The magic 7 . . .

Mesmered has just hit the magic 7000 views in the short time it has existed.  It set me thinking as to the symbolism of the number 7.

Magicking number 7.

It’s a mystic number.  The Hebrew verb for “to swear” means to come under the influence of seven things.  There are seven days in Creation, seven days in the week, seven graces, seven deadly sins, and seven ages in the life of man and the seventh son of a seventh son was held noble.

And because I am a writer of fantasy, I was interested to read that St. Anthony of Italy was enchanted into a deep sleep in the Black Castle, and was released by St. George’s three sons, who quenched the seven lamps by water from the enchanted fountain; that St. Andrew of Scotland delivered six ladies who had lived seven years under the form of white swans; that St. David of Wales slept seven years in the enchanted garden of Ormandine, and was redeemed by St. George.

There are of course the Seven Deadly Sins and apparently Seven Heavens as well as Seven Kings of Rome.  There are Seven Lamps of Architecture and even Seven Last Words. Writing features in the Seven Liberal Arts.  And of course we all know of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

We also sail the Seven Seas and experience life with Seven Senses.

And again, as a fantasy writer, I was thrilled to see there are Seven Wise Masters also called the Seven Viziers.

There are the Seven Wonders of the Middle Age, the Seven-year Itch (!) and so much more.  To read the detail, have a look at http://towerweb.net/alt-lib/seven.shtml