The swastika (from Sanskrit svástika स्वस्तिक ) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing (卐) form or its mirrored left-facing (卍) form. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical In Geometry, an equilateral polygon is a Polygon which has all sides of the same length A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half In Geometry and Trigonometry, an angle (in full plane angle) is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common Endpoint, called The swastika can also be drawn as a traditional swastika, but with a second 90° bend in each arm.

Archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates from the Neolithic period. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos An ancient symbol, it occurs mainly in the cultures that are in modern day India and the surrounding area, sometimes as a geometrical motif and sometimes as a religious symbol. It was long widely used in major world religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India.

The swastika was the essential symbol of Nazism and the German Third Reich. The flag of Germany is a Tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: Black, Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Though once commonly used over much of the world without stigma the symbol is no longer in general use in the Western world, because of its identification with Nazism. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German

Contents 1 Etymology and alternative names 2 History 2.1 Origin hypotheses 2.2 Archaeological record 2.3 Historical use 2.4 Reintroduction of the swastika in the West 3 Geometry and symbolism 4 Art and architecture 5 Religion and mythology 5.1 Hinduism 5.2 Buddhism 5.3 Jainism 5.4 Abrahamic religions 5.5 Other Asian traditions 5.6 Native American traditions 5.7 Pre-Christian Europe 5.7.1 Baltic 5.7.2 Celtic 5.7.3 Finnic 5.7.4 Germanic 5.7.5 Sami 5.7.6 Slavic 6 As the symbol of Nazism 7 Use in Western countries 7.1 Brazil 7.2 Belgium 7.3 European Union 7.4 Germany 7.5 United States 7.6 Satirical use 7.7 Controversy over Asian products 8 Contemporary usage 8.1 Finland 8.2 India, Nepal and Sri Lanka 8.3 Tajikistan 8.4 Canada 8.5 New religious movements 8.5.1 Theosophical Society 8.5.2 Raëlian Movement 8.5.3 Ananda Marga 8.5.4 Neopaganism 9 Image Gallery 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 External links

Etymology and alternative names

The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit svastik (in Devanagari, स्वस्तिक), meaning any lucky or auspicious object, and in particular a mark made on persons and things to denote good luck. It is composed of su- (cognate with Greek ευ-, eu-), meaning "good, well" and asti, a verbal abstract to the root as "to be" (cognate with the Romance copula, coming ultimately from the Proto-Indo European root *h₁es-); svasti thus means "well-being. Eu- (Greek εὖ- the combining form of the adjective ευς "good" is a prefix meaning "good well" Cognates in Linguistics are words that have a common origin They may occur within a language such as shirt and skirt as two English words descended from The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c The Copula or copulae (the verb or verbs meaning "to be" in all Romance languages derive mostly from the Latin verbs SVM and " The suffix -ka intensifies the verbal meaning or confers the sense of 'beneficial', and svastika might thus be translated literally as "that which is associated with well-being," corresponding to "lucky charm" or "thing that is auspicious. "^[1] The word first appears in the Classical Sanskrit (in the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics). The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki

The Sanskrit term has been in use in English since 1871, replacing gammadion (from Greek γαμμάδιον). The gammadion, or rather the tetra-gammadion, is an ancient symbol also known as Swastika. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c

Alternative historical English spellings of the Sanskrit word include suastika, swastica and svastica. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Alternative names for the shape are:

• crooked cross
• cross cramponned, ~nnée, or ~nny (in heraldry), as each arm resembles a crampon or angle-iron (German: Winkelmaßkreuz)
• ugunskrusts (fire cross), also pērkonkrusts (thundercross), kāškrusts (hook-cross), Laimas krusts (Laima's cross), fylfot, is a central element in jewelry, national clothes in Latvian, Lithuanian, Old-Prussian culture, symbolizing as a element of life. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. Crampons are outdoor footwear that are made from spikes and are worn on boots to provide traction on snow and Ice. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Laima (also Laime, Laimas māte in Latvian) was the personification of fate and of Luck in Latvian and Lithuanian It is used in a Latvian Seven-Day Ring. The ring is with 7 symbols, each representing a day of the week, where fire-cross being as a symbol for Thursday, and it's motto being: "Domā un rīkojies krietni" (Think and do honorable actions. Thursday is the fourth day of the week in most western countries and the fourth day of the week in the Judeo-Christian Calendar, falling between Wednesday )
• double cross, by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, on the April 6, 1941 edition of his radio program The Catholic Hour, not only comparing the Cross of Christ with the swastika, but also implying that siding with fascism was a "double-crossing" of Christianity
• fylfot, possibly meaning "four feet", chiefly in heraldry and architecture (See fylfot for a discussion of the etymology)
• gammadion, tetragammadion (Greek: τέτραγαμμάδιον), or cross gammadion (Latin: crux gammata; Old French: croix gammée), as each arm resembles the Greek letter Γ (gamma)
• hook cross (German: Hakenkreuz);
• sun wheel, a name also used as a synonym for the sun cross
• tetraskelion (Greek: τετρασκέλιον), "four legged", especially when composed of four conjoined legs (compare triskelion (Greek: τρισκέλιον))
• Thor's hammer, from its supposed association with Thor, the Norse god of the weather, but this may be a misappropriation of a name that properly belongs to a Y-shaped or T-shaped symbol^[2]. Servant of God Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American Archbishop Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Double cross is a phrase meaning to betray Origin The phrase originates from the use of the word cross in the sense of Foul play; deliberate collusion The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Fylfot or fylfot cross is a Synonym for Swastika, sometimes used in Britain. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium The Greek alphabet (Ελληνικό αλφάβητο is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early Gamma (uppercase &Gamma, lowercase γ Γάμμα is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. The sun cross, a Cross inside a Circle, is one of the oldest and most widespread of symbols The sun cross, a Cross inside a Circle, is one of the oldest and most widespread of symbols A triskelion or triskele (both from the Greek gr ''τρισκέλιον'' or grc ''τρισκελής'' for "three-legged" is a Symbol Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always The swastika shape appears in Icelandic grimoires wherein it is named Þórshamar. A grimoire (grɪˈmwɑr is a textbook of magic. Books of this genre typically giving instructions for invoking Angels or Demons performing
• The Tibetan swastika is known as nor bu bzhi -khyil, or quadruple body symbol, defined in Unicode at codepoint U+0FCC ࿌.

History

The motif seems to have first been used in Neolithic India (currently Pakistan). The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The symbol has an ancient history in Europe, appearing on artifacts from pre-Christian European cultures. In antiquity, the swastika was used extensively by the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Hittites, Celts and Greeks, among others. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions In particular, the swastika is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Mithraism, religions with a total of more than a billion adherents worldwide, making the swastika ubiquitous in both historical and contemporary society. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. The Mithraic Mysteries or Mysteries of Mithras (also Mithraism) was a Roman mystery religion which became popular among the military in the late The symbol was introduced to Southeast Asia by Hindu kings and remains an integral part of Balinese Hinduism to this day, and it is a common sight in Indonesia. Hinduism in Indonesia, also known by its formal Indonesian name Agama Hindu Dharma, refers to Hinduism as practised in Indonesia. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. It is also used by several Native American cultures. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States.

