‘The Ancient symbol of
Swastika, its Uses, Distortion and Misuses’
“Not all objects which serve as
symbols are created by human mind, but the process of symbolization exists only
in the minds of men and women……. There are no inherent, immutable symbols since
the mind, through social interaction, can be changed. The differing meanings of
the Swastika are but one example of this fact.”
Dr Whitney Smith;
(“Fundamental Theses of Vexillology”, The Flag Bulletin, XXI:1/92, page 24).
Once
upon a time, there was a symbol ….. and it is that ancient symbol of prehistoric period - a symbol attributed to ‘good
fortune and well-being’ for
more than 3000 years or still
earlier, I am going to talk about. Many of you will be surprised to know that
the examples of Swastikas were found as early as in the Bronze Age. As a matter
of fact, no one knows for sure it’s true home, the time or place of origin, or,
the primitive meaning, alas, all lost in antiquity. Here we shall make an
attempt to trace the origins, its uses, migration and diffusion of the symbol in
cultures of the Globe. Its a fine example of
theories of the Parallelism in Human Thoughts – it can also be a case of Duplicate or Independent discovery which
popped-up in widest Culture Areas, extending almost to the Uttermost parts of
the World / or is it Transmitted from Person to Person, Country to Country by
Migration, or Contact or Communication between the Distant people in Archaic
period? We can keep guessing.
We wonder how the same auspicious symbol contaminated our mind with its graphic vandalism by a regime whose rise
was dramatic and fall was equally as rapid as rise. 25 years of misuse (1920
to 1945 to be precise) made the Swastika image in certain parts of the
world - a hated symbol – a hortative sign - view of an ignominious
fanatic spearheaded a dictatorial oppression and racial genocide - but that is insufficient reason for
ignoring the symbol's ancient and historical significance.
The Hakenkreuz (Swastika
banner in Nazi style) is a social taboo in India as well. However, the
undertone the swastika has in general in the West is perhaps absent in India
and other parts of Asia. Long
before all the Nazi symbols were outlawed in 1945, scholars and historians
proved sufficiently that the German claim of Swastika and its Aryan origin were
baseless, hence unacceptable from the vexillological point of view.
The symbol was not unknown among the pre-Vedic
‘Dravidans’, a peaceful and more advanced culture of South India long before
the invading Aryans arrived.
The
Swastika is one of (if not) the oldest symbols in the world. Its reference in India dates back to Vedic
period, i.e. 3000 – 2500 BC. Relics found in India dating back to Mohenjo-Daro
period have the emblem of Swastika on them. Many scholars say that the symbol
is even older. It
began before history, and is to be properly classed as prehistoric
Seals of the Indus Valley Civilization.
British Museum.
Thomas
Wilson (1832-1902), Curator,
Dept. of Prehistoric Anthropology, the US National Museum (now Smithsonian) participated
in the excavation of an Indian burial mound in Ohio 1890s, where several
copper swastikas were discovered. Wilson’s report was published in 1894 entitled; “The Swastika, the Earliest
Known Symbol and Its Migrations; with observations on the Migration of certain
Industries in Prehistoric Times” under the auspices of the United States National Museum. The report
was prepared based on his in-depth research on Swastika. His theory of
possible ‘Migration of Swastika Symbols’
from the Old World where bronze was first discovered. Swastika
spread through the same routes as did bronze.
Bronze was discovered in eastern Asia and then migrated westward. From
Asia Minor it spread east and west. Wilson advanced his assumption about a
possible diffusion of Swastika symbolism in America from Eurasia.
Prof. Michale
Zmigrodski, a Polish scholar, prepared and sent to the World’s Columbian
Exposition at Chicago a manuscript chart in French, showing his opinion of
migration of the Swastika; he began with India & Bactria, Cyprus &
Rhodes, North Europe, Central Europe, South Europe and Asia Minor.
