Gallifreyan symbols (Rose)

Gallifreyan symbols

Gallery

Talk

John Smith's notes on the Gallifreyan symbol in a specific order. (PROSE: A Journal of Impossible Things ^[+]Loading...["A Journal of Impossible Things (reference book)"])

Gallifreyan symbols
Individual symbols

A set of Gallifreyan symbols adorned the controls of the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's TARDIS console.

General information

The symbols appeared in John Smith's fragmentary memories of the Doctor, with John perceiving certain things about them:

"Strange symbols. I know them. Why? Why? / Symbols. I have to draw these symbols. / Strange symbols. They are in an order. This is the order I know them. / Symbols in this order. Circles and lines. Circles and hexagons."John Smith's commentary on the Gallifreyan symbols

The TARDIS scanner of Clara's TARDIS also used these symbols. (TV: Hell Bent ^[+]Loading...["Hell Bent (TV story)"])

Symbols

Where an in-universe meaning has not been articulated, symbols are named in headers by the name Jenny Bowers gave to them. Text outside of the headers is all in-universe and so does not use these names.

Vector tracker symbol

The symbol associated with the vector tracker. (GAME: Attack of the Graske ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"])

One symbol appeared as the largest in the lower left corner of the TARDIS scanner. (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"], The End of Time ^[+]Loading...["The End of Time (TV story)"], Hell Bent ^[+]Loading...["Hell Bent (TV story)"])

It also appeared associated with the vector tracker. (GAME: Attack of the Graske ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"])

Decelerate

The symbol in the middle left on the side of the lever. (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"])

The next symbol in John Smith's order was similar to the previous one. (PROSE: A Journal of Impossible Things ^[+]Loading...["A Journal of Impossible Things (reference book)"])

It appeared on the side of a lever (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"]) on the Information Systems secondary panel of TARDIS console. (PROSE: The Visual Dictionary ^[+]Loading...["The Visual Dictionary (2007 reference book)"])

Dimensional stabiliser symbol

The dimensional stabiliser symbol. (GAME: Attack of the Graske ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"]

This symbol was associated with the dimensional stabiliser. (GAME: Attack of the Graske ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"])

It appeared on a keyboard on the TARDIS console. (The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"]

It appeared on the side of a lever (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"]) on the Information Systems secondary panel of TARDIS console. (PROSE: The Visual Dictionary ^[+]Loading...["The Visual Dictionary (2007 reference book)"])

One of the symbols on the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' TARDIS console was a variation of this symbol. (TV: The Snowmen ^[+]Loading...["The Snowmen (TV story)"])

Balance

The symbol on a sticky note. (TV: Human Nature ^[+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"])

One symbol appeared on a sticky note the Doctor kept on his scanner. (TV: The End of the World ^[+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"], Human Nature ^[+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"])

One of the symbols on the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' TARDIS console was a variation of this symbol. (TV: The Snowmen ^[+]Loading...["The Snowmen (TV story)"])

System shut down

A distress warning on the TARDIS scanner. (TV: 42 ^[+]Loading...["42 (TV story)"])

One symbol appeared as a distress warning on the TARDIS scanner. (TV: 42 ^[+]Loading...["42 (TV story)"])

Standby/Neutral/Home

The symbol on a sticky note. (TV: Human Nature ^[+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"])

One symbol appeared on a sticky note the Doctor kept on his scanner. (TV: The End of the World ^[+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"], et al.)

One of the symbols on the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' TARDIS console was a variation of this symbol. (TV: The Snowmen ^[+]Loading...["The Snowmen (TV story)"])

Journey/Course

The symbol on the middle right of the lever. (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"])

One symbol appeared in a small circle in the upper right of the TARDIS scanner layout. (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"], Hell Bent ^[+]Loading...["Hell Bent (TV story)"], etc.)

