Trident

\nA
trident (from
Latin 'tridens', 'tridentis', from 'tri', three, 'dens', tooth, 'dentes', teeth) is a three pronged staff.
It was used by
fishermen to catch fishes.
From the fish meaning, it is often associated with
Poseidon, the
God of the sea in
Greek mythology. By hitting the earth with his trident, Poseidon created the
horse and some water sources in Greece.
As a sea symbol it is the central figure of the
flag of
Barbados.
The trident is also the missile
weapon of the
Hindu god Shiva, and it often includes a crossed stabiliser to facilitate its fly when thrown.
As a weapon it was also used by the
retiarii,
Roman gladiators that used a
net to wrap their adversary and a trident to kill him.
In
Christian tradition the trident is associated with
the Devil, and his depictions commonly include a trident as his
sceptre.
See also
\n*Demons and symbols\n*
Nature and appearance of the demons\n*
Trident missile, an
ICBM used by the
United States and
Britain\n*
Hawker-Siddeley Trident, a
British jet
airliner