(Re-published
by Symbolon Press edition, 2010, ‘Foreword’ by Prof. Michael Wotzel, Wales
Chair of Sanskrit, Harvard University). The front cover
illustration is from the book "Tree
of Life, Mythical Archetype" by Gregory Haynes. According
to Haynes; the four largest rivers on the
four continents bordering the Atlantic Ocean (the Nile, Amazon, Mississippi,
and Baltic) stand in relation to each other as do the outer arms of an enormous
swastika. In "Tree of Life,
Mythical Archetype" he persuasively argues that ancient navigators mapped these four rivers and derived the
swastika from them. But this
theory lacks credibility and scientific analysis.
Distribution
of Swastika
Nearly all
varieties of Swasika came into use (both as symbols and on objects of
ornaments) during Bronze Age. Bronze was
discovered in the extreme Orient and introduced into Europe in prehistoric
times. Swastika spread through the same countries as did the bronze.
Swastika Urn in the Vatican Museum. (Thomas Wilson’s
report).
The earliest specimens of Swastika of which identification can be made
are on the huts urns of central Italy. Nearly all varieties of Swastika
came into use (both as symbols and in the form of ornaments) during Bronze
Age. Swastika artifacts were found prolifically at the site of ancient
Troy. In Greece it is found on objects
of gold, bronze and pottery of archaic period.
Swastika is derived from
the two Sanskrit words Su (equivalent of the Greek ev),
meaning; good fortune, luck and well-being and Asti, "good being,"
with the suffix ka (Greek ka, Latin co)
It is a cross with four arms of
equal length, with the ends of each arm bent at a right angle. Sometimes dots are added between each arm.
It represents the
constant movement of the sun.
The symbol imitates in the
rotation of its arms the course taken daily by the sun
Its rotation in four directions
has been used to represent many ideas, but primarily describes the four
directions, the four Vedas and their harmonious whole.
It is a mark of good fortunes
to the Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.
It is a symbol connoting
general auspiciousness. It represents purity of soul, truth, and stability or,
alternatively, Surya - the sun.
H.J.D.
Astley in “The Swastika:
A Study” (The Quest, 1925) wrote; ‘Swastika represents the constant
movement of the sun, and the course of the sun in the heaven revolving normally
from left to right.’ It represents
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva – Creator, Preserver and Destroyer.
The left-hand
Swastika (called a Suavastika) usually represents the goddess Kali, night and magic.
However, this form of the Swastika according to Hindu iconography is also not
"evil" and this form also not uncommon in Buddhists iconography.
Prof. Max Muller (1823-1900) makes the
symbol different according as the arms are bent to the right or to the left.
But he gives no, authority for the statement. Prof. W. H. Goodyear (1846–1923) - a
noted American archaeologist, art historian and museum curator, gave the title
of "Meander" to that form
of Swastika which bends two or more times
In the Buddhist tradition, Swastika is referred to as "The
Seal on Buddha's Heart". In Japanese and Chinese Buddha images, a Swastika often appears on the chest of
Gautama Buddha.
Origin of Buddha according to Tao Shih (from Thomas Wilson’s report, plate 1)
Swastika-patta, Tablet of Homage carved
with a Svastika, Mathura, from the
Jaina Kankali Tila at Mathura. About
1st century A.D. now preserved in Lucknow Museum.
Limestone
panel depicting the Buddhapada (footprints of the Buddha). Great Stupa at
Amaravati, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India, 1st century BC © The
Trustees of the British Museum
Buddha-pada
(feet of Buddha), carved on a rectangular slab. The margin of the slab was
carved with scroll of acanthus and rosettes.
The foot-print shows important symbols like triratna, svastika,
srivatsa, ankusa and elliptical objects, meticulously carved in
low-relief. From Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, being assignable on paleographical
grounds to circa 1st century B.C --2nd century AD,
The footprints of the Buddha are one of the early representations of
the Buddha in the aniconic (no
statues) stage of Buddhist art. In
the footprints of Buddha the Buddhists recognize no less that sixty-five
auspicious signs, the first of them being the Svastika (Lotus de la bonne loi, by Eugene
Burnouf (1852) of France.
Many coins and seals of ancient India carry
the Swastika symbol.
Satavahana coin, Copper, die-struck
symbol of lion standing to right and a big Swastika above on obverse, tree on
reverse with a counter mark. As these coins are un-inscribed their issues
cannot be ascertained with certainty. They ae actually regarded as the
earliest coins of India.
