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A series of symbols, or Glyphs, can be spotted in various places throughout the show, usually seen on background scenery or objects where events significant to that episode take place, They have been used on promotional posters and online content. Each glyph shows a natural element, generally with some unnatural change that is easy to miss at the first look.

The symbols are also used, along with strategically positioned yellow dots, to make a code - a cipher - and appear before every commercial break (or act on the DVDs). This cipher usually makes a reference to some aspect of the overarching storyline or holds a clue to the next episode.

Glyphs[]

Apple[]

600px-AppleGlyph

The Fringe apple glyph has human embryos instead of seeds.

"Man is The Seed of Chaos" - Principia Discordia [3:14]

The apple is a symbol of Discordia (chaos), so the symbolic approach to this picture is that man is born into chaos. However, it may be a reference to Adam and Eve; the two children, and the apple from which they took the bites.

The two embryos could hypothetically symbolize the two universes (Original and Alternate), both of which are surrounded by chaos. The apple is a symbol of the pentagram/pentacle. It was also the cipher on the DaVinci Code.

S2E04 - Momentum Deferred[]
  • The glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
S2E14 - The Bishop Revival[]
  • The glyph can be seen on the backrest of a chair in the lab.
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There[]

Butterfly[]

600px-ButterflyGlyph

The Fringe Butterfly has phalanges (finger bones) in its wings.

In the middle of the butterfly appears to be a symbolism of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Classic reflection symbol; as above, so below - left-hand, right hand, etc. Also, the two sides of a molecule, such as left-handed meth and right-handed meth. The left is far more spiritual, whereas the right side of the molecule is more physical. 

S1E08 - The Equation[]
  • A butterfly can be seen painted on the side of a white trash can.
S1E09 - The Dreamscape[]
  • A butterfly can be seen attacking Mark Young.
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred[]
  • The butterfly glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
S2E15 - Jacksonville[]
  • The butterfly glyph can be seen outside the entrance to the daycare center.
S4E01 - Neither Here Nor There[]
  • The butterfly glyph can be seen near Lincoln in the rail yard.
  • Butterflies can be seen in Olivia's bedroom.
S4E07 - Wallflower[]
  • A butterfly can be seen on a lampshade near the front of Olivia's apartment.
  • The butterfly glyph can be seen on the wall in the diner where Olivia and Lincoln meet.
S5E01 - Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11[]
  • Butterflies can be seen in Etta's apartment.
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There[]
  • The butterfly glyph can be seen on a door in the pocket universe.
S5E11 - The Boy Must Live[]
  • Butterflies can be seen on a box in September's apartment.

Flower[]

600px-FlowerGlyph

In the Fringe Flower glyph, some of the petals are dragonfly wings.

Like any daisy, the center has counter-rotating spirals, based on the Fibonacci sequence, and has left-right symmetry. However, There is no bee. Just a Mandelbrot Set.

S2E04 - Momentum Deferred[]

The flower glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.

S2E15 - Jacksonville[]
  • A flower can be seen outside the entrance to the daycare center.
S4E05 - Novation[]
  • The flower glyph can be seen on the wall in Karen Truss's house.
S4E07 - Wallflower[]
  • The flower glyph can be seen on the wall in the diner where Olivia and Lincoln meet.
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There[]
  • The flower glyph can be seen on a door in the pocket universe.

Frog[]

600px-FrogGlyph

The Fringe Frog glyph has the Greek letter Phi on his back.

Psychedelics are a certain tree frog's defense mechanism. Psychedelics are a common theme in Fringe. This symbol can be seen briefly flashed in the title sequence directly after the seahorse. Also, the Greek letter for Phi, which is known as the first letter in the name of the Greek sculptor Phidias, which is known to symbolize the Golden Ratio.

S2E04 - Momentum Deferred[]
  • The frog glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
S2E15 - Jacksonville[]
  • A frog can be seen outside the entrance to the daycare center.
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There[]
  • The frog glyph can be seen on a door in the pocket universe.
S5E09 - Black Blotter[]
  • A frog can be seen on the dock when Walter is high.
  • A frog can be seen in Walter's Monty Python trip.

Hand[]

600px-HandGlyph

The Fringe Hand glyph has five fingers and one thumb.

The Hand appears to have significant importance with the series as a whole as it is used in every single episode in the title clip. It also appears on the wall inside the Observers' building during an assault by Olivia and Peter in the series finale.

Additionally, there seems to be a pixelated artifact that has appeared on the hand during the title sequence in at least the last five episodes of season one. The artifact appears in the part of the hand just below the "pinky" finger on the palm and has an arc-like shape.

Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches series referred to a race with six fingers. It could be a parent race of ours, in all or part.

S2E15 - Jacksonville[]
  • A hand can be seen outside the entrance to the daycare center.
S2E23 - Over There (Part 2)[]
  • The hand glyph can be seen on the piano stool in the Orpheum Theater in the Redverse.
S3E17 - Stowaway[]
  • A hand can be seen inside a cabinet.
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There[]
  • The hand glyph can be seen on a door in the pocket universe.
S5E13 - An Enemy of Fate[]
  • A hand can be seen on the wall when Olivia and Peter attack the Observers and Loyalists.

