Fortuna
Wheel of Fortuna: Meaning, Origins, and Symbolism
Orin Vale
The Wheel of Fortuna is a lasting symbol of fate’s unpredictability, linking Roman ideas of Fortuna with medieval philosophy, literature, and art. Its turning wheel captures the rise and fall of human fortune, inviting readers to explore how this powerful image shaped Western ideas of luck, destiny, and loss.
Rudder of Fortuna: Meaning, History, and Symbolism
Orin Vale
The Rudder of Fortuna is a classical symbol linked to the Roman goddess of fortune, portraying her as the power that steers human affairs toward prosperity, hardship, or sudden change. Often shown with a cornucopia or wheel, this image reveals how ancient writers and artists understood fate as both guiding and unstable, inviting closer study of its lasting influence.
