They function like a coat of arms. Similar formal types and ritual unions with mobile types can indicate genetic relations, ancient association between settlements, economic dependence etc., in short, village history. The line of stereotype cyclic rituals begins with the foundation of the village, when the sign was initially institutionalised by the village founder. But what is most important in the present context is their ideological function. Besides these archaic traits there is another general principle of form.
All forms are more or less clearly divided into an upper and a lower part.
The threshold between the two is marked by a holy rope. Detailed description of these clearly separated parts indicates that they represent opposite categories. The upper part is natural, freely branching, moves with the wind, has no definite limits, like a bush. In contrast, the lower part stands firmly at a particular point, fixed into the ground, clearly defined by ropes and knots, ancient technology of binding and bundling, geometrically outlined by the human hand. Here too the origin of this formal principle can be explained as a product of binding rooted stalks.