Horn[]

HornGlyph

The Fringe Horn glyph is in the shape of a Fibonacci spiral and has a decimal approximation of the number phi inscribed along the horn.

The horn was never seen alone in the show however its elements are incorporated in the Seahorse glyph which features the Fibonacci spiral as well as the horn shape in the tail.

Leaf[]

600px-LeafGlyph

The Fringe Leaf glyph has a triangle or Delta symbol on it.

Leaves were given out as clues on the Fringe Scavenger Hunt. It appeared during the pilot episode when John Scott's body was taken into a Massive Dynamic lab. Also related to Salvia leaf, which Walter uses regularly is a psychedelic drug. The equilateral triangle has been a symbol of deity; the inner being 'the god within'.

S1E01 - Pilot[]
  • The leaf glyph is on the electronic keypad at Massive Dynamic.
S1E13 - The Transformation[]
  • The leaf glyph is on the electronic keypad at Massive Dynamic.
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred[]
  • The leaf glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
S4E01 - Neither Here Nor There[]
  • A leaf can be seen on the bio-scan monitor at the Liberty Island security checkpoint.

Seahorse[]

600px-SeahorseGlyph

The Fringe Seahorse glyph has the Fibonacci spiral on its side, the spiral itself is contained inside a visual representation of the golden ratio. Its tail is also a Fibonacci spiral.

Some images also include stick diagrams for the amino acids L-histidine and L-proline. The seahorse is featured in the season 2 episode "The Bishop Revival" in which it's revealed that Walter Bishop's father was nicknamed Seahorse, he signed his chemical with a seahorse. The number "6" is prominently featured within the center of the seahorse three times.. 666, the mark of the beast or the devil, has been hidden in the seahorse. 

The seahorse can be seen briefly flashed in the title sequence during the molecular zoom portion. In the center of the seahorse, there is the graph of the Golden Ratio which is the Fibonacci Spiral. The Greek letter Phi is used to symbolize the Golden Ratio and is the same Greek letter seen in the Frog Glyph.

The brain region widely believed to be responsible for memory consolidation, behavioral inhibition, and spatial mapping is called the hippocampus, which is Latin for seahorse. Walter Bishop has three regions of his hippocampus surgically removed (Grey Matters) and loses selective memories.  Walter's memory difficulties, impulsivity, and other odd behaviors are likely due to these hippocampal lesions.

It is also featured on Peter Bishop's luggage in Reciprocity.

S2E04 - Momentum Deferred[]
  • The seahorse glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
S2E14 - The Bishop Revival[]
  • A seahorse pattern can be seen in the toxin's molecular structure.
S2E15 - Jacksonville[]
  • A seahorse can be seen outside the entrance to the daycare center.
S3E06 - 6955 kHz[]
  • The seahorse glyph can be seen on the back of one of Markham's books.
S3E11 - Reciprocity[]
  • A seahorse can be seen on Peter's luggage.
S3E15 - Subject 13[]
  • A seahorse can be seen on the Bishops' refrigerator.
S5E01 - Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11[]
  • A seahorse can be seen hanging from the taxi when Walter listens to music.
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There[]
  • The seahorse glyph can be seen on a door in the pocket universe.
S5E09 - Black Blotter[]
  • A seahorse can be seen in Walter's Monty Python trip.

Smoke[]

600px-SmokeGlyph

The Fringe Smoke glyph forms a woman's face, apparently screaming.

The symbol for a phantasm.

Travel between dimensions is a Fringe staple.

The left side looks like a fetus (It is cut-off in this picture).

Yellow Dots[]

YellowDots

Yellow dots appear in many of the images containing glyphs, and on the various Fringe viral websites.

They generally tend to float around, like fireflies and can be associated as they appear in each episode to a specific dot on the Fringe Carousel which also appears to change with each commercial during the live broadcast. They suggest the likeness of Kirlian photographic artifacts, except that they are different in color from the glyph images. Many of the Fringe "Glyphs" or symbols are mirrored images of other Fringe Glyphs, with the exception of the positioning of these yellow dots.

Cyphers[]

Table
A B C D E F
SquareA SquareB SquareC SquareD SquareE SquareF
G H I J K L
SquareG SquareH SquareI SquareJ SquareK SquareL
M N O P Q R
SquareM SquareN SquareO SquareP SquareQ
SquareR
S T U V W
SquareS

SquareT

SquareU SquareV SquareW
X Y Z
SquareXguess SquareY SquareZguess

Cyphered words by episode

Season 1[]

Season 2[]

Season 3[]

Season 4[]

Season 5[]

Trivia[]

  • The glyphs were deciphered by fans of the show without aid from the production team. As such, it took many episodes to develop the alphabet as new glyphs were being constantly introduced during the first season as different letters were used. The letters X and Z were never featured on the show, meaning the cipher was never truly completed until the release of September's Notebook, which featured an official Decoder Key.
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