In the Western world, the symbol experienced a resurgence following the archaeological work in the late 19th century of Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered the symbol in the site of ancient Troy and associated it with the ancient migrations of Proto-Indo-Europeans. Heinrich Schliemann (ˈʃliːman ( January 6 1822 in Neubukow Mecklenburg-Schwerin - December 26 1890, Naples) was a German Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or The Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE were the speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language, who likely lived around 4000 BC, during the Copper Age and the He connected it with similar shapes found on ancient pots in Germany, and theorized that the swastika was a "significant religious symbol of our remote ancestors", linking Germanic, Greek and Indo-Iranian cultures. ^[3][4] By the early 20th century, it was widely used worldwide and was regarded as a symbol of good luck and success.

The work of Schliemann soon became intertwined with the völkisch movements, for which the swastika was a symbol of "Aryan" identity, a concept that came to be equated by theorists such as Alfred Rosenberg with a Nordic master race originating in northern Europe. The völkisch movement is the German interpretation of the populist movement with a romantic focus on Folklore and the "organic" (12 January 1893 16 October 1946 was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. The Nordic race was one of the racial categories into which the Europeans were divided by anthropologists in the first half of the twentieth century The master race ( German: die Herrenrasse) is a concept in Nazi Ideology, which holds that the Germanic and Nordic Since its adoption by the Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler, the swastika has been associated with Nazism, fascism, racism (white supremacy), the Axis powers in World War II, and the Holocaust in much of the West. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that White supremacy is a racist ideology based on the assertion that White people are superior to other racial groups. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as The swastika remains a core symbol of Neo-Nazi groups, and is used regularly by activist groups to signify their opinion of supposed Nazi-like behavior of organizations and individuals they oppose. The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change

Origin hypotheses

Main article: Swastika origin theories

The ubiquity of the swastika symbol is easily explained by its being a very simple shape that will arise independently in any basket-weaving society. The earliest archaeological evidence of a Swastika -motif dates from the Upper Paleolithic period (ca Basket weaving (also basketry, basket making, or basketmaking) is the process of Weaving unspun Vegetable Fibers into The swastika is a repeating design, created by the edges of the reeds in a square basket-weave. Other theories attempt to establish a connection via cultural diffusion or an explanation along the lines of Carl Jung's collective unconscious. Cultural diffusion, as first conceptualized by Alfred L Kroeber in his influential 1940 paper Stimulus Diffusion, or trans-cultural diffusion in later reformulations Collective Unconscious or known to laymen as Collective Subconscious is a term of Analytical psychology, Coined by Carl Jung.

The swastika may have been transferred to North America by an early seafaring civilization in Eurasia, but it is considered more likely that its use in the Americas arose independently.

The genesis of the swastika symbol is often treated in conjunction with cross symbols in general, such as the "sun wheel" of Bronze Age religion. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half The sun cross, a Cross inside a Circle, is one of the oldest and most widespread of symbols Prehistoric religion is a general term for the religious beliefs and practices of prehistoric peoples

Another explanation is suggested by Carl Sagan in his book Comet. Carl Edward Sagan ( November 9 1934 &ndash December 20 1996) was an American Astronomer, astrochemist, author Sagan reproduces an ancient Chinese manuscript (the Book of Silk) that shows comet tail varieties: most are variations on simple comet tails, but the last shows the comet nucleus with four bent arms extending from it, recalling a swastika. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Book of Silk is an ancient Astronomy book made by Chinese astronomers around 400 BCE and found in the Mawangdui tomb of China in 1973 Sagan suggests that in antiquity a comet could have approached so close to Earth that the jets of gas streaming from it, bent by the comet's rotation, became visible, leading to the adoption of the swastika as a symbol yiğit across the world. A comet is a small Solar System body that orbits the Sun and when close enough to the Sun exhibits a visible coma (atmosphere or a tail — ^[5]

Archaeological record

The earliest consistent use of swastika motifs in the archaeological record date to the Neolithic, though an isolated late Paleolithic artefact containing the shape exists. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" The symbol was found on a number of shards in the Khuzestan province of Iran and as part of the "Vinca script" of Neolithic Europe of the 5th millennium BC. Khūzestān (خوزستان is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Vinča signs, also known as the Vinča alphabet Vinča-Turdaş script or Old European script, are a set of symbols found on prehistoric artifacts Neolithic Europe is the time between roughly from 7000 BC (the approximate time of the first farming societies in Greece) to ca In the Early Bronze Age, it appears on pottery found in Sintashta, Russia. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The Sintashta fortified settlement in the southern Urals is dated to ca

Swastika-like symbols also appear in Bronze and Iron Age designs of the northern Caucasus (Koban culture), and Azerbaijan, as well as of Scythians and Sarmatians [2]. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East The Koban culture (ca 1100 to 400 BC is a late Bronze Age and Iron Age culture of the northern and central Caucasus. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic The Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae ( Old Iranian Sarumatah 'archer' Σαρμάτες In all these cultures, the swastika symbol does not appear to occupy any marked position or significance, but appears as just one form of a series of similar symbols of varying complexity. While this sign has been found in many cultures it is referred to as Swastika only in Sanskrit and related languages.

Historical use

The symbol rose to importance in Buddhism in the Mauryan Empire and in Hinduism with the Decline of Buddhism in India in the Gupta period India. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The Decline of Buddhism in India, in the land of its birth occurred for a variety of reasons and happened even as it continued to flourish beyond the frontiers of India The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C

With the spread of Buddhism, the Buddhist swastika reached Tibet and China. The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to China started in the 1st century CE with a semi-legendary or quasi-historical account of an embassy sent to the West by the The use of the swastika by the indigenous Bön faith of Tibet, as well as syncretic religions, such as Cao Dai of Vietnam and Falun Gong of China, is thought to be borrowed from Buddhism as well. Bön ( is the oldest spiritual tradition of Tibet. Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, has recognized the Bön tradition as the fifth principal spiritual Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought Cao Đài ( Vietnamese:) is a relatively new syncretist, Monotheistic Religion, officially established in Tây Ninh, Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Falun Gong ( or Falun Dafa is a spiritual practice founded in China by Li Hongzhi （李洪志） in 1992

Reintroduction of the swastika in the West

Main article: Western use of the Swastika in the early 20th century

The discovery of the Indo-European language group in the 1790s led to a great effort by archaeologists to link the pre-history of European people to the ancient "Aryans" (variously referring to the Indo-Iranians or the Proto-Indo-Europeans). Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit " Ārya " meaning "noble" or "honorable" Indo-Iranian peoples consist of the Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dardic and Nuristani peoples that is speakers of Indo-Iranian languages The Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE were the speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language, who likely lived around 4000 BC, during the Copper Age and the Following his discovery of objects bearing the swastika in the ruins of Troy, Heinrich Schliemann consulted two leading Sanskrit scholars of the day, Emile Burnouf and Max Müller. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or Heinrich Schliemann (ˈʃliːman ( January 6 1822 in Neubukow Mecklenburg-Schwerin - December 26 1890, Naples) was a German Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Émile-Louis Burnouf (1821-1907 was a leading nineteenth-century Orientalist and Racialist whose ideas influenced the development of Theosophy For the Danish Colonel Max Müller see Second War of Schleswig. Schliemann concluded that the Swastika was a specifically Indo-European symbol. Later discoveries of the motif among the remains of the Hittites and of ancient Iran seemed to confirm this theory. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. This idea was taken up by many other writers, and the swastika quickly became popular in the West, appearing in many designs from the 1880s to the 1920s.