Yolamira,
silver drachm, early type c. 125-150 CE. Legend around Swastika is in Brahmi lipi (script).
Kuninda, an ancient central Himalayan kingdom, c. 1st century BCE, silver coin. Rev: Stupa
surmounted by the Buddhist symbols triratna,
surrounded by a Swastika, a "Y" symbol, and a tree in railing. Legend
in Kharosthi script.
Corinthia, Circa 550-500 BC. Stater (Silver).
Pegasos, with curved wing, flying to left; below, koppa.
Reverse. Incuse in the form of a Swastika to
left. (Source: Wikipedia)
Demand for ‘Swastika’ on
the National Flag of Independent India
During the Constituent Assembly ‘Flag Debates’
on 22nd July 1947, less than a month before India gaining
independence, when Asoka’s Chakra was proposed for the Indian Flag. H.V. Kamath, had demanded the Swastika, the
ancient Indian symbol be inscribed additionally on the centre wheel (Chakra)
of the proposed flag. “I thought, if the Swastika be inscribed inside
the Chakra it would along with the Dharma Chakra of Asoka (Wheel of Moral Law) fittingly symbolize
our ancient culture, that is to say, the esoteric and esoteric aspects of our
culture. The Dharma Chakra symbolizes the esoteric and the Swastika
symbolizes the esoteric aspects”, said Kamath.
Waving ‘Swastika flag’ on India’s
Independence Day; August 15, 1947
In Poona (Pune) on independence day
members of a political outfit - the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) –
criticized as an extremist, right-wing, Hindu nationalist group - outraged with
the partition of British-India on
the basis of religious demographics, which led to the creation of the state of Pakistan for the Muslims - raised –
not the new flag of independent India – but a Saffron flag emblazoned upon it with the Swastika – the traditional
Hindu symbol.
Uses of Swastika in Social,
Religious and cultural events
This widely used symbol of auspices can be seen on
temples, houses, doorways, clothing, and in ‘N’ numbers of objects and
artifacts. It is commonly used as a charm to bring good fortune but it has a variety of religious meanings as
well. It is also a major part of the
decoration for festivals and ceremonies
Swastika in postage stamp
. Hindus in India celebrate Diwali
by lighting lamps in the shape of a Swastika
Swastika motif not unusual on products in the Western World
White King Soap Advertisement – Found
in the vicinity of Visalia, CA.
The
lampposts in Glendale, CA were acquired from the Union Metal Company of Canton,
Ohio…and were installed at various times between 1924 and 1926. http://hragvartanian.com/2008/02/09/glendales-odd-lamppost-swastikas/
Swastika: The Globetrotting Symbol
The symbol of Swastika is a part of the ethos of ancient
India that has been found worldwide. No one will argue that the Swastika was in
any manner the monopoly of India alone. This is not the exclusive possession of
any one community or country; it belonged to the whole people.
The
House flag of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company, established in
1919. Following the global shipping slump of the
1980s, Scindia S.N. Co. gradually sold off its fleet.
The Parti National Social
Chretien, known, as the Canadian National Socialist Unity Party
founded in Canada, from 1933 to
1940, also had a similar blue flag charged with a slant red Swastika on the
white disc. The party was identified with Nazism, and
anti-Semitism. The Party was banned in 1940 under the Defence of Canada
Regulation of the War Measures Act.
Swastika banners are waved in Suriname, Guyana
and the Caribbean by the citizens of Indian origins.
The Great Council (Guyana
Sanatana Dharam Maha Sabha) - the leading Hindu organization’s flag.
The
squarish flag divided h orizontally
white over bright orange with the organisation’s badge - a Swastika in dark green superimposed in the centre. Source; The flag Bulletin ,
July-August 1982, p.131
Swastika of
Native Americans
It is believed that from India the symbol of Swastika
travelled to central Asia, Persia, Greece, Italy and to Germany. Synagogues in North
Africa had Swastikas on their walls.
Swastika motif was also widely in
use by Native Americans. It is possible that it may have originated on
this continent independently of Europe or Asia or migrated (?). The Symbolic
connotation may not be the same from one tribe to another and across the
culture groups of North America. They associated great mystical value to the swastika
in sacred rites, myths and symbols. The symbol featured among Navajos, the
ancient Mississippian culture of the Mound Builders, et al.
