
MULIER UMBRA VIRI.
WOMAN IS MAN’S SHADOW
Umbra suum corpus radianti in lumine solis
Cùm sequitur refugit: cùm fugit insequitur.
Sic sunt Naturae tales muliebris Amores
Optet amans, nolunt: non velit, ultrò volunt.
As the shadow that follows its body through the sun’s radiant light flees as it follows and follows as it flees, so also are the loves of womankind. If you want it, they don’t; if you don’t, they don’t need asking.
Phoebum virgo fugit Daphne inviolata sequentem.[1]
The virgin Daphne flees inviolate from Apollo her pursuer.

Echo Narcissum dum fugit insequitur.
Ergo voluntati plerumque adversare pugnans
Foemina, iure sui dicitur umbra viri.
Echo pursues Narcissus as he flees. THEREFORE, woman, who most often resists our will, is rightly called man’s shadow.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Cupid, Amor (Eros) [92D1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult woman [31D15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Apollo pursuing the nymph Daphne (as yet not metamorphosed) [92B325] Search | Browse Iconclass
- archer's weapons (with NAME) [45C15(ARROW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- archer's weapons (with NAME) [45C15(BOW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm raised, with fingers spread out [31A25112] Search | Browse Iconclass
- birds [25F3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- city-view in general; 'veduta' [25I1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- death of Narcissus: he lies dead beside the water, while Echo grieves over him [95A(NARCISSUS)68] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dog [34B11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head (human) [31A221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- man and his shadow [31A28] Search | Browse Iconclass
- quiver [45C23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rodents (with NAME) [25F26(RABBIT)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- running [31A27112] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sea (seascape) [25H23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shadow [22C8] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shrubs [25G31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sun represented as face, wheel, etc. [24A6] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees [25G3] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- flight, running away; pursuing [33B9] Search | Browse Iconclass
- man and his shadow [31A28] Search | Browse Iconclass
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