---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago…"
description: "\"“What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago times, the days before the people had been taught by the gods how to draw the metals from the ground and cut ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toneye-eyenot-283903_mona-lisa_what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago_2363519.jpg"
---

#  What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago times, the days…

![“What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago times, the days before the people had been taught by the gods how to draw the metals from the ground and cut and grind the stone to shelter themselves, was contained in the goat god’s nearly perpetual Mona Lisa smile.” quote by Toneye Eyenot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toneye-eyenot-283903_mona-lisa_what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago_2363519.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toneye-eyenot-283903_mona-lisa_what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago_2363519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toneye-eyenot-283903_mona-lisa_what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago_2363519.jpg)

> ““What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago times, the days before the people had been taught by the gods how to draw the metals from the ground and cut and grind the stone to shelter themselves, was contained in the goat god’s nearly perpetual Mona Lisa smile.””

Toneye Eyenot

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ancient divine knowledge of metallurgy and stonework was once embodied in a goat deity, whose perpetual smile hints at hidden wisdom.

**In simple terms:** Old gods taught metal and stone work, symbolized by a smiling goat god.

Key Takeaway

Explore myths for hidden lessons.

Themes

mythology ancient knowledge craftsmanship symbolism divine

Mood

mysterious thoughtful

Type

literary interpretive

When to use this quote

- historical study
- creative writing
- cultural analysis
- museum curation

Key Concepts

metallurgy stone carving deity symbolism enigmatic smile

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the goat god’s smile represent?
- How do myths preserve technical knowledge?

A Different Perspective

Interpretations may vary; symbolism can be ambiguous.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Mona Lisa Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mona-lisa-smile/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“Graff smiled a little Mona Lisa smile, if Mona Lisa had been a pudgy colonel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/graff-smiled-a-little-mona-lisa-smile-if-mona-lisa-had-been-a-pudgy/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“One moment, she was wearing clothing, and the next moment, she was wearing a bikini. Fifty percent of the world was brown skin and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/one-moment-she-was-wearing-clothing-and-the-next-moment-she-was/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [“Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious Mona Lisa smile of hers that tilted the corners of her lush mouth and caused the tiny lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-mona-lisa-smile-of-hers-that/)

[Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/)

> [For all cats have this particularity, each and every one, from the meanest alley sneaker to the proudest, whitest she that ever graced a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/for-all-cats-have-this-particularity-each-and-every-one-from-the/)

[Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/)

> [Mona Lisa smile, that bitch barely grinning. Take you off the face of the Earth like a blemish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/mona-lisa-smile-that-bitch-barely-grinning-take-you-off-the-face-of/)

[Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/)

> [I don't want to say too many words about the magic of the Cube, because it's basically a mystery. It's like the Mona Lisa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erno-rubik/i-don-t-want-to-say-too-many-words-about-the-magic-of-the-cube/)

[Erno Rubik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erno-rubik/)

> [“He hadn’t been aware of staring, but when her questioning gaze locked with his, Grey felt as though he’d been smacked upside the head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/he-hadn-t-been-aware-of-staring-but-when-her-questioning-gaze-locked/)

[Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/)

> [“My heart aches with pent-up yearning as I hold the girl of my dreams in my arms. I look into those wonderful eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-diaz-granados/my-heart-aches-with-pent-up-yearning-as-i-hold-the-girl-of-my-dreams/)

[Alex Diaz-Granados](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-diaz-granados/)

> [“As Samantha wrapped the ornament in paper, and placed it in a bag, Mrs. Ryan said, “Hearts are like that spun glass, beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-hoffa/as-samantha-wrapped-the-ornament-in-paper-and-placed-it-in-a-bag-mrs/)

[Tamara Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-hoffa/)

> [“The good painter has to paint two principal things, man and the intention of his mind,” he wrote. “The first is easy and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-good-painter-has-to-paint-two-principal-things-man-and-the/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [“Vita had the same crooked smile I had, and that many of the women in my family had, what we called our Mona Lisa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-stapinski/vita-had-the-same-crooked-smile-i-had-and-that-many-of-the-women-in/)

Helene Stapinski

> [Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh to -day as when they first passed through their authors' minds ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/time-is-of-no-account-with-great-thoughts-which-are-as-fresh-to-day/)

[Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/)

