Seal of Rassilon

The Seal of Rassilon, also called the Prydonian Seal or the omniscate, was a symbol used by the Time Lords.
== Use by the Time Lords ==
The omniscate was a symbol of power created by Rassilon during the Vampire Wars. (PROSE: ) It was designed to ward off evil, (PROSE: ) and it was specifically repulsive to creatures from outside the universe, like the Great Vampires. (PROSE: )
The Seal was also used as a symbol of identification, and was viewed with deep reverence. (TV: , ) Time Lords displayed the Seal of Rassilon in places of great power, like the Eye of Harmony. (PROSE: ) Each Time Ring was stamped with a swirling emblem that resembled a twisted ouroboros. (PROSE: )
As Lord President of the High Council, (TV: ) the Fourth Doctor had in his possession an ornate seal, which he once used to prove his rank. (AUDIO: )
When he sent into the Death Zone to rescue the Doctor, Lord President Borusa gave the Master the "Seal of the High Council", a round metallic object emblazoned with the Seal of Rassilon, hoping it would convince the Third Doctor of the Master's good intentions. The Doctor promised to return it at the first opportunity; however, he never did so. (TV: ) The Eleventh Doctor later attached this same seal to Handles to use an algorithm in the seal's atomic structure to decode a message from the Time Lords. (TV: )
At some point, the Time Lords also used a different seal, bearing Gallifreyan markings. (TV: ) During the War in Heaven, the House Military used a version of the sigil that had a sharp-edged, aggressive shape imposed upon it. (PROSE: )
== Use by other cultures ==
The symbol was also taken up by other cultures whom the Time Lords visited early in their explorations of space and time, (PROSE: ) such as the inhabitants of Voga. (TV: ) The Order of the Garter's garter symbol resembled the ouroboros at the centre of the Great Houses' sigil. (PROSE: )
Dana MacLeish had a tattoo of the symbol on her back. (COMIC: )
== Occurrences ==
Known objects to be marked with the Seal of Rassilon included: badges or embroidery on Time Lord collars or robes, usually worn in pairs; (TV: et al) the Fourth Doctor's signature to a letter written in Gallifreyan; (TV: ) the Seal of the High Council; (TV: , ) the Seventh Doctor's TARDIS key; (TV: ) various areas throughout the Eighth Doctor's TARDIS, most notably embossed on the Eye of Harmony itself; (TV: ) the warship containing The Cold; (PROSE: ) the payment box for the Threshold; (COMIC: ) The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey and Shada; (WC: ) the Untempered Schism; (TV: ) the notes scrawled by the Visionary; (TV: ) the Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS-blue diary of his meetings with River Song; (TV: ) various areas of the Eleventh Doctor's second TARDIS interior; (TV: , et al.) the front cover of the book The History of the Time War; (TV: ) and the armour of the Time Lord soldier (TV: , , ) and the General. (TV: ) The Doctor's daughter, Jenny, also wore a body suit emblazoned with multiple Seals of Rassilon. (COMIC: )
== Behind the scenes ==
* Sketches of the Seal of Rassilon by John Smith, accompanied by notes suggesting that the symbol is meaningful and important for unknown reasons, appear in pages of the A Journal of Impossible Things prop not seen on-screen. They are viewable in the replica sold by Character Options.
* The Seal's introduction as a Time Lord symbol in The Deadly Assassin came about when designer Roger Murray-Leach reused the Vogan circular motif from Revenge of the Cybermen, on which he had worked two years previously. The symbol retained its association with the Time Lords and Gallifrey, and became known as the Seal of Rassilon thereafter.The Deadly Assassin Archive Feature, DWM 187 Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible then retconned the Vogans' use of it to be a reference back to the Time Lords.
== Footnotes ==
Category:Artefacts of Rassilon
Category:Symbols
Category:Property stolen by the Doctor
pt:Selo de Rassilon