A Brief History of the Swastika

If there is one symbol universally accepted across the West as a symbol of hate, it is the swastika. However, as many of you may already know, this emblem has a rich history, used in nearly every major culture prior to the Third Reich. Once I had learned of the Nazi’s distortion and mutation of this symbol’s connotation (a while ago, for your information), I was furious. It was entirely unfair that millennia worth of credibility and respect for the swastika was instantly vanquished. The destruction of this symbol by the Nazis may, in fact, be one of the longest-lasting legacies of the Nazi movement, because who knows how long it will take for its original meaning to be restored?

Etymology

The name “swastika” has its roots in the Sanskrit word svastika which refers to a lucky object of sorts. In addition, Wikipedia states that the Proto-Indo-European root svasti means “well-being” or “good,” and that colloquially “swastika” can be translated as “lucky charm.” This makes it a natural choice for any organization (and has been used in logos for several), and the Nazi Party was no exception. The blue swastika you see to the right is the emblem of Lotta Svärd> a Finnish women’s organization formed around the turn of the 20th century at the beginning of the Finnish Civil War. Finland has used the swastika extensively, especially in their Air Force, where it featured until 1945, at which point the connotation of the symbol forced them to change it to a plain blue circle.

Cultural Evolution

Ultimately, the origin of the swastika can be traced back to the East during the Neolithic period, where it was and still is considered a sacred symbol for almost all Eastern religions. For Hindus, it stands for Brahma, the creator, and represents the evolution (and involution!) of the universe. For Buddhists, it represents both eternity and Dharma. The swastika is used very frequently in Jainism and appears on every temple and holy book, and most religious ceremonies start and finish with the creation of a rice swastika. Because of its historic use, the swastika is ubiquitous in southeast Asia.

Most people know some of this. Most people realize that the swastika is still used in Asian cultures, and most people realize that it was also used by the German Nazi Party. However, the swastika’s penetration into old culture goes much further than this. The symbol has been found in the art of the Ancient Greeks, the Danish, the Celtics, the Slavs. And it’s not completely unbelievable — the shape is so simple and so placid that I’m surprised it wasn’t used even more — why wasn’t this symbol embraced by the West? Why do we see it in the history of the Greeks, the Slavs, the Buddhists, the Japanese, but not the British, the French, the Americans, or the Canadians?

The answer: You’re wrong, and those were trick questions. It was embraced by the West! It only took us until the 20th century to realize its use. For a complete rundown of how the West used the swastika before World War II, check out this Wikipedia article. The symbol was used plenty before the Nazis got a hold of it — especially among WWI aviators as a token of good luck — and can still be found built into numerous historic buildings, including the infamous U.S. Naval base we’ve all seen.

Many symbols have been formed and transformed over the course of human history — the peace sign, hand gestures, the star, the skull, the sword — and many words have gradually lost historic definitions and connotations over time (look in any dictionary for a definition with the word “archaic” next to it), but none, to my knowledge, have been transformed as quickly as the swastika. The Nazis took this double cross, put it in a white disk on a red background, and killed whatever intrinsic good was stored inside.

But alas, not all hope is lost, and I believe ultimately we can restore the original meaning of the swastika. After all, it is used contemporarily in at least half the world, and even in the West it bears significance to obscure religions like Theosophism, Ananda Marga, and Raelism, which shares some of my beliefs towards the swastika (primarily that its historical meaning should be brought back into use). But a task such as this has to be done very carefully, as there are many ignorant people who still associate this symbol with hate (and, no doubt, they have a reason).

I wish for a society of open-minded people who don’t mind disregarding a mere war’s worth of evil connotation for several millennia of good-natured, righteous, spiritual use of the swastika. Personally, I think the swastika is, frankly, a really cool-looking symbol. It’s symmetry and simplicity makes it perfect for use in architecture and all other kinds of art, and, put quite simply, it’s extremely frustrating to have such a universal symbol so restricted. I want to be able to use this symbol, and the only thing stopping me is the Nazis. Just imagine — what if Hitler had chosen the heart? Or the Greek letter pi? Would we choose a different symbol for circular calculations? Would, if he had chosen the heart, have shirts that say “I 卐 NY?”

Since it is illegal in tons of places, try displaying this symbol privately. Tell your guests its story. Let them know it’s alright and make sure party invitations clearly state you’re not a Nazi.

Dear readers, I’m not done here. The swastika and its misuse has deeply influenced me to figure out why, how, and if this can be reversed. Expect more information, more analysis. This symbol is far too revered and far too meaningful culturally and historically to let die. We didn’t say “Ok, Nazis, that’s alright,” when they were killing people, and I don’t think we should let them kill such a pervasive and important symbol such as the swastika either.

Image Descriptions: The red swastika a few paragraphs up is the Boreyko Coat of Arms as used by the Slavs.