These discoveries, and the new popularity of the swastika symbol, led to a widespread desire to ascribe symbolic significance to every example of the motif. In many European countries, examples of identical shapes in ancient European artifacts and in folk art were interpreted as emblems of good-luck linked to the Indo-Iranian meaning.

Western use of the motif, along with the religious and cultural meanings attached to it, was subverted in the early 20th century after it was adopted as the emblem of the Nazi Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei). The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 This association occurred because Nazism stated that the historical Aryans were the forefathers of modern Germans and then proposed that, because of this, the subjugation of the world by Germany was desirable, and even predestined. Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit " Ārya " meaning "noble" or "honorable" The swastika was used as a conveniently-geometrical and eye-catching symbol to emphasize the so-called Aryan-German correspondence and instill racial pride. It was also adopted by some German militants in the March 1920 Kapp Putsch. The Kapp Putsch — or more accurately the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch — was a 1920 coup attempt during the German revolution aimed at overthrowing the

The swastikas on the Order of the White Rose designed in 1918 by Akseli Gallen-Kallela remained in use until 1963. The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Akseli Gallen-Kallela ( April 26 1865 &ndash March 7 1931)was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations

Geometry and symbolism

Geometrically, the swastika can be regarded as an irregular icosagon or 20-sided polygon. Geometry ( Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth metria = measure is a part of Mathematics concerned with questions of size shape and relative position In Geometry a polygon (ˈpɒlɨɡɒn ˈpɒliɡɒn is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path or circuit The arms are of varying width and are often rectilinear (but need not be). However, the proportions of the Nazi swastika were fixed: they were based on a 5x5 grid. ^[6]

Characteristic is the 90° rotational symmetry (that is, the symmetry of the cyclic group C_4h) and chirality, hence the absence of reflectional symmetry, and the existence of two versions that are each other's mirror image. Generally speaking an object with rotational symmetry is an object that looks the same after a certain amount of Rotation. In Group theory, a cyclic group or monogenous group is a group that can be generated by a single element in the sense that the group has an In Geometry, a figure is chiral (and said to have chirality) if it is not identical to its Mirror image, or more particularly if it cannot be mapped to Symmetry generally conveys two primary meanings The first is an imprecise sense of harmonious or aesthetically-pleasing proportionality and balance such that it reflects beauty or "Mirror Image" is an episode of the Television series The Twilight Zone.

The mirror-image forms are often described as:

• left-facing and, as depicted across, right-facing;
• left-hand and right-hand;
• clockwise and counterclockwise. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds 'like the Clock 's hands' from the top to the right then down and then to the left and back to the top

"Left-facing" and "right-facing" are used mostly consistently. In an upright swastika, the upper arm faces either the viewer's left (卍) or right (卐). The other two descriptions are ambiguous as it is unclear whether they refer to the direction of the bend in each arm or to the implied rotation of the symbol. If the latter, whether the arms lead or trail remains unclear. However, "clockwise" usually refers to the "right-facing" swastika. The terms are used inconsistently (sometimes even by the same writer), which is confusing and may obfuscate an important point, that the rotation of the swastika may have symbolic relevance, although little is known about this symbolic relevance.

Nazi ensigns had a through and through image, so each version was present on one side, but the Nazi flag on land was right-facing on both sides and generally at a 45° rotation ([3], at the bottom). An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office Through and through describes a situation where an object real or imaginary passes completely through another object also real or imaginary The flag of Germany is a Tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: Black,

Seen as a cross, the four lines emanate from the center to the four cardinal directions. The most common association is with the Sun. Other proposed correspondences are to the visible rotation of the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere around the pole star. Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' A pole star is a visible star especially a prominent one that is approximately aligned with the Earth 's Axis of rotation; that is a star whose apparent position

The name "sauwastika" is sometimes given to the left-facing form of the swastika (卍), based on D'Alviella (1894),^[7] though the term is merely an alternate spelling of swastika. The term sauwastika or sauvastika is a term sometimes used to distinguish the "left-facing" from the "right-facing" form of the Indians of all faiths sometimes use the symbol in both orientations, mostly for symmetry. Buddhists outside India generally use the left-facing swastika rather than the right-facing swastika, although both can be used. Claims to the effect that the left-facing swastika has inauspicious or "evil" connotations are without substance, most likely based on the stigma of left handedness. In particular, the left-facing swastika is often carved in a see-through lattice in entrance doors of Buddhist temples in China. When exiting the temple, one sees the reverse side of this lattice on the same door, which looks like a right-facing swastika.

Art and architecture

The swastika is common as a design motif in current Hindu architecture and Indian artwork as well as in ancient Western architecture, frequently appearing in mosaics, friezes, and other works across the ancient world. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic In Architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an Entablature and may be plain or &ndash in the Ionic or Corinthian order &ndash "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. Ancient Greek architectural, clothing and coin designs[4] are replete with single or interlinking swastika motifs. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Related symbols in classical Western architecture include the cross, the three-legged triskele or triskelion and the rounded lauburu. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half A triskelion or triskele (both from the Greek gr ''τρισκέλιον'' or grc ''τρισκελής'' for "three-legged" is a Symbol The lauburu or Basque cross has four comma -shaped heads similar to the Japanese Tomoe. The swastika symbol is also known in these contexts by a number of names, especially gammadion. The gammadion, or rather the tetra-gammadion, is an ancient symbol also known as Swastika.

In Chinese, Korean, and Japanese art, the swastika is often found as part of a repeating pattern. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. One common pattern, called sayagata in Japanese, comprises left and right facing swastikas joined by lines. ^[8] As the negative space between the lines has a distinctive shape, the sayagata pattern is sometimes called the "key fret" motif in English.

The swastika symbol was found extensively in the ruins of the ancient city of Troy and can also be found in some of the mosaics in the ruins of Pompeii. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania, in

In Greco-Roman art and architecture, and in Romanesque and Gothic art in the West, isolated swastikas are relatively rare, and the swastika is more commonly found as a repeated element in a border or tessellation. The art of ancient Greece has exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries from ancient times until the present particularly in the areas of Sculpture Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which This article is about Gothic art See also Gothic architecture Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that lasted about 200 The swastika often represented perpetual motion, reflecting the design of a rotating windmill or watermill. A meander of connected swastikas makes up the large band that surrounds the Augustan Ara Pacis. The Ara Pacis Augustae ( Latin, "Altar of Augustan Peace" commonly shortened to Ara Pacis) is an Altar to Peace A design of interlocking swastikas is one of several tessellations on the floor of the cathedral of Amiens, France. A tessellation or tiling of the plane is a collection of Plane figures that fills the plane with no overlaps and no gaps Amiens (amjɛ̃ is a city and commune in northern France, 120 km north of Paris. ^[9] A border of linked swastikas was a common Roman architectural motif,^[10] and can be seen in more recent buildings as a neoclassical element. A swastika border is one form of meander, and the individual swastikas in such a border are sometimes called Greek keys. In Art and Architecture, a meander is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line shaped into a repeated motif In Art and Architecture, a meander is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line shaped into a repeated motif ^[11]

