Although the symbol on the floor by the right-hand portal in the
Great Corridor of the Catacomb most closely resembles the Greek letter psi, it's arguably more interesting to regard it as a stylised form of Algiz, a rune to which psi is related.
Algiz ("all-yeese") has relatives in many anicent alphabets, including Etruscan, but is itself part of the Norse 'Elder Futhark' runic alphabet. In its most rudimentary form, it consists of three straight lines and looks like a Y with the main stem extended upwards. It is equivalent to the letter R in terms of sound. In rune divination (i.e. fortune-telling with runestones), algiz represents defence and protection; so having it in front of a right-hand door, the 'safe exit' from a
Dungeon chamber where no other indication was given, makes sense.
The other symbol seen in the Great Corridor of the Catacomb is
gar, also a rune.
Above, an algiz can be seen on
Rothberry's outfit during his 1st appearance (quest:
Team 1 of Series 7).
While most clue object
talismans seen on
Knightmare were based on gar, there was one based on algiz on Level 1 of
Team 3 of Series 4's quest. The
team did not take it.
Team 3 of Series 1 used an algiz talisman as a "
key" for the algiz portal in the Great Corridor of the Catacomb (even though the portal had no visible lock or barrier in place), with
dungeoneer Simon holding it aloft as he approached and entered the doorway.
This picture shows the algiz that is faintly visible on the cover of
Can You Beat The Challenge?, aka the 1st Knightmare book.
[Earlier version: 2006-05-17 01:16:14]
Provided By:
David, 2012-09-01 11:37:53