Swastika - history and meaning

[Kristian S.]

The reason for the lack of reserve towards the swastika in many countries may not only be the fact that it is a religious symbol. The focus on history is also less eurocentristic, so therefore it's original meaning was never perverted. At least for billions of people who are not Westeners.

Some more swastika shots:


Swastika on the door of a Korean temple


Swastika and lotus symbols on a lamp in Korea


Swastika on a Buddhist temple in Taiwan

In Hinduism, the right-hand (clockwise) swastika is a symbol of the sun and the god Vishnu, while the left-hand (counterclockwise) swastika represents Kali and magic. The Buddhist swastika is almost always clockwise, while the swastika adopted by the Nazis (many of whom had occult interests) is counterclockwise.

Source: http://www.religionfacts.com

[Von Odine]

T
... a symbolism of hate. Much like ...the Fasces.. no matter what meaning it may have ever held prior to its adoption by the Fascists in Italy ...

HEY! It IS the symbol of the United States Senate and has been for about 200 Years!

[Grisu]

Very good posting, Kampfflieger. (A true ray of light in a sea of dark sarcasm. )

[ghostsoldier]

Totally agree with that.

Same here.
Rob

[Juha Tompuri]

Edmonton Swastikas 1916
http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/hocke ... story.html

viewtopic.php?t=46212 Wrong ideas about Swastika
viewtopic.php?t=32561 The real Swastika
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=116562&hilit Swastika on Finnish airplanes
viewtopic.php?t=35082 Why did Finnish planes have Swastikas?
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=69082&hilit Call for Europe-wide swastika ban

Regards, Juha

[Blasus]

How about "Swastika Racks"....



You can find this geometric shape everywhere you look, if you try....
Rob

holy crap! what is it with these clothes rack makers? My pals and I used to play in the parking garage/storage basement of a local department store, in which was housed these old wheeled swasti-racks that we clung to and rode like buoys floating in the ocean. The name of the game was "Swastikron" and it had to do with robots some how.
what fun.

[DrG]

The Swastika was used also among the Etruscans, see for example this photo, taken in the ritual road "via cava del Cavone", in Poggio Stanziale, province of Grosseto, Tuscany (soruce: http://www.exibart.com/profilo/imgpost/doc/478/doc-7244-1478-518-43753.pdf).

Svastica Cavone.jpg

[mistergray1]

The old Carlsberg breweries in Denmark have a few swastikas as well.

This is the elephant gate at Carlsberg breweries (not my picture):

[Peeter]

Red army 1919

[murx]

Not to speak about the 45th US Infantry (see attachment)

US45th.PNG

[PanzerGrenadier88]

I remember reading somewhere that the swastika was alleged to have some kind of hypnotic or occult characteristic. I'm skeptical but curious about the concept. Anyone know about this?

[nobodyofnote]

Raelians aim to reclaim swastika

TORONTO - A religious sect that believes the swastika was hijacked by the Nazis will try to "remove the negativity attached to it" at the Gay Pride parade Sunday.

Members of the Quebec-based International Raelian Movement will staff an information booth at the annual event in the hopes of raising awareness of "the true meaning of the swastika, which is more positive," Diane Brisebois, a spokeswoman for the Raelians told QMI.

"For religions like Jainism and Buddhism, the swastika represented luck, well-being, harmony and peace," Brisebois said. "When people think of the swastika, they immediately think of the Nazis and we want to change that."

The Raelian symbol features a swastika intertwined with two overlapping triangles that form a six-pointed star.

Brisebois expressed disappointment that the group was not allowed to participate in the parade, but said the Raelians are planning to hold a parade next year "to reclaim the swastika."

Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/03/ra ... m-swastika (Toronto Sun, July 2011)

Disclaimer: I am not involved with the Raelian movement.

[Ecam]

From Lullingstone Roman villa, about 30 miles southeast of London. Lullingstone is an AD100 excavated Roman villa.

Lullingstone Swastika.jpg

[Aquarius1011]

The Nazis gave the Swastika a bad name.

I recently saw in a documentary film that historians were wondering why did Hitler reverse it, thus turning its creative meaning into the destructive meaning. It was recently found in documents that Hitler did it, so as to follow the apparent clockwise movement of the sun. That's pagan influence, and would be anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

[J. Duncan]

Best book on the subject is Thomas Wilson's "The Swastika: Earliest Known Symbol and it's Migrations".
More modern books are (author?) "Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption" and Malcolm Quinn's "Swastika: Constructing the Symbol".