tian Paganis'.

Set #as the ser%ent bodied Egy%tian od o! chaos and destr"ction. Chen Set,s !"ll na'e

is translated !ro' hierogly%hics it yields Set hen +0 a title that rese'bles the na'e Satan

to closely to be coincidental.

$he derivation o! the na'e o! Satan only %artially D"sti!ies the "se o! the ser%ent

as a sy'bol o! evil. $he ser%ent is %ossibly the 'ost a'big"o"s sy'bol o! all ti'e. ts

"ses are #ides%read and !re/"ently contradictory. n addition to the Egy%tian "se o! the

ser%ent to %ortray evil there is the ree6 genie $y%hon closely associated #ith Set +1

and the "se o! the sna6e to re%resent Satan in $he *oo6 o! enesis in $he *ible ++.

2o#ever 'any c"lt"res incl"ding those disc"ssed above have "sed the sna6e to

re%resent other less 'alevolent ideas. Even in (hristianity the sna6e bears a %ositive

association. t #as not "nco''on d"ring the Middle Ages !or a bisho%,s sta!! to be

adorned #ith the body o! a sna6e. $he sna6e #as even "sed ho#ever relatively



in!re/"ently to re%resent (hrist 2i'sel!. + $he 'ost co''on ill"stration o! this is the

icon o! a sna6e #ra%%ed aro"nd the ;atin cross.

t 'ight there!ore be in!erred that the idea o! Satan and his %ortrayal as a ser%ent

is indeed an as%ect o! (hristianity borro#ed !ro' Paganis'. 2o#ever there is little

a%%arent 'ani%"lation o! this sy'bol by (hristians. $he idea o! an evil god #as si'%ly

translated into a !or' 'ore digestible !or (hristians. (ontrary to #hat *ro#n s"ggests

the na'e and !or' o! Satan #ere not conceived to 'ani%"late certain %agan ele'ents.

$he %agan ele'ents that #ere borro#ed already held evil connotation and bear no 'ore

o! stig'a in (hristianity than they did in Paganis'.n ter's o! the trident Satan holds it is tr"e that this is the sa'e tool held by

Poseidon ree6 od o! the Sea b"t *ro#n !ails to 'ention that the trident is the tool o!

al'ost every %agan od res%onsible !or governing stor's and 'ore i'%ortantly that the

trident is also "sed in (hristianity !or a sign o! the cross and Jes"s hi'sel!. 9See the

section on the ;atin (ross.: t #o"ld be co"nter int"itive !or (hristians to ado%t the

trident as a sy'bol o! evil 9Satan: and as a sy'bol o! the Messiah i! their intention #as

to attach a negative connotation to every ele'ent o! %aganis'.

The Equi- atera Cross

$he %rec"rsor o! the (hristian cross the e/"ilateral cross #as !irst !o"nd in the

!or' o! the a''adion. !4 $he a''adion is an e/"ilateral cross #ith the ends o! each

leg bent bac6 at right angles that e)ists as a sy'bol by al'ost every 'aDor religion.

+5.



$he a''adion dates tho"sands o! years bac6 be!ore the ti'e o! (hrist and has

been !o"nd on virt"ally every continent. Altho"gh the original 'eaning o! this sy'bol is

"n6no#n it has al#ays been a sy'bol o! %ositive connotation. t #as not "ntil 2itler

chose a !or' o! the a''adion the s#asti6a as the sy'bol !or @azis' that this sy'bol

began to bear a negative stig'a. t has been !o"nd and dated bac6 be!ore the birth o!

(hrist in (entral A'erica in $laloc $e'%les +< in *"ddhist art#or6 as the !irst o! si)ty-

!ive sy'bols re%resenting the 3'ar6 o! *"ddha4 +7 in E"ro%e on (eltic S#iss and

*ritish arti!acts s"ch as vases %lates and s#ord belts +8 in &o'an Mosaics and terra cotta

discs "nearthed !ro' #hat #as ancient $roy+=

and even A!rican arti!acts as #ell. $hereare 'any theories based "%on #here the ga''adion has been !o"nd regarding the

'eaning o! this sy'bol. $he 'ost co''only acce%ted hy%othesis is that the !o"r

e)tre'ities o! the e/"ilateral cross re%resent the !o"r %ositions o! the s"n d"ring the year

and the bent bac6 a%%endages indicate the 'ove'ent o! the s"n bet#een these !o"r

%oints. 0 Many scholars also believe that it re%resents l"nar 'ove'ent 1 'ale and !e'ale

"nion + or !e'ale !ertility .