It appeared on the side of a lever (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"]) on the Information Systems secondary panel of TARDIS console. (PROSE: The Visual Dictionary ^[+]Loading...["The Visual Dictionary (2007 reference book)"])

Galaxy/Destination

The symbol on the TARDIS console. (TV: The End of the World ^[+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"])

One symbol appeared in the upper left of the TARDIS scanner layout. (TV: The Unquiet Dead ^[+]Loading...["The Unquiet Dead (TV story)"], The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"], etc.)

The symbol appeared on the surface of a panel of the TARDIS console. (TV: The End of the World ^[+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"])

The symbol appeared on a keyboard on the console. (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"])

Gallifreyan solar system

The symbol on the Doctor's fobwatch. (TV: The Family of Blood ^[+]Loading...["The Family of Blood (TV story)"])

One symbol represented the Gallifreyan solar system. (REF: The Visual Dictionary ^[+]Loading...["The Visual Dictionary (2007 reference book)"])

The Doctor kept a sticky note of this symbol on his scanner. (TV: World War Three ^[+]Loading...["World War Three (TV story)"], etc.)

The biodata modules of the Tenth Doctor and the War Master prominently had this symbol on them. (TV: Human Nature ^[+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"], Utopia ^[+]Loading...["Utopia (TV story)"])

One of the symbols on the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' TARDIS console was a variation of this symbol. (TV: The Snowmen ^[+]Loading...["The Snowmen (TV story)"]))

Infinite cell service background

The symbol on the TARDIS console. (TV: The End of the World ^[+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"])

One symbol appeared on a panel of the TARDIS console. (TV: The End of the World ^[+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"])

This symbol was the background of the Universal Roaming app which the Tenth Doctor gave to Martha Jones' mobile phone. (TV: 42 ^[+]Loading...["42 (TV story)"])

Clockwork symbol

The symbol as a clock counting down at 25. (GAME: Attack of the Graske ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"])

One symbol had a complex design imitating clockwork, which could be displayed as a ticking clock. (GAME: Attack of the Graske ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"])

It appeared on the side of a lever (TV: The Runaway Bride ^[+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"]) on the Information Systems secondary panel of TARDIS console. (PROSE: The Visual Dictionary ^[+]Loading...["The Visual Dictionary (2007 reference book)"])

Numerical system

Gallifreyan numbers on the right of the TARDIS scanner. (TV: Human Nature ^[+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"])

These symbols had a base-seven numerical system composed of seven symbols which could be configured to show rising numbers. (GAME: Attack of the Graske ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"])

The numbers shifted as the TARDIS was in flight. (TV: The End of Time ^[+]Loading...["The End of Time (TV story)"]) This was most visible when the TARDIS went to the end of the universe, the numbers on the scanner rapidly increasing as it traversed millions of years. (TV: Utopia ^[+]Loading...["Utopia (TV story)"])

The tape containing the Wire had a three symbol on it. (The Idiot's Lantern ^[+]Loading...["The Idiot's Lantern (TV story)"])

Related symbols

The Biodata modules had more symbols in their inner workings. (TV: Human Nature ^[+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"])

By the end of Martha Jones' travels with the Tenth Doctor, he had replaced the sticky notes used by the Ninth Doctor with two new ones with new symbols. (TV: Utopia ^[+]Loading...["Utopia (TV story)"])

Behind the scenes

Bowers' concept art of symbols with intended meanings.

These symbols were designed by Jenny Bowers for Series 1. Two symbols, meaning "Entrance" and "Exit", were not used.

In DWM 360, Edward Thomas claimed that Bowers designed the symbols to have an alphabet system which is "read concentrically, so you start reading from the outside in. A lot of it makes sense (some of it doesn't) but you can read words with it."

Branding

Contemporary books in the BBC New Series Adventures used the base-seven numerical system as a decal for its chapter numbers.

Several of these symbols appeared on the walls of the main sets for Totally Doctor Who.

The numbers were used on the packaging of Warlord Games' Into the Time Vortex.