There is much meaning behind the septagram, or seven-pointed star, also known as the elven Star or faerie Star. For us it represents a belief in fairies, and we use it as a band symbol to signify that we believe. Over the past few years, the elven star has gained much popularity among those who believe in faeries, and for us it’s a symbol of magic, childhood and whimsy.
Each point of the star has a meaning, and stories about the meanings vary depending on the storyteller. Seven has long been a magical or lucky number, so many like the elven star for it’s seven points. There are seven wonders of the ancient world, seven visible colors in a rainbow, seven notes to a musical scale (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti), and seven levels of heaven.
Additionally, there are seven chakras, or energy centers in the body, and seven days of the week. Seven represents universal balance. This is illustrated by the symbol for earth, a square with four sides, combined with the trinity, representing heaven. These are bound together in harmony, forming a seven-pointed star. In an elven star, this balance is symbolized by three over four, or heaven over earth.
For some, the points represent the seven directions: north, south, east, west, above, below, and within. For others, it’s the seven magical elements: earth, air, fire, water, life, light, & magic. Still others say it’s inner and outer elements: earth, air, fire, water, heaven, earth and self.
The elven star has inspired us for many songs, including 111. Rhythms have their own meanings in culture. Four beats, especially with a driving down beat, represents rain in many Native American cultures. In ancient Mayan cultures, five beats were war beats, as illustrated in Holst’s Mars from ‘The Planets’. Six has traditionally been a female pattern, representing the joining of threes. This pattern is rumored to be beneficial in calming storms. For us, sevens unite the earth and sky, creating a third space.
“As drummers, it’s not the sounds that we desire, but the spaces between the sounds.” – Devan
For all these reasons, we’ve chosen the elven star as our band symbol to remind people of the magic in their lives, and of their childhood fascination with things fae.