Swastikas have also been found on pottery in archaeological digs in the area of ancient Kush. Kush civilization centered in the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile, and the confluence of the River Atbara and Nile in what Swastikas were found on pottery at the Gebel Barkal temples as well as in digs corresponding to the later X-Group peoples. ^[12]

Ceramic tiles with a swastika design have appeared in many parts of the world including the United States in the early 20th century. The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός ( keramikos) The tiles typically are, however, a minor decorative element. Some of the pre-World War II swastikas have become controversial after Jewish groups demanded they be removed. A number of the buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or as Unesco World Heritage sites, and are considered worthy of historical preservation. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex See Western use of the Swastika in the early 20th century for specific examples. Swastika ( Gammadion, " Fylfot " Symbol became a popular symbol of luck in the Western world in the early 20th century

The Primate's Palace in Bratislava has security grills on the ground floor that incorporate swastikas in their design. The Primate's Palace (Primaciálny palác prímási palota is a neo-Classical palace in Bratislava 's Old Town. ARTICLE TEXT BEGINS AFTER THESE COMMENTS - PLEASE READ 1 Please do not edit the lead without reading (See Image of the Primate's Palace)

Religion and mythology

Hinduism

In Hinduism, the two symbols represent the two forms of the creator god Brahma: facing right it represents the evolution of the universe (Pravritti), facing left it represents the involution of the universe (Nivritti). Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Universal evolution is a theory of Evolution formulated by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Julian Huxley that describes the gradual development of the Universe The term involution refers to different things depending on the writer It is also seen as pointing in all four directions (north, east, south and west) and thus signifies stability and groundedness. Its use as a sun symbol can first be seen in its representation of the god Surya. In Hinduism, Surya ( Devanagari: सूर्य sūrya, lit "the Supreme Light" Malay: Suria; Thai: The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus, and is regularly used to decorate items related to Hindu culture. It is used in all Hindu yantras and religious designs. Yantra are 'instruments' or more simply 'symbols' usually used to focus the mind Throughout the subcontinent of India, it can be seen on the sides of temples, religious scriptures, gift items, and letterheads. The Hindu god Ganesh is often shown sitting on a lotus flower on a bed of swastikas. Ganesha ( Sanskrit: sa गणेश Gaṇeśa) also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar

The swastika is found all over Hindu temples, signs, altars, pictures and iconography where it is sacred. It is used in Hindu weddings, festivals, ceremonies, houses and doorways, clothing and jewelry, motor transport and even decorations on food items such as cakes and pastries. Among the Hindus of Bengal, it is common to see the name "swastika" (Bengali: স্বস্তিক sbastik) applied to a slightly different symbol, which has the same significance as the common swastika, and both symbols are used as auspicious signs. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang This symbol looks something like a stick figure of a human being. ^[13] "Swastika" (স্বস্তিক Sbastik) is a common given name amongst Bengalis^[14] and a prominent literary magazine in Kolkata (Calcutta) is called the Swastika. The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between Bangladesh and India) on the Indian subcontinent with a history dating

The Aum symbol is also sacred in Hinduism. Aum (also Om) ॐ is a mystical or sacred Syllable in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions While Aum is representative of a single primordial tone of creation, the Swastika is a pure geometrical mark and has no syllabic tone associated with it. The Swastika is one of the 108 symbols of Lord Vishnu and represents the sun's rays, without which there would be no life. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific

Buddhism

The symbol as it is used in Buddhist art and scripture is known in Japanese as a manji (literally, "the character for eternality" 萬字), and represents Dharma, universal harmony, and the balance of opposites. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious When facing left, it is the omote (front) manji, representing love and mercy. Facing right, it represents strength and intelligence, and is called the ura (rear) manji. Balanced manji are often found at the beginning and end of Buddhist scriptures (outside India).

Buddhism originated in the Indian subcontinent in the 5th century BC and inherited the manji. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices These two symbols are included, at least since the Liao Dynasty, as part of the Chinese language, the symbolic sign for the character 萬 or 万 (wàn in Chinese, man in Korean/Japanese, vạn in Vietnamese) meaning "all" or "eternality" (lit. The Liao Dynasty ( 907 - 1125, also known as the Khitan Empire (契丹國 was an empire in northern China that ruled over the regions of Manchuria myriad) and as 卐, which is seldom used. Myriad is a classical Greek name for the Number 104 = 10000. In modern English the word refers to an unspecified large quantity A manji marks the beginning of many Buddhist scriptures. The manji (in either orientation) appears on the chest of some statues of Gautama Buddha and is often incised on the soles of the feet of the Buddha in statuary. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Because of the association of the right-facing swastika with Nazism, Buddhist manji (outside India only) after the mid-20th century are almost universally left-facing: 卍. This form of the manji is often found on Chinese food packaging to signify that the product is vegetarian and can be consumed by strict Buddhists. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea It is often sewn into the collars of Chinese children's clothing to protect them from evil spirits.

In 1922, the Chinese Syncretist movement Daoyuan founded the philanthropic association Red Swastika Society in imitation of the Red Cross. Daoyuan (Chinese 道院 meaning in English Sanctuary of the Tao) is a religious group that is one of the Way of Former Heaven ( Hsien-t'ien Tao) sects The Red Swastika Society ( is a voluntary association founded in China in 1922 by Qian Neng-kun (錢能訓 Du Bing-yin (杜秉寅 and Li Jia-bo (李佳白 as the philanthropic The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated The association was very active in China during the 1920s and the 1930s.

Jainism

Jainism gives even more prominence to the swastika than does Hinduism. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. It is a symbol of the seventh Jina (Saint), the Tirthankara Suparsva. In Jainism, a Tirthankar (" Fordmaker " (also Tirthankara or Jina) is a Human being who achieves enlightenment (perfect In the Svetambar Jain tradition, it is also one of the symbols of the ashta-mangalas. The Svetambara (श्वेतांबर श्वेतपट also spelled Svetambar, Shvetambara, Shvetabmbar or Swetambar) is one of Ashtamangala are a Sacred suite of Eight Auspicious Signs endemic to a number of Indian religions. It is considered to be one of the 24 auspicious marks and the emblem of the seventh arhat of the present age. In the sramanic traditions of ancient India (most notably those of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha) arhat ( Sanskrit) or arahant All Jain temples and holy books must contain the swastika and ceremonies typically begin and end with creating a swastika mark several times with rice around the altar.

