The Indalo is a

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...

magical symbol found in the cave of "Los Letreros" ("The Signboards") in

Sierra de María-Los Vélez Natural Park Sierra de María-Los Vélez Natural Park (''Parque Natural de Sierra de María-Los Vélez'') is a natural park (Spain), natural park of Spain. It is situated in Almería (province), Almería province in the municipalities of Chirivel, María, S ...

in Vélez Blanco,

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city g ...

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. It has been customary to paint the Indalo symbol on the front of houses and businesses to protect them from evil (similar to Kokopelli of the south-western US) and is considered to be a god

totem A totem (from oj, ᑑᑌᒼ, italics=no or '' doodem'') is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system. While ''the ...

. The indalo has an origin in the

Levante, Spain The Levante (; Catalan: ; "Levant, East") is a name used to refer to the eastern region of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It roughly corresponds to the former Xarq Al-Andalus, but has no modern geopolitical definiti ...

and dates back to 2500 BC. The pictograph was named in memory of

Saint Indaletius Saint Indaletius ( es, San Indalecio) is venerated as the patron saint of Almería, Spain. Tradition makes him a Christians, Christian missionary of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. He evangelized the town of Urci (today Pechina), near ...

, and means ''Indal eccius'' (Messenger of the Gods) in the Iberian language. Escultura indalo

Legend has it that the Indalo was a ghost that could hold and carry a

rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

in his hands (thus the arch over the head of the man). The Indalo has been adopted as the official symbol in the province of

. The Indalo symbol is used as a lucky charm in the Almería region also. To carry the charm is only beneficial if it has been presented as a gift. Some people also believe that the story behind the symbol of the Indalo man is about a man who escapes in a cave to get away from the rain, then when the rain stops, out comes a rainbow and when the man walks away from the wall of the cave, the image is left there. The American

indigenous rights Indigenous rights are those rights that exist in recognition of the specific condition of the Indigenous peoples. This includes not only the most basic human rights of physical survival and integrity, but also the rights over their land (includ ...

organization

Cultural Survival Cultural Survival (founded 1972) is a nonprofit group based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, which is dedicated to defending the human rights of indigenous peoples. History Cultural Survival was founded by anthropologist David Maybur ...

uses an Indalo symbol on its logo.

References

{{Culture of Andalusia European gods Spanish culture Basque and Iberian deities Magic symbols