Twisting real life symbols for use in fiction

For one of the stories I'm working on (science fiction/fantasy, set on a future earth where super heroes/villains once ran rampant), one of the villains is a gang leader who uses his powers to mentally control his gang members (he breaks their spirit, then essentially creates a link between them that allows him to "posses" them at will).

At the time being, the MC is stationed in South Africa, so I want the symbol the gang leader uses (it is magically created by his link) to be influenced by the surrounding area.

My current thought is to base the symbol on the "akoben" symbol, since it's been referenced for vigilance and loyalty (and could be twisted to references the villain's methods).

I'm thinking I want to change it though to suit the villain, possibly invert it or have the symbol on its side, or otherwise do something to change the overall idea of the symbol, so it's clear that he's doing things of his own accord, however, I was wondering if there are any problems I might run into by doing so.

For one, I was wondering if there were any other cultural implications regarding the akoben that I didn't see during my initial search phase, and if you have any suggestions in regards to twisting real life symbols (especially those normally seen in a positive light) to suit fictional stories.

My apologies, I probably shouldn't type up thread questions that late at night.

And if this isn't the right place, please let me know.

I guess the overall gist of the questions are:

1. Are there any things to keep in mind when using symbols found in real life for fictional purposes?

2. Is there anything the akoben symbol is known for other than being a symbol of loyalty, vigilance, and wariness (as well as being the symbol of a foundation)?

(Now that I think of it, maybe this would've been better suited in a different forum. The first part was general curiously, the second the question about research).

The bigger question is if you describe it as 'looking like the akoben symbol', whether or not your readers will have any idea what you're referring to.

Click to expand...

Indeed. I planned on having the MC describe what she saw, and when they encountered the group again, one of the secondary characters who's interested in research would find the information regarding it and be able to mention its origins.

Google searches found several site that tie this symbol to Ghana and West Africa, not to South Africa.

Click to expand...

Right, I did see that, and I was considering that the villain would have potentially migrated from there to South Africa, and also considered the idea that over time (approximately 60 years in the future, alternate history), the symbols might have taken more popularity across a larger area.

But the very little I do know about tribalism in Africa tells me that it would be less than ideal.

Click to expand...

That's the part I was wondering about. I suspected that the villain's actions would not be liked by much of anybody (hence the idea of twisting the symbol so that it didn't represent the same thing it originally did... I was thinking of how the swastika was originally a peaceful symbol that was twisted for other purposes). However, I still don't want to step on toes if I don't have to.

Repurposing a symbol or altering a symbol to change its meaning can appear similar to insulting objects or individuals that matter to the people who use that symbol.

This doesn't mean one should not do it, but one should be aware that it might be taken this way.

Click to expand...

That's the other part I was concerned about. I don't want it to be taken as an insult, and I figured that if I did this, I would want to show that the other people in the story didn't approve of the villain's actions.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm almost wondering if it would be better to come up with an entirely different symbol, but based somewhat on the style of those symbols.

EDIT: The more I think about it (and I tried doing more reading on the surrounding areas), the more I'm thinking I want the villain to use a symbol that isn't currently in use, possibly one that is abstract and symbolizes something to him, but doesn't necessarily represent something clear. (For example, using geometric shapes rather than a clear image).

You could always invent your own symbol.

...

If you want the symbol you come up with to be intimidating, the trick is simple. Don't tell us that it's intimidating. Show us the characters in the story being intimidated by it.

Click to expand...

I think I probably will create my own symbol, the more I think about it. Right now I'm honestly thinking (may change in a later draft) of having the symbol itself be a ripple in a pond, but the tattoo (being that it's magical) varies on the person. Since he uses people's fears to break them, I'm thinking that the tattoo will be a series of drawn scenes showing what they fear, all linked to the rippling pond at the back of their neck. It only shows when he's actively linked to them, but the MC should get an idea pretty quickly that this is not a good thing.

Something to consider: since this is written, you'll probably want a symbol you can describe easily. "A circle with an X through it" is easy to describe; "A lopsided trapezoid with a funny kind of bump sticking down on one side with a squiggle in the middle that kind of twists around like a comma except upside-down" is not.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that was one thing I'd been trying to pay attention to (although I think I already broke that idea). I've had other symbols in the story that were made up entirely for the different factions, and one of them has been a bit tricky to explain.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I appreciate it.

frimble3 said:

I hope he doesn't have a lot of followers, because it's going to be a PITA tattooing (and describing) 'a series of drawn scenes showing what they fear'. Especially if the fears are hard to make tangible. 'Agoraphobia'. 'Loud noises'. 'Public humiliation'. Takes up a lot of space, and the iconography is probably going to be hard to describe.

Click to expand...

Well, since the tattoo is magical, it's more for how they picture it, and not an actual tattooing process. But I do see what you mean.

The closest thing to a useful answer that I can give is to say that very few people in this place (and presumably your target readership) know what an "akoben" symbol is. This is an important point. If you expect your readers to do research into your cultural symbol, you've already lost the writer's battle.

Click to expand...

I knew I would have to explain it if I did use it, but I think I'm going to steer away from it so that I have a little more creative freedom to work with, without causing potential toe-stepping.

GailD: Thanks for the ideas. At the moment I may move away from using an actual symbol that exists, but I'll keep those in mind as I get closer to narrowing down how I want the villain to work. (And I do like the idea of having an AK-47 instead of the spear).

Any symbol that creates an extreme sense of belonging, brotherhood, even mutual protection, can bend the purpose and reason of a large group of people. ... Add some fictional supernatural inputs, and it is easy to take the real type of base psychology and go in any direction and depth you desire.

Click to expand...

It's definitely something I want to play with for this particular villain.

Thanks for the input, everybody.

frimble3 said:

For what it's worth, once on an episode of one of the 'Antiques Roadshows' there was a tribal rug, I think from Afghanistan, that had a traditional design, which had been updated with a pattern of AK-47's and helicopters woven in.
So changing out the spear for an AK-47 makes perfect sense.

Click to expand...

Interesting, I don't think I would have thought of that.