Swastika Flag in Panama
The
Tule (Kuna)
Indians live on the islands scattered along the coast of Panama, from Gulf
of Blas to Columbia. In February 1925 the Kuna revolted vigorously
against Panamanian suppression of their culture, and in 1930 they assumed
autonomy. James Marill tells us (The Flag Bulletin, XXI: 6/97.
P.195) that Richard O. Marsh an
American helped the Tule to have a “Tule Territory” as a reservation under an
“American of high character”. In order to gain the sympathies of America and
the rest of the world, Marsh helped to write a Tule Declaration of
Independence. In 1925 the Tule community raised their new Flag at El Porvenir.
According to Clyde Keeler; the
sacred Swastika (Kikir in Tule word) represents the tree of life turning in the water of life, as seen from above. It is a symbol of the birthing of the world
by the Earth-mother. Kikir also
means Octopus. In 1942 an American scout plane from the Canal Zone spotted the
Tule flag flying in the islands and thought Nazis had landed in Panama. The
plane swept down and clipped of the top of the flagpole with its wing. After
that incident tribal nose-ring was superimposed over the Swastika, because
Germans do not wear nose-ring. The Tule flag is now reserved for ceremonies.
Swastika,
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada
The town was named after the Swastika Gold Mine in 1908. There is a legend that it is named
after a Native American word for
"Good luck". During World War - II, the provincial government
sought to change the town's name to ‘Winston‘ in honour of the British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill, but the town refused, insisting that the town had
held the name long before the Nazis co-opted the Swastika symbol. Swastika
has periodically been subject to derision for retaining the name.
The Hakenkreuz : Swastika in Germany
Leaded
idol of Hissarlik (Thomas Wilson’s report, p 829). Madame Schliemann donated the
collection of her late husband to the US National Museum (now Smithsonian) in 1893.
In the 1870s Heinrich
Schliemann (1822-1890) archaeological excavator of Hissarlik (presumed to be
the site of ancient Troy) found artifacts with Swastikas near
Dardanelles (Northern Turkey) resembling those he had found near the Oder
(Odra) River in Germany and proclaimed it to be an ancient German symbol. By 1914, during the WW-I, the Wandervogel, a
militarist German youth movement, made it a national emblem, for which the Swastika was a symbol of “Aryan
identity” and German nationalist pride.
Dr.
W. Norman Brown’s “The Swastika: A Study of the Nazi
Claim of its Aryan Origin” (1933) - submitted the Nazi
claims to the tests of historical, scientific evidence. In his terse essay, Dr
Brown - a distinguished American scholar, Prof. of Sanskrit at the University
of Pennsylvania, gave a complete account of the origin of the Swastika symbol
and its use among ancient people. Dr Brown dismissed the Nazi claim of Swastika
and its Aryan origin as untenable. Asserting that it’s true home was amongst
the pre-Vedic ‘Dravidans’, a more advanced culture of India.
Steven
Heller the Art Director of New York Times, in his book “The
Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption?” (2000), writes ……….“Schliemann
presumed that the Swastika was a religious symbol of his German ancestors which linked ancient
Teutons, Homeric Greeks and Vedic India.” Heller explores the myth and cult
of Swastika lore and its use as a commercial trademark and logo, and
then speculates on the future of the symbol.
The Hakenkreuz
(Swastika in Nazi style) became a Hatred Symbol
Steven Heller says; Swastika is a tragic case.
It is a historical irony that this ancient manifestation of good luck and
fortune bears such a horrible stigma. 
But from the moment it was adopted by the
Nazis, it became a mark of hate.
In 1920, the Nazis claimed it for themselves. A
dentist Friedrich Krohn redesigned the emblem reversing its arms to make them
appear clockwise. The ‘Hakenkreuz’ flag of the NSDAP (Nationalsozialisische Deutsche Arbeitspartei)
combined the socialist red with two other colours of pre-war Germany. (Illustrated Book of Flags by Alfred Znamierowski, p.243).
