The Swastika, a Brief History

A Symbol of Peace and Religion

Oct 13, 2009

The Swastika, at first thought, represents the terror of the Third Reich, but it has been used as a religious symbol for millennia

BBC news has reported on a number occasions the opposition of Hindu groups to the E.U. plan to ban the swastika because of its association with Nazi Germany. The swastika became the symbol of hate and fear when it was adopted as the flag for Hitler's Third Reich, but it has been used a religious symbol for centuries.

The swastika comes from the Sanskrit word svastika, which means any lucky or auspicious object, is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at tight angles to the right and the left. It is an irregular iscosagon or 20-sided polygon.

The swastika symbol has appeared on artefacts dating back to the Persians, Hittites, Celts and Greeks with the earliest archaeological record of the symbol dating back to Neolithic artefacts from 5,000 BC. The symbol has been discovered on pottery unearthed in Sintashta, Russia as well as on Indus Valley Seals found at Iothal and Harrappa, India and has also been found on designs drawn by the Scythians and Sarmatians.

The Swastika as a Religious Symbol

For many, the swastika is regarded as a religious symbol. For example, in Hinduism the swastika represents 2 forms of the creator god, Brahma. If the swastika faces to the right it represents the evolution of the universe, if it faces to the left it represents the involution of the universe. To the Hindu, the swastika symbol is regarded as very holy and auspicious. It is used in Hindu yantras which are geometrical and religious designs.

Buddhism, which originated in India during the 5th Century BC, uses the symbol of the swastika as a yungdrung or a representation of eternity. Up until the 20th Century, the swastika was regarded as a highly auspicious on talisman evoking thoughts of reverence, serenity and good fortune. Images of the Buddha a swastika is seen depicted on his chest and is known as 'The Seal on Buddha's Heart'. Unfortunately, many artists no longer incorporate the symbol in their artistry because of the continued association with Nazi Germany.

Jainism is an ancient religion which originated in India. Its followers practice non violence to all living things. In Jainism the swastika is the 7th Jina (or saint) the Tirthankara Suparshva. It is considered to be 1 of the 24 auspicious marks and the emblem of the 7th Arhat of the present age. All Jain temples and holy books must contain images of the swastika and many ceremonies start and end with creating the swastika in rice around the alter.

In Christianity, the swastika is regarded as a hooked version of the cross symbolising Christ's victory over death. A swastika symbol appears on vestments worn by the effigy of the Bishop William Edington (d 1366) which in lies in Winchester Cathedral.

The Swastika in Art and Culture

The swastika is a very common symbol in Baltic art. It is know as ugunskrusts (the fire cross) when rotating counter clockwise and perkonkrusts (the thunder cross) when rotating clockwise and was, mainly associated with the god of thunder Perkoss.

It is also depicted on Celtic designs. A bronze front piece of a shield dating 350-50 BC was discovered in the River Thames near Battersea Bridge and is embossed with 27 swastikas in bronze and red enamel. The Battersea Shield, as it is now called is on display in the British Museum.

The swastika was widely used by Native Americans, especially the Navajo and Hopi tribes. The Navajo regarded the symbol as a whirling log, a sacred image representinga legend used in healing rituals. Although since its association with Nazism, the Navajo no longer use the image. To the Hopi, the swastika represents the wandering Hopi clan and spiritual migration.

The Swastika and Nazi Germany

In 1925 Hitler wrote in Mein Kamp "I myself, meanwhile, after innumerable attempts had laid down a final form, a flag with a red background, a white disk and a black swastika in the middle. After long trials I also found a definite proportion between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika."

On September 15, 1935 the swastika was adopted as the sole national flag of Nazi Germany.

Because of the association with Nazism many organisations and groups have dropped the use of this ancient symbol. It was removed from Robert Baden-Powell's medal of merit which was awarded to scouts in the 1930's following complaints. Rudyard Kipling, who was strongly influenced by Indian culture in his writing such as his novel entitled Kim, had a swastika printed on the dust jacket of all his novels. However with the rise of Nazism this was considered no longer appropriate.

The attempt to ban the swastika by the European Union in 2005 failed after objection from some member states following lobbying by Hindu groups. They also successfully challenged a German proposal to ban the Swastika in In spite of its association with terror and atrocity in the 20th Century, there are many groups that are trying to disassociate the symbol from this image and reposition it as an ancient symbol of peace

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