&egardless o! #here the ga''adion originated and #hat its original "se #as it

#as ado%ted by the (hristian ch"rch as a cr"ci!or' B not long a!ter the (h"rch,s

!o"nding. t has been !o"nd on early (hristian to'bstones in conD"nction #ith 'ore

ty%ical ;atin 5 crosses. n !act it is the only !or' o! the cross "sed by (hristians in the

second and third cent"ries <. Even in the cataco'bs o! $he atican it o!ten re%laces the

cross o! (hrist. 7

Shortly a!ter the s%read o! the ga''adion thro"gh (hristianity the e/"ilateral

cross began to a%%ear 'ore o!ten #itho"t its bent bac6 a%%endages and /"ic6ly re%laced



victi' is %artially relieved and death is nor'ally slo#er in co'ing. For this reason the

victi',s legs are o!ten bro6en a!ter so'e ti'e on the cross. S"ch an act #as not seen as

evil b"t rather as an act o! 'ercy. B1

Altho"gh the 'ethods by #hich Jes"s #as allegedly cr"ci!ied are relatively

acc"rate there are a !e# discre%ancies. First 'ost crosses "sed !or cr"ci!i)ion #ere

sha%ed li6e a $ not li6e the ;atin (ross. (rosses sha%ed li6e the ;atin (ross #ere called

immissa and #ere reserved !or the 'ost e)tre'e cri'es co''itted by slaves. B+ Secondly

the *ible re%orts Jes"s,s cross as bearing the inscri%tion reading 3$he ing o! the Je#s4.

(rosses never bore inscri%tions regardless o! the nat"re o! the cri'e. Chile it is noti'%ossible that Jes"s,s cross bore s"ch an inscri%tion it is highly "nli6ely. B

t #as not "ntil t#o-h"ndred years a!ter the alleged cr"ci!i)ion o! Jes"s (hrist that

the cross beca'e a sy'bol o! (hristianity. 2o#ever d"e to the harsh anti-(hristian

attit"des o! this %eriod all crosses a%%eared in disg"ised !or'. t #as not "ntil the si)th

cent"ry that crosses began to a%%ear in the !or' #e 6no# today. BB $he (ross o! (hrist

#as disg"ised as a trident a dol%hin an e/"ilateral cross and the ga''adion. B5 ;i6e the

"se o! the !ish as a sy'bol the trident dol%hin and e/"ilateral cross re'ained sy'bols o!

(hristianity long a!ter there #as a necessity !or the'. >nce secret sy'bols "sed to avoid

%ers"c"tion by %agans these sy'bols beca'e a %er'anent %art o! (hristianity.

The Pentac e

B<

$he %entacle is yet another (hristian sy'bol #ith %agan roots. Stars have been

!o"nd on Palestinian clay dating bac6 to at least B000 *(. B7 2o#ever stars have been

"sed in 'any di!!erent #ays to re%resent 'any di!!erent things. n %aganis' a star can



re%resent h"'an beings. B8 Fro' 00-150 *( it #as "sed by the Je#s as the sy'bol o!

Jer"sale' and is o!ten !o"nd on Solo'on,s shield 9a 2ebre# sy'bol containing a !ive

%ointed star:. B= $he "se o! the sy'bol to re%resent the devil did not begin "ntil long

a!ter the conversion o! the &o'an E'%ire. $he @ordics #ho %ainted it on doors and

#alls to #ard o!! evil originally "sed it in this sense b"t the "se o! the sy'bol to directly

re%resent evil did not occ"r "ntil '"ch later d"ring the 'iddle ages. 50

n (hristianity the %entacle 'ost o!ten re%resents the star that g"ided the three

#ise 'en to Jes"s, %lace o! birth. 51 Also t#elve %entacles are a sy'bol o! the t#elve

a%ostles. Pentacles #ere even engraved on the coat o! ar's o! cr"saders. $he 'ostnotable 'eaning o! the star is the cr"ci!i)ion o! (hrist. (hristians began to "se the

sy'bol o! the star not long a!ter (hrist,s death to re%resent the !ive #o"nds on his head

hands and !eet. 5+ $he "se o! the star to re%resent (hrist is #ell e)e'%li!ied in ;eonardo

a inci,s The Virtruvian Man, in #hich the "nclothed body o! #hat is believed to be

(hrist %ositioned in the sha%e o! a star is inscribed in a circle. ! the de!ilation o!

