The Zodiac Man or homo signorum was used in anatomical diagrams dating from ancient times to the later medieval period.
The human body was believed to be linked to the heavens during this period. This was often illustrated with the Zodiac Man, who had every part of his body linked with an astrological sign. The astrological sign was linked to humourism alongside the weather. As well as the Zodiac man being intimately linked with heaven it was also the common drawing of the human body at the time.
Famous quotes containing the words zodiac and/or man:
“We need not feel ashamed of flirting with the zodiac. The zodiac is well worth flirting with.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“We want in every man a long logic; we cannot pardon the absence of it, but it must not be spoken. Logic is the procession or proportionate unfolding of the intuition; but its virtue is as silent method; the moment it would appear as propositions and have a separate value, it is worthless.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)