> [“Ages ago, thousands of generations ago, man had thrust his brother man out of the ease and the sunshine. And now that brother was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/ages-ago-thousands-of-generations-ago-man-had-thrust-his-brother-man/)

[H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/)

> [By then she was dead. In fact, she may have been dead a while ago. Physically, several seconds ago, mentally, ages ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koushun-takami/by-then-she-was-dead-in-fact-she-may-have-been-dead-a-while-ago/)

[Koushun Takami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koushun-takami/)

> [“Actually, I figured out how to lose bloody ages ago. -Mat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/actually-i-figured-out-how-to-lose-bloody-ages-ago-mat/)

[Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/)

## More Mona lisa quotes

> [My favourite song of Elton's is... it's a tricky one for me. I'm a proper fan and I've probably seen him in concert about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/my-favourite-song-of-elton-s-is-it-s-a-tricky-one-for-me-i-m-a-proper/)

[Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/)

> [“This is the Mona Lisa of bad diners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/this-is-the-mona-lisa-of-bad-diners/)

[Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/)

> [Too many people are worried about having results NOW...the Mona Lisa was not created in a day. Perfection takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-many-people-are-worried-about-having-results-now-the-mona-lisa/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You know, people call mystery novels or thrillers 'puzzles.' I never understood that, because when I buy a puzzle, I already know what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/you-know-people-call-mystery-novels-or-thrillers-puzzles-i-never/)

[Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/)

> [Inside the museum infinity goes up on trial. Voices echo, 'This is what salvation must be like after a while.' But Mona Lisa must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/inside-the-museum-infinity-goes-up-on-trial-voices-echo-this-is-what/)

[Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/)

> [The curious thing about that moustache and goatee is that when you look at the Mona Lisa it becomes a man. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-curious-thing-about-that-moustache-and-goatee-is-that-when-you/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [“Like the famous lady in the frame (Mona Lisa), to many we remain a mystery”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-jenner/like-the-famous-lady-in-the-frame-mona-lisa-to-many-we-remain-a/)

[Kris Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-jenner/)

> [A lotta cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/a-lotta-cats-copy-the-mona-lisa-but-people-still-line-up-to-see-the/)

[Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/)

> [What I am trying to say is that it is not without any value. The value of copies is that they can direct us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-it-is-not-without-any-value-the-value/)

[Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/)

> [How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas: 'The lady is smiling because she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/how-could-we-possibly-appreciate-the-mona-lisa-if-leonardo-had/)

[Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/)

> [. . . a jostling scrum of office buildings so mediocre that the only way you ever remember them is by the frustration they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/a-jostling-scrum-of-office-buildings-so-mediocre-that-the-only-way/)

[Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/)

> [When his eyes gazed upon her, he thought of Mona Lisa. All these suitors going by looking at beautiful objects until they came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-carlson/when-his-eyes-gazed-upon-her-he-thought-of-mona-lisa-all-these/)

[Joseph Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-carlson/)

> [You should definitely visit the Louvre, a world-famous art museum where you can view, at close range, the backs of thousands of other tourists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-should-definitely-visit-the-louvre-a-world-famous-art-museum/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [“But is the Mona Lisa really art? Well then, what about an undetectably perfect copy of the Mona Lisa? That comparison (however sneaky) points…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-is-the-mona-lisa-really-art-well-then-what-about-an-undetectably/)

[David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/)

> [“People going to see the Mona Lisa, not to look at it, but because it's the Mona Lisa”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pope/people-going-to-see-the-mona-lisa-not-to-look-at-it-but-because-it-s/)

[Paul Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pope/)

Browse all 88 Mona lisa quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago times, the days before the people had been taught by the gods how to draw the metals from the ground and cut and grind the stone to shelter themselves, was contained in the goat god’s nearly perpetual Mona Lisa smile.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Toneye Eyenot"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toneye-eyenot/what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago-times-the-days-before-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Mona lisa"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toneye-eyenot/what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago-times-the-days-before-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toneye-eyenot-283903_mona-lisa_what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago_2363519.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toneye-eyenot-283903_mona-lisa_what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago_2363519.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toneye-eyenot-283903_mona-lisa_what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago_2363519.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago times, the days before the people had been taught by the gods how…” — Toneye Eyenot",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Toneye Eyenot",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toneye-eyenot/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“What he’d seen before, in those...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toneye-eyenot/what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago-times-the-days-before-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toneye-eyenot/what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago-times-the-days-before-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
