Belt

The belt symbolizes power, strength, and/or self-discipline.

Power and Strength

The belt is a key part of a soldier's or police officer's uniform; in popular culture, the extravagant gunbelt represented a cowboy’s individuality, courage, and power. Tightening one’s belt implied readiness for a fight or an act of self-control. In Norse mythology, Thor wore a belt that granted him strength.

Control  

A belt is used to keep one's pants up. Both the belt and pants are, in different contexts, symbols of control. However, the belt can also suggest being restrained or bound by something, much like a ring. The control implied by the belt often doesn’t come from within but is driven by collective expectations.

Identity

Belts are used in many ritual contexts to express identity or signify an achievement. Today this is particularly evident in martial arts, where advancing skills are denoted by belts of different colors.

Non-Spirituality

The belt shares symbolic significance with the ring and the knot; in some traditions, these were prohibited in sacred rituals due to their binding nature. Notably, individuals who view themselves as spiritual seldom wear eye-catching belts. (See also Clothing.)

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