Examining Cypress Regarding Form and Content with Intertextual Semiotics Approach

Signs have long been a part of the mentality of different people in different cultures with a history as long as that of thinking. Knowing what makes the proportion between the initial element and the final message helps one gain a better understanding of cultures. The functions of an element and its specific relationship with the environment are among the factors that create symbols. Cypress is one of the trees that has become an important symbol in its environment due to its characteristics. This article has tried to determine the functions and characteristics of this plant in different geographical areas, in various cultures and times by examining the literature. Then, with the intertextual semiotics approach, the reasons for turning this tree into a symbol are investigated. In order to conduct this research, the primary information was collected through the library method and review of available sources. The analysis of the obtained data was done, using intertextual semiotics. Cypress conveys a message in various fields such as painting, industry, literature and ethics due to its form and content (disinfection properties, strength, evergreen and lack of fruit); this has made it a symbol in different cultures and different geographical areas.