It was
held that the red and white was symbolical of the commercial strength of the
nation, while the black and white represented the armed might on which that
prosperity depended. All merchant ships
were ordered to fly the tricolor (red-white-black) at the stern, and the
‘Hakenkreuz’ Flag on the signal stay or starboard signal yard. This use of two
flags on merchant ships led to an incident which has had serious diplomatic
consequences. A German liner was lying in New York harbor when a faction who
was hostile to the Nazi Party hauled down the swastika flag. The German
authorities, not unnaturally, took exception to this. It was pointed out,
however, that the insult had been aimed at the ‘Party’ Flag, and that the
National Flag had not been interfered with. Thereupon at Nuremburg on September 15th 1935, the
Reichstag unanimously decided that the Reich and the National Flag was the
‘Hakenkruez’ and also to be the Mercantile Flag. (Flags of the World by EMC
Barraclough, p.135). The
main difference between the Nazi Swastika and the ancient auspicious symbol of
various religious cultures is that the Nazi Swastika is at a slant.
The Nazis propagated a historical theory in
which the early Aryans of India were white invaders. There may also be a
connection with the Swastika's magical connections, for Hitler and other Nazi
leaders were keenly interested in the occult. “As National Socialists, we see our program in our 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.” Wrote Adolf
Hitler in Mein Kampf. (Chapter VII; The
Conflict with the Red Forces).
In 1935, the Reichstag unanimously decided that the Reich
and National flag was the ‘Hakenkreuz’
flag.
Photo Hitler’s birthday, April 20, 1933 – forty-four
swastika candles …… and one to grow. (The CANADIAN, The Toronto Star, April 30,
1977).
After the end of the WW II,
the Allied Control Commission formally banned all Nazi insignia from Germany
German American Bund marches through New York, 1939.
Flag of the German American Bund (AV) - a pre-World
War II American Nazi organization active in the United States between 1933 and 1941.
The German American Bund (Amerikadeutscher
Volksbund) was an American Nazi organization established in the 1930s. Its
main goal was to promote a favorable view/support of Nazi Germany.
An American book "Imperfect Justice",
depicting the Swiss flag overlaid with a Swastika made of gold bars has caused outrage in Switzerland.
In January 2003, a Zurich lawyer filed
criminal charges against the former US deputy treasury secretary Stuart Eizenstat, when he published a
book, entitled "Imperfect Justice: Looted Assets,
Slave Labors, and the Unfinished Business of World War II", about
the struggle of Holocaust survivors to reclaim their assets. The
Swiss government wanted publication stopped, but historians who studied
Switzerland's wartime past are divided over whether the cover accurately
represents history. Eizenatat later told the
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation that he had nothing to apologise for, since the
Swiss National Bank had processed Nazi gold during the war.
In January 2005, Prince Harry of Britain received flak world-wide when he was
photographed at a fancy-dress party in Nazi African Korps uniform complete with
a red Swastika armband just days
before Holocaust Memorial Day. The ensuing uproar forced Harry to issue an
apology to the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of
the Commonwealth.
The Falun
Gong of China also used the Indian style of the Swastika emblem. Falun Gong or Falun Dafa (literally means "Dharma
Wheel
Practice" or "Law Wheel Practice") is a spiritual discipline
first introduced in China in 1992 through public lectures by its founder, Li
Hongzhi
The Swastika on Jain Flag
In
1975, the Jain Flag featuring the
Swastika was adopted by all sects of Jainism while commemorating the 2500th anniversary
of the nirvana of Lord Mahaveera.
There is the swastika in the centre of the
flag. It represents the four states of existence of life. The three dots above
the swastika represent the Ratnatraya or
"three jewels" of Jainism: Samyak
darshan "Right Faith", Samyak
Gyan "Right Knowledge", and Samyak
Charitra "Right Conduct".
On the occasion of the 2600th Birth
Anniversary year of the 24th Jain Tirthankara Bhagwan Mahaveer, India
Post issued a stamp in 2001. This stamp depicts a unique symbol summarizing
Jain teachings of Ahimsa Paramodharma (Non- violence is the greatest virtue).