%aganis' had been the intention o! (hristians they #o"ld have never allo#ed the

%entacle to stand !or things s"ch as the 'orning star or (hrist 2i'sel!.

an *ro#n is D"st in e'%hasizing the c"riosities o! the %entacles !ive intersecting

lines creating one %er!ect %ro%ortional 9by Fibonacci,s standards: entity b"t he 'isleads

the reader by disc"ssing in de%th the relationshi% bet#een the oddess en"s and the

%entacle. Chile it is not "nheard o! !or the %entacle to re%resent en"s an eight-%ointed

star is the sy'bol "sed in al'ost all cases. Even his co''ents s"ggesting that the

'ilitary,s "se o! the star has added to the de!a'ation o! %aganis' are o!! base. Military

stars are not %entacles at all b"t hollo#-bodied stars. $he theories he conveys thro"gh the



tho"ghts and #ords or &obert ;angdon are e)tre'ely biased and conveniently o'it !acts

that #o"ld /"ic6ly %rove the' and not (hristianity a hoa). For instance regarding the

%entacle %rotagonist o! The Da Vinci Code &obert ;angdon clai's that $he atican

'ani%"lated the 'eaning o! the %entacle as %art o! a s'ear ca'%aign to convert the

'asses to (hristianity. $his %artic"lar clai' is e)tre'ely inacc"rate considering the "se

o! the %entacle to re%resent evil #as not conceived "ntil the Middle Ages a %eriod in

#hich %aganis' had all b"t dissolved. F"rther'ore it #as the @ordics not the atican

#ho ado%ted this alternate 'eaning. ;angdon also all"des to the atican,s 'ission to re-

ed"cate %agans over the s%an o! three cent"ries. ;angdon also says that the atican,sca'%aign against %aganis' lasted three cent"ries. ndo"btedly the three cent"ries

re!erred to here are those in bet#een the death o! (hrist and the conversion o! the &o'an

E'%ire. t #o"ld have been "n#ise !or any instit"tion to la"nch s"ch a ca'%aign at this

ti'e considering the sta"nch (hristian attit"de o! the ti'e. Also the atican #o"ld have

been inca%able o! %ro%agating s"ch a ca'%aign since it #as not established as a %o#er!"l

instit"tion "ntil a!ter the conversion o! the &o'an E'%ire. Yet nevertheless *ro#n

leads readers to believe that the atican #as res%onsible !or the de!ilation o! %aganis'

thro"gh the 'ani%"lation o! their sy'bols.

an *ro#n s"ggests 'any things in his novel The Da Vinci Code . Chile 'any

o! the things he #rites 'ay be tr"e his disc"ssion o! the (hristian the!t o! %agan sy'bols

and ideas is 'isleading and inco'%lete. *ro#n s"ggests not only that 'any (hristian

sy'bols #ere stolen !ro' %aganis' b"t also that they #ere stolen in order to %er%et"ate

the co'%lete annihilation o! %aganis' thro"gh their 'ani%"lation. @othing co"ld not be

!"rther !ro' the tr"th. Chile 'any sy'bols #ere indeed ta6en !ro' %aganis'



(hristians did so in order to avoid the %ersec"tion o! the %agans and not to slander %agan

ideas in order to bolster their o#n. $he %revalence o! %agan sy'bols in the volatile era

%rior to the conversion o! the &o'an E'%ire %rovided early (hristians #ith a variety o!

#ays to disg"ise their o#n sy'bols in order to avoid %ersec"tion and in 'any cases

death. Sy'bols s"ch as the !ish the ga''adion the dol%hin the trident and the

e/"ilateral cross #ere "sed to disg"ise #hat are no# so'e o! the 'ost i'%ortant

(hristian sy'bols. >ther sy'bols s"ch as the rose the ser%ent the %entacle etc #hile

borro#ed !ro' %aganis' #ere in no #ay 'ani%"lated to de!ile the teachings o!

%aganis'. n 'any instances the 'eaning o! si'ilar %agan and (hristian sy'bols are thesa'e. Yet an *ro#n nevertheless %resents an e)tre'ely biased arg"'ent to his

oblivio"s readers. Chile reading The Da Vinci Code readers are s"bDected to *ro#n,s

s%in on the stories o! (hrist and the 2oly rail. Altho"gh in the !irst %age o! The Da

Vinci Code an *ro#n i'%lies that all the in!or'ation is the boo6 is !act"al his theories

regarding the relationshi% bet#een %aganis' and (hristianity are "nderdevelo%ed and in

!act /"ite ridic"lo"s.



