An Interesting Take On The Swastika

[Diamond Cross]

Thanks to the Nazi party, the Swastika will always be seen as a symbol of evil, at least by the majority of people in the modern age. However, it isn't neccessarilt true for it has been used for other reasons, and ehre is an unusual one that will surprise you:



So what does it mean?

According to this article:

On the stole of an ancient bishop of Winchester, Edyndon, who died in 1366, is the Swastika or Scouts' Thanks Badge. It was at that time called the " Fylfot," and was said to represent Obedience or Submission, the different arms of the cross being in reality legs in the attitude of kneeling.


But as you know from the account of the Swastika Thanks Badge which I have given you in Scouting for Boys, this symbol was used in almost every part of the world in ancient days, and therefore has various meanings given to it.


It has been found engraved on weapons belonging to the Norsemen. It was also engraved on the spindles used by the ancient Greeks in their- weaving at Troy.


In India rice is spread on the ground in the form of the Swastika at the baptism of a baby boy to bring him luck.


The Indians in North America use it as an ornament, and it has been found engraved on ancient pottery in Peru.


How it got from one country to another, separated as they are by oceans, it is difficult to guess, but some people who say they know all about these things, affirm that there was once a great continent where now there is the Atlantic Ocean, but it went under the sea in an earthquake.

This continent was called Atlantis, and joined up Europe with America.

It was supposed to have four vast rivers running from a central mountain in different directions—North, East, South, and West—and the Swastika is merely a map of Atlantis showing those four rivers rising from the same center.


Anyway, whatever its origin was the Swastika now stands for the Badge of Fellowship among Scouts all over the world, and when anyone has done a kindness to a Scout it is their privilege to present him—or her—with this token of their gratitude, which makes him a sort of member of the Brotherhood, and entitles him to the help of any other Scout at any time and at any place.


I want specially to remind Scouts to keep their eyes open and never fail to spot anyone wearing this badge. It is their duty then to go up to such person, make the Scout sign, and ask if they can be of any service to the wearer.


I have heard of several instances where Scouts have done this, and it has greatly increased the value of the Thanks Badge to the persons who were wearing it when they found that Scouts recognized it and were anxious to do a Good Turn to them.

However, this article was written by Baden Powell in 1921, before the advent of the Nazi Party.

Baden-Powell: "What Scouts Can Do--More Yarns"

This is why I love the study of history, you get to learn interesting things that you might not ahve thought of before.

[Dylith]

It was also a symbol that adorned the Cathloic school that Hitler use to attend.

It is also one of the symbols of Buddhism and also has significance in Hinduism as well.

[up|dn]

I'm just copying this from another website, but it shows how an ancient Aryan (ancient people living in India) good luck symbol became the symbol of Nazi German ideals of promoting itself as descendants of the ancient Aryan race:

The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.

Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck.

Even in the early twentieth century, the swastika was still a symbol with positive connotations. For instance, the swastika was a common decoration that often adorned cigarette cases, postcards, coins, and buildings. During World War I, the swastika could even be found on the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division and on the Finnish air force until after World War II.

In the 1800s, countries around Germany were growing much larger, forming empires; yet Germany was not a unified country until 1871. To counter the feeling of vulnerability and the stigma of youth, German nationalists in the mid-nineteenth century began to use the swastika, because it had ancient Aryan/Indian origins, to represent a long Germanic/Aryan history.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the swastika could be found on nationalist German volkisch periodicals and was the official emblem of the German Gymnasts' League.

In the beginning of the twentieth century, the swastika was a common symbol of German nationalism and could be found in a multitude of places such as the emblem for the Wandervogel, a German youth movement; on Joerg Lanz von Liebenfels' antisemitic periodical Ostara; on various Freikorps units; and as an emblem of the Thule Society.

In 1920, Adolf Hitler decided that the Nazi Party needed its own insignia and flag. For Hitler, the new flag had to be "a symbol of our own struggle" as well as "highly effective as a poster." (Mein Kampf, pg. 495)
On August 7, 1920, at the Salzburg Congress, this flag became the official emblem of the Nazi Party.

In Mein Kampf, Hitler described the Nazis' new flag: "In red we see the social idea of the movement, in white the nationalistic idea, in the swastika the mission of the struggle for the victory of the Aryan man, and, by the same token, the victory of the idea of creative work, which as such always has been and always will be anti-Semitic." (pg. 496-497)

Because of the Nazis' flag, the swastika soon became a symbol of hate, antisemitism, violence, death, and murder.

History of the Swastika

[Rover]

well, in fact it's not necessarily evil.... Blavatsky described it as most powerful, but not as evil

The swastika actually has a very diverse history. History of the Swastika

Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck. Even in the early twentieth century, the swastika was still a symbol with positive connotations. For instance, the swastika was a common decoration that often adorned cigarette cases, postcards, coins, and buildings. During World War I, the swastika could even be found on the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division and on the Finnish air force until after World War II.

[humanbeast]

I once saw a Swastika symbol on a kitten's collar tag. The picture was made in 1916.

[wanna be drummer]

It came from the Buddhists or Hindus didn't it? It's been terribly corrupted thanks to its misuse in WWII

[up|dn]

Originally Posted by wanna be drummer

It came from the Buddhists or Hindus didn't it? It's been terribly corrupted thanks to its misuse in WWII

The people who settled the Indus Valley (currently known as India, and probably the originators of Hinduism) are sometimes known as the Aryans, and it is from them that we've likely inherited all of the languages we call "Indo-European", which includes both Sanskrit and English, and other Germanic languages. It is this idea, taken by the Nazis and interpreted by them into some idea of a master race, that made the Swastika a perfect symbol for their ideology. This shows that it's not only dangerous to mix linguistics and anthropology, but also dangerous to take an idea that seems to be somewhat historically sound, and add ideological mythology to it.

[WickedLou9]

Regardless of it's long and diverse history, it's use now brings about one image: Nazi Germany and the 3rd reich. You can't really change that.

[RockPusher]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

Regardless of it's long and diverse history, it's use now brings about one image: Nazi Germany and the 3rd reich. You can't really change that.

Sure you can.... Move on.

[Libertaire]

I find this extraordinary.

Coca-Cola issued a swastika pendant. Carlsberg beer etched swastikas onto its bottles. During World War I, the American 45th Infantry division wore an orange swastika as a shoulder patch. At least one train line had swastikas on its cars. The Girls' Club published a magazine called The Swastika. And until 1940 the Boy Scouts gave out a swastika badge. LINK

IMO. However the symbol is received, it's is really up to the individual. Anywhere you go in the world there is always somebody who is going to be repulsed by some symbol or other. I remember having to keep my cross hidden while in the Middle East.

[Schrödinger's Cat]

People rarely mention the Latvian Air Force (1918-1940). Their swastika was almost exactly like the 3. Reichs Hackenkreuz. It makes you think the early national socialist leaders ripped it off. Only the color scheme is different, red on white instead of black, white and red.




More Latvian Era Pics