Quote Originally Posted by Grognaurd View Post
Ugh, the problem is that relatively simple designs can be used by many different cultures to mean different things.
This is true. That is why I suggest looking for intersections of meanings. IOW, look for symbols that appear together in a common context and find the meaning for each that's appropriate for that context. For instance, Symbol X might mean "protection" in one context, but "war" in another, while Symbol Y could mean "strength" in one and "subjugation" in another, but when they appear together they unambiguously take on the darker meanings.