Swastika

Ezboard · #1

Joel Brooks
Unregistered User
(6/21/00 1:12:38 pm)
Reply Swastika
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Can you help me with info on the history of the swastika?

Gareth Collins
Unregistered User
(6/23/00 4:14:29 am)
Reply Brief History of the Swastika
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The Swastika (or Hakenkreuz), the hooked black cross which became part of the German national flag in 1935. Its origins go back to the ancient world, in which it was a fertility symbol. In early Chritian and Byzantine art it was known as the Gammadion Cross. In 1910 the German poet and ideologist Guido von List suggested it as the symbol for all anti-Semitic organisations and for this reason - and because it was thought, incorrectly, to be Teutonic in origin - it was adopted by Hitler's National Socialist Party in 1919. The word Swastika comes from Sanskrit, meaning 'well-being'.

Regards,
gfc

Chad Crompton
Unregistered User
(6/23/00 8:43:23 pm)
Reply Swastika information
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Hello Joel,

Even today, although its not as widely used as in the older days. The Swastika turned to left is a Budhist sign of peace.

Cheers,
Chad

Sami Korhonen
Unregistered User
(7/5/00 12:55:27 pm)
Reply Finnish swastika
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Hi,

as some of you might know already, Finland used a bluw swastika during the WW2
The history of the Finnish blue swastika, but the history of it goes well back to 1918.

The Finnish blue swastika was originally the symbol of luck of the family of Count von Rosen, who donated the Finnish "White Army" (during the War of Independence) it's first plane in 1918.

It was adopted as the official national marking of the Finnish Air Forces and later on, the Army. Only after the Nazis adopted it as their emblem did it acquire political significance.

After the fall of the 3rd Reich, the Finnish Defense Forces abandoned the disreputable swastika in favor of the new national marking; the blue and white roundel

Cheers,
Sami

Wehrmacht41
Unregistered User
(7/19/00 3:42:03 pm)
Reply Swastika
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I also heard that it represented Thors spinning hammer.

Sami Korhonen
Unregistered User
(7/20/00 1:18:06 pm)
Reply Thor's spinning hammer?
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Hi,

...that's new to me... if it was, I'm sure some Norwegian (are here any Norwegians?) could confirm that...

Sami

Torsten Cumberland
Unregistered User
(7/21/00 10:08:40 am)
Reply On Thors spinning hammer and the swastika
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The swastika has nothing to do with Thors Hammer in any way, although some soldiers might have thought so during WW2.
The swastika was (and is) an ancient symbol for the sun, with the four arms representing the rays of the sun.

Marcus Wendel
ezOP
(7/21/00 10:16:18 am)
Reply Re: On Thors spinning hammer and the swastika
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I've heard that some neo-nazi groups/individuals claim that the swastika represents Thor's hammer, but it was not used as a symbol for that in the Third Reich as far as I know.

/Marcus

Chad Crompton
Unregistered User
(7/21/00 12:28:05 pm)
Reply Skinheads
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Marcus,

The Hammer Skins (Skinheads) have the Hakenkreuz attached to Thor's hammer as one of there various symbols.

Regards,
Chad Crompton

George Huelse
Unregistered User
(7/21/00 3:39:50 pm)
Reply Hammers
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I've always wondered why those clowns had two crossed hammers as their symbol. Strangely, the hammers appear to be of modern manufacture and I would have figured Oden would be a "god of old."

I once read that these individuals got the idea from the 1980s film "The Wall," which had scenes of a fictitious group (at least at the time -grin-) referred to as the "Hammer Nazi's." The symbol used in this musical is strikingly similar to that of the Hammerskins, but have trouble believing a political group would derive their symbol from a movie by Pink Floyd.

Anyway, I guess a better question is why I attempt to fathom the rationale behind any of the Hammerskins works.

Peter
Unregistered User
(7/23/00 4:40:14 pm)
Reply hammerskins
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This is true,the crossed hammers come from a scene in the movie where skinheads are beating Paki's out of England.When the skins are marching to the fight you see an animation of giant crossed hammers marching,representing them and their agression.

George Huelse
Unregistered User
(7/24/00 12:34:28 am)
Reply Swastika
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So they did get the idea from the movie? I'll be. Wonder why they chose that films symbol. Strange.

Marcus Wendel
ezOP
(7/25/00 11:32:39 am)
Reply Re: Swastika
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George,

They probably thought it looked cool and they no doubt completly misunderstood the movie.

/Marcus

George Huelse
Unregistered User
(7/25/00 7:04:08 pm)
Reply Indeed....
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I think you are correct. Of course the understanding of what pencil is for probably escapes them as well.

Having seen the film myself, I don't believe it portrays people of that political opinion very well. That is what I had a hard time understanding why they would opt for the crossed hammers for the symbol.

Anyway. Probably OT, but interesting anyway.

Goggi
Registered User
Posts: 31
(10/15/00 7:36:52 am)
Reply Swastika
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The Swastica had still a wide decorative application in India, at least as I was there in 1960. Each driver's cabin of a Tatra truck, built in a very ornate way with wood, was decorated with a Swastica. Each door of a Hindu-Temple had its Swastica over the entrance, and each sack of Cement carried also a big Swastica!
,

Griff
Unregistered User
(10/15/00 8:20:29 pm)
Reply SW Swastika
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The swastika is also a native american device, meaning the sun & fertility as well. In fact, I think there was a New Mexican unit which the device on their sleeve patch before the war began. I saw it once, & it looked almost exactly like an HJ patch. The unit (might have been national guard???) had to change it's patch, & I understand that the original one is a coveted collectors' item now.
BTW, I saw a picture reproduced from a medieval Jewish manuscript somewhere (unfortunately, I can't recall where it is right now -- I haven't had my coffee yet) that also had a swastika in it. Seeing the image of the Mogan David & the Swastika togather in a Jewish manuscript was a bit jarring.
The Swastika is very, very old -- and still a very powerful symbol.

Dula
Unregistered User
(10/15/00 8:44:43 pm)
Reply Swastika
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Along the lines of the American Indians,the Boy Scouts used to have an "Order of the Swastika" award, but it was discontinued around the time of Hitler's rise to power.

SLM
Registered User
Posts: 7
(10/16/00 9:40:02 pm)
Reply Boy Scouts' Order of the White Swastika
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Pictures at: http://www.usscouts.org/honorsociety/or ... eswas.html

"Order of the White Swastika - Existed at Portsmouth, Ohio; Camp Russell, New York; and St. Joseph, Missouri. At the St. Joseph, Missouri location it was sort of a tough man competition for scouts using scout skills. Over a period of twelve weekends scouts would compete with a different skill each weekend. If you didn't meet the standard at a given competition you were dropped until the following year. While a hundred scouts might have started on weekend one, perhaps four or five were left after the last weekend. These boys were given the white swastika badge. It is unknown if the same program was used at the other two locations or if it was just a coincidence that they used the same name."

Jones
Unregistered User
(10/19/00 5:56:34 pm)
Reply Order of the White Swastika
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Very interesting! Thanks for sharing that info.

Jones