Eye of Providence

The Eye of Providence as depicted in Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye

### Type

Symbol

**The Eye of Providence** is a real-world symbol depicting a disembodied, all-seeing eye within a triangle. The symbol is often affiliated with Freemasonry, religious figures of Christianity, and conspiracies regarding secret-societies.

## Description

The Eye of Providence is a symbol depicting an eye in a triangle. The eye traditionally represents the eye of God or a god, watching over the world and humanity. In Christianity, the triangle represents the Holy Trinity: the Father (God/Jehovah), the son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Ghost. The symbol has since been incorporated into the seal of the United States of America and the real-world secret-society, the Freemasons.

## History

### Background

The Eye of Providence has a history of appearing in biblical art to depict the eye of the Christian God. In 1782, the Eye of Providence was designed in the Great Seal for the United States of America. This was proposed by one Pierre Eugene du Simitiere ( 1737-1784) as a means of representing the Christian God looking over the United States of America.

In 1797, the secret-society known as The Freemasons incorporated the symbol to represent humanity being watched over by God. Due to this, the Eye of Providence in the United States Seal has often been identified as a connection to the Freemasons as *Founding Father* Benjamin Franklin (1706-1705) was a member of the society. As a result of American pyramid imagery, it has also been blended with the *Eye of Horus* from Ancient Egyptian myth on many occasions. In pop-culture and online-media, the eye has most famously been identified as the logo of *The Illuminati*, a minor real-world secret society from 18th century modern-Germany whose real logo was an owl.

### Disney Parks

The Eye of Providence *might* have been used in India around 65 BC as a representation of the Eye of the deity Mara. Mara was a temptress deity worshiped in the Temple of the Forbidden Eye who would destroy those who looked into their eyes. The eye of Mara was also used to represent Mara's knowledge via a necklace, possibly their power-source the *Jewel of Power*. Around 65 BC, the region surrounding the temple was flooded by the Mekong river and transformed into the Lost Delta.

In the late 18th century, the Eye of Providence was used by the Founding Fathers on the Great Seal for the United States of America. By this time, the symbol was identified with the occult and arcane, having been used by magic-practitioners such as one Madame Leota in New Orleans.

In 1935, the temple was rediscovered by archaeologist Indiana Jones with him establishing the Lost Delta Archaeological Expedition. The logo of this expedition was the Eye of Mara within a triangle, forming the Eye of Providence.

## Jungle Cruise appearances

### Adventure Trading Company

Messages from the Lost Delta Archaeological Expedition were stamped with the Eye of Providence.

### Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye

In this attraction, the Eye of Providence is used as the logo for the Lost Delta Archaeological Expedition. The eye within the pyramid is inferred to depict the Eye of Mara, a malevolent Indian deity who is the main-antagonist of the attraction.

### Jungle Cruise

The Eye of Providence is affiliated with iconography of the Lost Delta Archaeological Expedition and Temple of the Forbidden Eye in the boathouse.

## Other appearances

### Haunted Mansion

Outside of the Haunted Mansion, a depiction of the Eye of Providence was located on the vardo of late sorceress Madame Leota. Here, the eye within the triangle had a purple iris.

## Trivia

* The Freemasons have also been alluded to on several occasions in the Disney Parks.
	+ Masonic religious figure Hiram Abiff is referenced in the Magic Kingdom's *Big Thunder Mountain Railroad* and *Liberty Belle Riverboat* via a crate with masonic symbols labelled, "H. Abiff".
	+ Historic freemason Benjamin Franklin is one of the hosts of *The American Adventure* in EPCOT along with Sam Clemens.
	+ Various historic Freemasons that served as President of the United States appear in the *Hall of Presidents*.
	+ The exclusive Disneyland dining-service Club 33 is sometimes theorized to be named for the Freemason's heavy utilization of the number thirty-three in areas such as the Scottish Rite with conspiracy theorists further asserting the Club represents a connection between the Freemasons and Walt Disney.
	+ Historic freemason Franklin D. Roosevelt is president of the Untied States during the Jungle Cruise's setting.
	+ Historic *Master Freemason* Davy Crockett is a major character used in the *Frontierland* of the Disney Parks.
* In broader Disney media, the symbol is most commonly affiliated with the character of *Bill Cipher* in the animated series *Gravity Falls*, an interdimensional villain personified as an anthropomorphic eye of providence with a top-hat.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2009/05/wherever-you-dwell.html
2. ↑ https://insidethemagic.net/2016/01/d-tales-14-hidden-disney-history-at-big-thunder-mountain-railroad/