Jains use rice to make a swastika (also known as "Sathiyo" in the state of Gujarat, India) in front of idols in a temple. Jains then put an offering on this swastika, usually a ripe or dried fruit, a sweet (mithai), or a coin or currency note. In 2001, India issued a 100-rupee coin to commemorate the 2600^th anniversary of the birth of Mahavir, the 24^th and last Jainist Tirthankara; the design includes a swastika. The rupee (रुपया ( code: INR) is the Currency of India. Mahavira (महावीर lit Great Hero) (599 – 527 BCE is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana ( Sanskrit: वर्धमान In Jainism, a Tirthankar (" Fordmaker " (also Tirthankara or Jina) is a Human being who achieves enlightenment (perfect ^[15]

Abrahamic religions

The swastika was not widely utilized by followers of the Abrahamic religions. Where it does exist, it is not always portrayed as an explicitly religious symbol, and is often purely decorative or, at most, a symbol of good luck. One example of scattered use is the floor of the synagogue at Ein Gedi, built during the Roman occupation of Judea, which was decorated with a swastika. Ein Gedi (עין גדי lit Kid Spring (as in young goat KJV Bible Engedi) is an Oasis located west of the Dead Sea, close The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised ^[16]

An unusual swastika, composed of the Hebrew letters Aleph and Resh, appears in the 18th century Kabbalistic work "Parashat Eliezer" by Rabbi Eliezer Fischl of Strizhov, a commentary on the obscure ancient eschatological book "Karnayim", ascribed to Rabbi Aharon of Kardina. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. is the reconstructed name of the first letter of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, continued in descended Semitic alphabets as Phoenician for the town in Nepal see Resh Nepal Resh is the twentieth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. The symbol is enclosed by a circle and surrounded by a cyclic hymn in Aramaic. The hymn, which refers explicitly to the power of the Sun, as well as the shape of the symbol, shows strong solar symbolism. According to the book, this mandala-like symbol is meant to help a mystical adept to contemplate on the cyclic nature and structure of the Universe.

In Christianity, the swastika is sometimes used as a hooked version of the Christian Cross, the symbol of Christ's victory over death. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. Some Christian churches built in the Romanesque and Gothic eras are decorated with swastikas, carrying over earlier Roman designs. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Swastikas are prominently displayed in a mosaic in the St. Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic Sophia church of Kiev, Ukraine dating from the 12th century. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. They also appear as a repeating ornamental motif on a tomb in the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. A proposed direct link between it and a swastika floor mosaic in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens, which was built on top of a pagan site at Amiens, France in the 1200s, is considered unlikely. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens) or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete Cathedral in Amiens (amjɛ̃ is a city and commune in northern France, 120 km north of Paris. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The stole worn by a priest in the 1445 painting of the Seven Sacraments by Roger van der Weyden presents the swastika form simply as one way of depicting the cross. Rogier van der Weyden, also known as Rogier de le Pasture (1399/1400 &ndash June 18, 1464) is with Jan van Eyck, considered one of the Swastikas also appear on the vestments on the effigy of Bishop William Edington (d. William Edington (d 6 October 1366 was an English bishop and administrator 1366) in Winchester Cathedral. Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest Cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of

The Benedictine choir school at Lambach Abbey, Upper Austria, which Hitler attended for several months as a boy, had a swastika chiseled into the monastery portal and also the wall above the spring grotto in the courtyard by 1868. Lambach Abbey ( Stift Lambach) is a Benedictine monastery in Lambach in Austria. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Their origin was the personal coat of arms of Abbot Theoderich Hagn of the monastery in Lambach, which bore a golden swastika with slanted points on a blue field. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people ^[17] The Lambach swastika is probably of Medieval origin. The Lambach depiction, in the Hindu style, did not inspire Hitler to use the symbol, as the Nazi Party's use of it stems from the Thule Society and previous occult societies. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 The Thule Society (Thule-Gesellschaft originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum 'Study Group for Germanic Antiquity' was a German Occultist

The Muslim "Friday" mosque of Isfahan, Iran and the Taynal Mosque in Tripoli, Lebanon both have swastika motifs. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Esfahān or Isfahan (historically also rendered as Ispahan or Hispahan, Old Persian: Aspadana, Middle Persian: Spahān For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Tripolis ( Arabic: طرابلس Ṭarābulus - also طرابلس الغرب Ṭarā-bu-lus al-Gharb Libyan vernacular: Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية

Other Asian traditions

Some sources indicate that the Chinese Empress Wu (武則天) (684–704) of the Tang Dynasty decreed that the swastika would be used as an alternative symbol of the sun. Wu Zetian ( (625 – December 16, 705 In 705 she was overthrown in a coup and Emperor Zhongzong was returned to the throne The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by As part of the Chinese script, the swastika has Unicode encodings U+534D 卍 (pronunciation following the Chinese character "萬": pinyin:wàn); (left-facing) and U+5350 卐 (right-facing). A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese ( In Computing, Unicode is an Industry standard allowing Computers to consistently represent and manipulate text expressed in most of the world's Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use ^[18]

The Mandarin "Wan" is a homophone for "10,000" and is commonly used to represent the whole of creation, e. g. 'the myriad things' in the Dao De Jing. The Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing ( originally known as Laozi or Lao tzu ( is a Chinese classic

In Japan, the swastika is called manji. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Since the Middle Ages, it has been used as a family coat of arms. ( plural mon) also,, and, are Japanese heraldic symbols Mon may refer to any symbol while On Japanese maps, a swastika (left-facing and horizontal) is used to mark the location of a Buddhist temple. This is a list of symbols appearing on Japanese maps. These symbols are called in the Japanese language. The right-facing manji is often referred as the gyaku manji (逆卍, lit. "reverse manji"), and can also be called kagi jūji, literally "hook cross".

Native American traditions

The swastika shape was used by some Native Americans. It has been found in excavations of Mississippian-era sites in the Ohio valley. The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. It was widely used by many southwestern tribes, most notably the Navajo. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 The Navajo Nation ( Diné in the Navajo language) is a semi- autonomous Native American homeland covering about 26000 square miles (67339 square Among various tribes, the swastika carried different meanings. To the Hopi it represented the wandering Hopi clan; to the Navajo it was one symbol for a whirling winds (tsil no'oli'), a sacred image representing a legend that was used in healing rituals (after learning of the Nazi mimic "whirling winds" the Navajo rejected the symbol). The Hopi are Native American people who primarily live on the 12635 km² (2531 ^[19] A brightly colored First Nations saddle featuring swastika designs is on display at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada. First Nations is a term of Ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people The Royal Saskatchewan Museum was established in Regina as the Provincial Museum in 1906 to "secure and preserve natural history specimens and objects of historical Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[20]

A swastika shape is an ancient symbol in the culture of the Kuna people of Kuna Yala, Panama. Kuna or Cuna is the name of an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. Kuna Yala is an autonomous territory or comarca in Panama, inhabited by the Kuna indigenous people. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. In Kuna tradition, it symbolizes the octopus that created the world; its tentacles, pointing to the four cardinal points, gave rise to the rainbow, the sun, the moon and the stars. ^[21]

In February, 1925, the Kuna revolted against Panamanian suppression of their culture, and were granted autonomy in 1930; the flag they adopted at that time is based on the swastika shape, and remains the official flag of Kuna Yala. A number of variations on the flag have been used over the years: red top and bottom bands instead of orange were previously used, and in 1942 a ring (representing the traditional Kuna nose-ring) was added to the center of the flag to distance it from the symbol of the Nazi party. ^[22]