V. R.
Gandhi (1864-1901) - a delegate to the World's Parliament of
Religions in Chicago, 1893, explained what many scholars in the West
believed that there was a ‘sect of Buddhist’s named "Swastika” in
either India or Tibet. He clarified that
there was no such sects, they probably meant the Jains, because this
sect uses the Swastika as a sign of benediction and blessing.
Ananda
Marga is a global
spiritual, religious and social service organization founded in 1955. The symbol of Ananda Marga is called Pratik (emblem). The Pratik is composed of two interconnected
triangles where one points upwards and the other points downwards. This
geometrical shape is also found the Anahata
Chakra. The Pratik is a symbol
that expresses a universal ideology of self-realization and service to humanity.
The svastika - signifies personal
victory, in the sense of spiritual fulfillment and salvation. In
the center of the triangle is a rising sun, and in the core of the rising sun
is a swastika.
Appropriation of the Swastika is the subject
of a critically acclaimed recent theatrical production by Australian group Back
to Back. Ganesh Versus the Third Reich
features an ensemble cast with physical and learning disabilities, deals with
Lord Ganesha travelling to Hitler’s Germany to reclaim the Hindu symbol from
the Nazis. (backtobacktheatre.com)
Swastika ban call upsets Hindus
In 2007 Hindus in Europe joined forces to oppose German
calls for a law across the European Union banning the display of Swastika
symbols, contesting the Swastika symbolizes peace not hate. The swastika
has been around for 5000 years as a symbol of peace. This is exactly the
opposite (anti-clock wise) of how it was used by the Third Reich.
"... Just because Hitler misused the symbol, abused it and used it
to propagate a reign of terror and racism and discrimination, it does not mean
that its peaceful use should be banned." said Ramesh Kallidai of the Hindu
Forum of Britain. (Reuters, January 17, 2007).
The
greatest paradox of modern world history
Admittedly,
it was the Nazis who were otherwise great users of flags made the Swastika a
hated symbol. Sarah Boxer’s article
published in The New York Times on
07 Sept. 2000.
(Page 11, Column 1) entitled ‘A
Symbol of Hatred Pleads Not Guilty’ raised
a pertinent question: Can the swastika ever be redeemed? She delves into the origin of the Swastika,
its distortion, uses and misuses in Europe. Sarah writes; ‘Before the
Nazi party adopted the swastika and turned it into the most potent icon of
racial hatred, it traveled the world as a good luck symbol. It was known in
France, Germany, Britain, Scandinavia, China, Japan, India and the United
States. Buddha's footprints were said to be swastikas. Navajo blankets were
woven with swastikas. Synagogues in North Africa, Palestine and Hartford were
built with swastika mosaics’.
Swastika symbol in decoration in a
ancient temple in Vietnam (Nha Trang).
Conclusion
How
such an auspicious symbol came to represent the hated Nazi tyrannical
oppression and racial genocide is perhaps one of greatest paradox. While the
Western world associate the Swastika with Adolf Hitler and the nightmare of
World War II, societies practicing
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and believer of many other sects - see it differently - as an auspicious sign
of good fortune to be precise – a symbol - representing aspects of their
faith. They've been doing this from time immemorial - in temples, idols,
rituals, decorations, and on artifacts, coins and flags.
The fact that an ignominious fanatic placed a
swastika on his battle flag is insufficient reason for ignoring this symbol’s
historic significance. Wrote Henry
Dreyfuss in Symbol Sourcebook: An
Authentic Guide to International Graphic Symbols (John Wiley & Sons,
1997)
Thus,
we may conclude by saying - next time you visit a temple or a religious congregation
in Southeast Asia, don't be surprised when you see the place festooned with
Swastikas ! These are and will remain Swastikas of good fortune.
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The
logo of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, adopted from the famous Badami
ceiling, is a solar symbol representing light and movement and the
interpenetration of autonomous units. It shows four Svastikas intertwined
together. The symbol represents the cyclic path of time and seasons which
reflects germination, growth and decay. http://ignca.nic.in/
This swastika pattern from the famous Badami ceiling. 
Logo of Visva Bharati University,
Sanitiniketan, West Bengal. The logo was created by Nandalal Bose.