E N#NOTES $



1 &a'say MacM"llen. (hristianity and Paganis' in the Fo"rth to Eighth (ent"ries. 9@e# 2aven Yaleniversity 1==7 %. +.

+Eble *etsy e%th and etails. %. 111. MacM"llen %. +.

B Eble. %. 1015 htt% ??ho'e.att.netG?#egat?sy'bols?sy'bols.ht' . >ctober 15 +00B.

< Ste!!ler Alva Cillia'. P. +7 ###.tr"ecatholic.org8 htt% ??ho'e.att.netG?#egat?sy'bols?sy'bols.ht' . >ctober 15 +00B

= ;o"is (harbonnea"-;assay. $he *estiary o! (hrist. 9@e# Yor6 Parabola *oo6s 1=B0: %. +=5.10 (harbonnea"-;assay. P. +=<11 (harbonnea"-;assay. P. +=51+ (harbonnea"-;assay %. +=81 $he (atholic Encyclo%edia.1B (harbonnea"-;assay. P. +=815 $he (atholic Encyclo%edia1< (harbonnea"-;assay %. 0117 ###.sy'bols.co' . >ctober 15 +00B.18 Eble. %. 1111= Eble. %.111+0 Eble. %. 11+1 Eble %. 11++ (harbonnea"-;assay. P.1<0+ (harbonnea"-;assay. P. 15B+B ,Alviella oblet. $he Migration o! Sy'bols. 9@e# Yor6 niversity *oo6s 1=5<.:+5 ###.sy'bols.co' 9>ctober +1 +00B:+< ,Alviella oblet. P. 1+7 ,Alviella oblet. P. B1+8 ,Alviella oblet. P. <+= ,Alviella oblet. P.

0 ,Alviella oblet. P. 511 ,Alviella oblet. P. <=+ ,Alviella oblet. P. <= ,Alviella oblet. P. <=

B $he (atholic Encyclo%edia. P. +5 ,Alviella oblet. P 8< olds'ith Elizabeth. Ancient Pagan Sy'bols. 9Maine bis Press +00 : %.=77 ,Alviella oblet. P. B58 ###.sy'bols.co' 9>ctober +0 +00B:= $he (atholic Encyclo%edia. P.

B0 $he (atholic Encyclo%edia. P.B1 $he (atholic Encyclo%edia. P. B+ $he (atholic Encyclo%edia %. 5B $he (atholic Encyclo%edia %. 5BB $he (atholic Encyclo%edia %. 17B5 $he (atholic Encyclo%edia. P. <B< ###.sy'bols.co' 9>ctober +1 +00B:

http://www.symbols.com/














B7 ###.sy'bols.co' 9>ctober +1 +00B:B8 ###.sy'bols.co' 9>ctober +1 +00B:B= ###.sy'bols.co' 9>ctober +1 +00B:50 ###.sy'bols.co' 9>ctober + +00B:51 Ste!!ler Alva Cillia'. P. +15+ Ste!!ler Alva Cilla'. P. 57

Sources %ti i&ed in the 'ritin( o) this Paper$

(harbonnea"-;assay ;e#is. $he *estiary o! (hrist. @e# Yor6 Parabola *oo6s 1=B0.

,Alviella oblet. $he Migration o! Sy'bols. @e# Yor6 niversity *oo6s 1=5<.















Elbe *etsy. e%th and etails. >nline Elbe P"blishing P F.

olds'ith Elizabeth. Ancient Pagan Sy'bols. *er#ic6 Maine bis Press +00 .

MacM"llen &a'say. (hristianity and Paganis' in the Fo"rth to Eighth (ent"ries.

@e# 2aven Yale niversity Press 1==7

Ste!!ler Alva Cillia'. Sy'bols o! the (hristian Faith. nited ingdo' C'. *.

Eerds'an P"blishing +00+.

On ine

###.sy'bols.co' 9an online catalog"e o! sy'bols and their 'eanings:

htt% ??ho'e.att.netG?#egat?sy'bols?sy'bols.ht' . 9an online reso"rce containing %ict"res and

in!or'ation on sy'bols:

$he (atholic Encyclo%edia. ###.ne#advent.org



Pagan Symbolism 3

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