Pre-Christian Europe

In Bronze Age Europe, the "Sun cross" (a cross in a circle) appears frequently, often interpreted as a solar symbol. The Bronze Age in Europe succeeds the Neolithic in the late 3rd millennium BC (late Beaker culture) and spans the entire The sun cross, a Cross inside a Circle, is one of the oldest and most widespread of symbols Occasional swastika shapes are known from artifacts of Iron Age Europe (Greco-Roman, Illyrian, Etruscan, Baltic, Celtic, Germanic and Slavic), and are sometimes interpreted as a variant of the "Sun cross". This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. In modern Olympic and amateur Wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling is a particular style and variation Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic

Baltic

The swastika is one of the most common symbols used throughout Baltic art. The symbol was related to the Sun, as well as Dievs (the god of creation), Pērkons (the god of thunder) and Laima (the goddess of joy and destiny). It is featured on many distaffs, dowry chests, cloths and other items; you can see them and ask for further informations in the History-museum in Riga [5]

Celtic

The bronze frontspiece of a ritual pre-Christian (ca 350-50 BC) shield found in the River Thames near Battersea Bridge (hence "Battersea Shield") is embossed with 27 swastikas in bronze and red enamel. The Battersea Shield is a sheet Bronze Shield. It probably dates from the first century BC to early first century AD though an earlier date is possible ^[23] An Ogham stone found in Anglish, Co Kerry (CIIC 141) was modified into an early Christian gravestone, and was decorated with a cross pattée and two swastikas. Ogham (ogam ˈɔɣam Modern Irish or, English) is an Early Medieval Alphabet used primarily to represent the Old Irish language (and County Kerry ( Contae Chiarraí in Irish) is a southwestern county of Ireland. There are roughly 400 known Ogham inscriptions on stone monuments scattered around the Irish Sea, the bulk of them dating to the 5th and 6th centuries A cross pattée (also known as a "cross pattee" "cross patty" or "cross formy" or in German "Tatzenkreuz" is a type of ^[24] At the Northern edge of Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire, there is a swastika-shaped pattern engraved in a stone known as the Swastika Stone. Ilkley Moor is the highest part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, United West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of The Swastika Stone is a stone adorned with a Swastika located on the Woodhouse Crag on the Northern edge of Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire. ^[25]

Finnic

In Finland swastika was often used in traditional folk art products, as a decoration or magical symbol on textiles and wood. Certain types of symbols which incorporated swastika were used to decorate wood; such symbols are called tursaansydän and mursunsydän in Finnish. The tursaansydän ( Finnish for "heart of Tursas " or mursunsydän ("heart of the Walrus " is an ancient symbol used in Northern Tursaansydän was often used until 18th century, when it was mostly replaced by simple swastika. ^[26]

Germanic

The swastika shape (also called a fylfot, a term coined in the 19th century from a 1500 reference to a figure used to fill empty space at the foot of stained-glass windows in medieval churches), appears on various Germanic Migration period and Viking Age artifacts, such as the 3rd century Værløse Fibula from Zealand, Denmark, the Gothic spearhead found at Brest-Litovsk, Russia, or the Younger Futhark Snoldelev Stone, in Ramsø, Denmark, and numerous Migration Period bracteates^[28] drawn left-facing or right-facing. Fylfot or fylfot cross is a Synonym for Swastika, sometimes used in Britain. The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions, or sometimes Völkerwanderung ( German for "wandering of peoples" is the English name Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. Alu is a Germanic charm word appearing on numerous runic inscriptions found in Central and Northern Europe dating from between 200 and 800 CE The Younger Futhark, also called the Scandinavian runes, is a Runic alphabet, a reduced form of the Elder Futhark, consisting of only 16 characters in The 9th century Runestone at Snoldelev, Ramsø, Denmark, is decorated with a design of three Drinking horns interlocking as incomplete Until January 1, 2007 Ramsø was a municipality ( Danish, kommune) in the former Roskilde County on the island of Zealand A bracteate (from the Latin bractea, a thin piece of metal is a flat thin single-sided Gold coin produced in Northern Europe predominantly The pagan Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo, England, contained numerous items bearing the swastika, now housed in the collection of the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Anglo-Saxon paganism refers to the Migration Period religion practiced by the English in 5th to 7th century England. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south A ship burial or boat grave is a Burial in which a Ship or Boat is used either as a container for the dead and the grave goods or as a part Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, is the site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge houses the University's collections of local antiquities together with archaeological and ethnographic The Swastika is clearly marked on a hilt and sword belt found at Bifrons in Kent, in a grave of about the sixth century. In Roman mythology, Janus (or Ianus was the god of Gates Doors doorways beginnings and endings KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format

H.R. Ellis Davidson theorized that the swastika symbol was associated with Thor, possibly representing a hammer symbolic of thunder besides being connected to the Bronze Age sun wheel, citing "many examples" of the Swastika symbol from Anglo-Saxon graves of the pagan period, with particular prominence on cremation urns from the cemeteries of East Anglia. Dr Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson (born Hilda Roderick Ellis, 1 October 1914 - January 2006 was a British Antiquarian and academic writing in particular Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism The sun cross, a Cross inside a Circle, is one of the oldest and most widespread of symbols Some of the swastikas on the items, on display at the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, are depicted with such care and art that, according to Davidson, it must have possessed special significance as a funeral symbol. ^[29] Swastika shapes glossed as Þórshamar "Thor's hammer" appear in some Icelandic grimoires.

Sami

An object very much like a hammer or a double axe is depicted among the magical symbols on the drums of Sami shamans, used in their religious ceremonies before Christianity was established. The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The name of the Lappish thunder god was Horagalles, thought to be derived from old man thor (Þórr karl'). The Sami god of the sky and of Thunder, normally depicted wielding a pair of war-hammers Sometimes on the drums, a male figure with a hammer-like object in either hand is shown, and sometimes it is more like a cross with crooked ends, or a swastika. ^[29]

Slavic

The swastika shape was also present in pre-Christian Slavic mythology. Slavic mythology is the Mythological aspect of the Religion that was practised by the ancient Slavs. It was dedicated to the sun god Svarog and called kolovrat, (Polish kołowrót) or swarzyca. In Slavic mythology, Svarog ( Polish: Swaróg, Cyrillic: Сварог, Sorbian: Schwayxtix) is the Slavic Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. In the Polish first Republic the symbol of the swastika was also popular with the nobility. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland According to chronicles, the Rus' prince Oleg, who in the 9th century attacked Constantinople, nailed his shield (which had a large red swastika painted on it) to the city's gates. Rus’ (Русь rusʲ Русичи Русы are an ancient people whose name survives in the cognates Russians, Rusyns, and Ruthenians Oleg of Novgorod ( Slavic: Олег Old Norse: Helgi, Khazarian, possibly Helgu) was a Varangian prince (or konung Several Polish noble houses, e. g. Boreyko, Borzym, and Radziechowski from Ruthenia, also had Swastikas as their coat of arms. The family reached its greatness in the 14th and 15th centuries and its crest can be seen in many heraldry books produced at that time.

For the Slavs the swastika is a magic sign manifesting the power and majesty of the sun and fire. It was often used as an ornament decorating ritualistic utensils of a cult cinerary urns with ashes of the dead (pic. 1). It was the symbol of power (in attests picture of swastika on coins of Mieszko I). The power both lay and divine, because it was often placed on altars in pagan temples. After the acceptance of Christianity and destruction of pagan holy places, pieces of sculptures of pagan gods (swastika too) were built into walls of churches. It was a form of fight with paganism, we can find examples of it in the cathedral in Kruszwica and in churches in Inowroclaw, Strzelno and Lowicz.

