The Portuguese New Christians – A Polysemous People? (Part 1)The notion of being polysemic derives from the word polysemy which is the capacity for a sign, image or concept to have multiple meanings. Is the Estrella star depicted on the public coat of arms of the Covilha, Tortosendo, and Seia communities, adjacent to the Estrella Mountain range, and had a substantial New Christian population, representing the Star of David? Is the star (Estrella/Star of David) a polysemic symbol?Are specific symbols, images and concepts throughout the Beira region of Portugal a clandestine way that the Cristao-novo shaped and maintained their identity?More to come…