Writing the Sacred Syllable: the History of OM in Script and Image with Dr Finnian M.M. Gerety

This was a live recording of an online lecture via Zoom given by Dr Finnian M.M. Gerety on the 29th April 2020 for the SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies. See below for details. For the better part of three millennia, the Sanskrit mantra OM has been the “sacred syllable” of South Asian religions, central to chanting, ritual, meditation, and yoga. While OM is primarily a phenomenon of sound and contemplation, the syllable has also had a rich career as a graphic sign and icon. Taking many different forms across the