At the start of the Renaissance, swastika ornaments disappeared from utensils, but it didn't mean the end of the swastika among the Slavs. It became a popular ornament on Easter eggs and in wayside shrines in folk culture. This ornament still existed in 1940-50. The Swastika was also a heraldic symbol, for example on the Boreyko coat of arms, used by noblemen in Poland and Ukraine. In the 19th century the swastika was one of the Russian empire's symbols; it was even placed in coins as a background to the Russian eagle. At the beginning of 20th century, the swastika became a sign of IE identity, as the result of development of nationalist movements. The swastika was used, for example by nationalistic and neopagan "Zadruga". In the Czech Republic the swastika was a cognizance of the Czech National-Socialist Workers' and Peasants' Party of M. Mlococh (so called Green swastikas). Besides the swastika was a cognizance of Tatra Highlands' Riflemen (to the year 1940), and of 1st Mot. Art. Regiment of the Polish Armed Force (to the year 1947).

As the symbol of Nazism

Further information: Nazism

In the wake of widespread popular usage, the Nazi Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) formally adopted the swastika (in German: Hakenkreuz (hook-cross)) in 1920. Swastika ( Gammadion, " Fylfot " Symbol became a popular symbol of luck in the Western world in the early 20th century The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 This was used on the party's flag (right), badge, and armband. It had also been used unofficially by its predecessor, the German Workers Party, Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP).

In his 1925 work Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler wrote that:

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. Mein Kampf ( English: My Struggle/My Battle) is a book by Adolf Hitler. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately 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.

When Hitler created a flag for the Nazi Party, he sought to incorporate both the swastika and "those revered colors expressive of our homage to the glorious past and which once brought so much honor to the German nation. " (Red, white, and black were the colors of the flag of the old German Empire. The flag of Germany is a Tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: Black, The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification ) He also stated: "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, which as such always has been and always will be anti-Semitic. " (Mein Kampf). ^[30]

The swastika was also understood as "the symbol of the creating, acting life" (das Symbol des schaffenden, wirkenden Lebens) and as "race emblem of Germanism" (Rasseabzeichen des Germanentums) ^[31].

The use of the swastika was associated by Nazi theorists with their conjecture of Aryan cultural descent of the German people. Following the Nordicist version of the Aryan invasion theory, the Nazis claimed that the early Aryans of India, from whose Vedic tradition the swastika sprang, were the prototypical white invaders. The Nordic race was one of the racial categories into which the Europeans were divided by anthropologists in the first half of the twentieth century India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country It was also widely believed that the Indian caste system had originated as a means to avoid racial mixing. Caste (Sanskrit Gyati ज्ञाति, Hindi Biradari बिरादरी samaj समाज jati जाति etc, Urdu Zat ज़ात) is an Endogamous group The concept of Racial purity was an ideology central to Nazism, even though it is now considered unscientific. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Scientific method refers to bodies of Techniques for investigating phenomena For Rosenberg, the Aryans of India were both a model to be imitated and a warning of the dangers of the spiritual and racial "confusion" that, he believed, arose from the close proximity of races. Thus, they saw fit to co-opt the sign as a symbol of the Aryan master race. The master race ( German: die Herrenrasse) is a concept in Nazi Ideology, which holds that the Germanic and Nordic The use of the swastika as a symbol of the Aryan race dates back to writings of Emile Burnouf. The " Aryan race " is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Émile-Louis Burnouf (1821-1907 was a leading nineteenth-century Orientalist and Racialist whose ideas influenced the development of Theosophy Following many other writers, the German nationalist poet Guido von List believed it to be a uniquely Aryan symbol. Guido Karl Anton List, better known as Guido von List ( October 5, 1848, in Vienna, &ndash May 17, 1919, in

Before the Nazis, the swastika was already in use as a symbol of German völkisch nationalists movements (Völkische Bewegung). The völkisch movement is the German interpretation of the populist movement with a romantic focus on Folklore and the "organic" In Deutschland Erwache (ISBN 0-912138-69-6), Ulric of England (sic) says:

[…] what inspired Hitler to use the swastika as a symbol for the NSDAP was its use by the Thule Society (German: Thule-Gesellschaft) since there were many connections between them and the DAP … from 1919 until the summer of 1921 Hitler used the special Nationalsozialistische library of Dr. The Thule Society (Thule-Gesellschaft originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum 'Study Group for Germanic Antiquity' was a German Occultist Friedrich Krohn, a very active member of the Thule-Gesellschaft … Dr. Krohn was also the dentist from Sternberg who was named by Hitler in Mein Kampf as the designer of a flag very similar to one that Hitler designed in 1920 … during the summer of 1920, the first party flag was shown at Lake Tegernsee … these home-made … early flags were not preserved, the Ortsgruppe München (Munich Local Group) flag was generally regarded as the first flag of the Party.

José Manuel Erbez says:

The first time the swastika was used with an "Aryan" meaning was on December 25, 1907, when the self-named Order of the New Templars, a secret society founded by [Adolf Joseph] Lanz von Liebenfels, hoisted at Werfenstein Castle (Austria) a yellow flag with a swastika and four fleurs-de-lys. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Armanism and Ariosophy are the names of ideological systems of an Esoteric nature pioneered by Guido von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The fleur-de-lys (or fleur-de-lis, plural fleurs-de-lis ˌfləː(rdəˈliː (ˌfləː(rdəˈlɪs in Quebec) translated from French as "lily ^[32]

However, Liebenfels was drawing on an already established use of the symbol. On 14 March 1933, shortly after Hitler's appointment as Chancellor of Germany, the NSDAP flag was hoisted alongside Germany's national colors. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was adopted as the sole national flag on 15 September 1935 (see Nazi Germany). Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers

The swastika was used for badges and flags throughout Nazi Germany, particularly for government and military organizations, but also for "popular" organizations such as the Reichsbund Deutsche Jägerschaft. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers ^[33]

While the DAP and the NSDAP had used both right-facing and left-facing swastikas, the right-facing swastika was used consistently from 1920 onwards. However, Ralf Stelter notes that the swastika flag used on land had a right-facing swastika on both sides, while the ensign (naval flag) had it printed through so that you would see a left-facing swastika when looking at the ensign with the flagpole to the right. ^[34]

Several variants are found:

• a 45° black swastika on a white disc as in the NSDAP and national flags;
• a 45° black swastika on a white lozenge (e. g. , Hitler Youth^[35]);
• a 45° black swastika with a white outline was painted on the tail of aircraft of the Luftwaffe;
• a 45° black swastika outlined by thin white and black lines on a white disc (e. For the SS division with the nickname Hitlerjugend see 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The Hitler Youth ( German:, ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. g. , the German War Ensign^[36]);
• an upright black swastika outlined by thin white and black lines on a white disc (e. g. , Adolf Hitler's personal standard in which a gold wreath encircles the swastika; the Schutzstaffel; and the Reichsdienstflagge, in which a black circle encircles the swastika);
• small gold, silver, black, or white 45° swastikas, often lying on or being held by an eagle, on many badges and flags. ^[37]
• a swastika with curved outer arms forming a broken circle, as worn by the SS Nordland Division. (See photo at "[6]". )

There were attempts to amalgamate Nazi and Hindu use of the swastika, notably by the French writer Savitri Devi who declared Hitler an avatar of Vishnu (see Nazi mysticism). Savitri Devi ( September 30, 1905, Lyon, France — October 22, 1982, Essex, England) was the Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific This article describes speculative theories about Nazism Semi-religious developments within post-1945 Nazism are discussed under the term Neo-völkisch movements.

Use in Western countries

Because of its use by Hitler and the Nazis and, in modern times, by neo-Nazis and other hate groups, the swastika is largely associated with Nazism and white supremacy (see Western use of the Swastika in the early 20th century). The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates Hate, Hostility, or Violence towards members of a race ethnicity religion gender sexual White supremacy is a racist ideology based on the assertion that White people are superior to other racial groups. Swastika ( Gammadion, " Fylfot " Symbol became a popular symbol of luck in the Western world in the early 20th century As a result, its use as a Nazi or hate symbol is legally prohibited in some jurisdictions. Because of the stigma attached to the symbol, many buildings that have contained the symbol as decoration have had the symbol removed. Westerners whose family originates from India, including religions such as Jain, Hindu and other Indian religions, still use the swastika as a religious symbol, with no connection to Nazism.

Brazil

The use of the swastika in conjunction with any other Nazi allusion, and also its manufacture, distribution or broadcasting, is a crime as dictated by law 7. 716/89 from 1989. The penalty is a fine and two to five years in prison.

Belgium

A controversy arose in Maasmechelen, Belgium, when Google Earth users found that a 27 year old fountain at the city council office looks like a swastika from the air^[38]. Maasmechelen is a municipality located on the Meuse river in the Belgian province of Limburg. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Google Earth is a Virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004 As a result the mayor said he would replace it.

European Union

The European Union's executive Commission proposed a European Union wide anti-racism law in 2001, but European Union states failed to agree on the balance between prohibiting racism and freedom of expression. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. ^[39] An attempt to ban the swastika across the EU in early 2005 failed after objections from the British Government and others. In early 2007, while Germany held the European Union presidency, Berlin proposed that the European Union should follow German municipal law and criminalize Holocaust denial and the display of Nazi symbols including the swastika. Municipal law is an International law term used to denote the national domestic or internal Law of a sovereign State. Holocaust denial is the claim that the Genocide of Jews during World War II —usually referred to as The Holocaust —did not occur in the This led to an opposition campaign by Hindu groups across Europe against a ban on the swastika. They pointed out that the swastika has been around for 5,000 years as a symbol of peace. ^[40][41]The proposal to ban the swastika was dropped by Berlin from the proposed European Union wide anti-racism laws on January 29 2007. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. ^[39]

Germany

The German (and Austrian) postwar criminal code makes the public showing of the Hakenkreuz (the swastika) and other Nazi symbols illegal and punishable, except for scholarly reasons. The Strafgesetzbuch is the name of the German, Swiss, Liechtenstein and Austrian Criminal law. It is even censored from the lithographs on boxes of model kits, and the decals that come in the box. It is also censored from the reprints of 1930s railway timetable published by Bundesbahn. The eagle remains, but appears to be holding a solid black circle between its talons. The swastikas on Hindu and Jain temples are exempt, as religious symbols cannot be banned in Germany.

A German fashion company was investigated for using traditional British-made folded leather buttons after complaints that they resembled swastikas. In response, Esprit destroyed two hundred thousand catalogues. Overview Esprit Holdings Limited () is a publicly owned manufacturer of apparel footwear accessories jewellery and housewares under the ESPRIT label ^[42][43]

A controversy was stirred by the decision of several police departments to begin inquiries against anti-fascists. ^[44] In late 2005 police raided the offices of the punk rock label and mail order store "Nix Gut Records" and confiscated merchandise depicting crossed-out swastikas and fists smashing swastikas. In 2006 the Stade police department started an inquiry against anti-fascist youths using a placard depicting a person dumping a swastika into a trashcan. This article discusses the German city For the unit of measure see Stadia (length. The placard was displayed in opposition to the campaign of right-wing nationalist parties for local elections. ^[45]

On Friday, March 17, 2006, a member of the Bundestag Claudia Roth reported herself to the German police for displaying a crossed-out swastika in multiple demonstrations against Neo-Nazis, and subsequently got the Bundestag to suspend her immunity from prosecution. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Bundestag ("Federal Diet " or "Lower House of German Parliament" is the Parliament of Germany. Claudia Benedikta Roth (born May 15, 1955 in Ulm) is a German Green Party Politician and one of the two current party chairs She intended to show the absurdity of charging anti-fascists with using fascist symbols: "We don't need prosecution of non-violent young people engaging against right-wing extremism. "

On March 15, 2007, the Federal Court of Justice of Germany (Bundesgerichtshof) reversed the above-mentioned verdicts, since the crossed-out symbols were "clearly directed against a revival of national-socialist endeavors", hereby settling the dispute for the future. The “ Federal Court of Justice of Germany ” ( German: “ Bundesgerichtshof ” or “ BGH ” is the highest court in the system of ordinary jurisdiction ^{[46] [47] [48]}

The relevant excerpt^[49] of the German criminal code reads:

§ 86 StGB Dissemination of Means of Propaganda of Unconstitutional Organizations

(1) Whoever domestically disseminates or produces, stocks, imports or exports or makes publicly accessible through data storage media for dissemination domestically or abroad, means of propaganda:

1. As in most countries Germany has a standard way of citing its Legal codes and Case law; an essentially identical system of citation is also used in Austria The Strafgesetzbuch is the name of the German, Swiss, Liechtenstein and Austrian Criminal law. of a party which has been declared to be unconstitutional by the Federal Constitutional Court or a party or organization, as to which it has been determined, no longer subject to appeal, that it is a substitute organization of such a party; […]

4. means of propaganda, the contents of which are intended to further the aims of a former National Socialist organization, shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine. […]

(3) Subsection (1) shall not be applicable if the means of propaganda or the act serves to further civil enlightenment, to avert unconstitutional aims, to promote art or science, research or teaching, reporting about current historical events or similar purposes. […]

§ 86a StGB Use of Symbols of Unconstitutional Organizations

(1) Whoever:

1. As in most countries Germany has a standard way of citing its Legal codes and Case law; an essentially identical system of citation is also used in Austria The Strafgesetzbuch is the name of the German, Swiss, Liechtenstein and Austrian Criminal law. domestically distributes or publicly uses, in a meeting or in writings (§ 11 subsection (3)) disseminated by him, symbols of one of the parties or organizations indicated in § 86 subsection (1), nos. 1, 2 and 4; or

2. produces, stocks, imports or exports objects which depict or contain such symbols for distribution or use domestically or abroad, in the manner indicated in number 1,

shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine.

(2) Symbols, within the meaning of subsection (1), shall be, in particular, flags, insignia, uniforms, slogans and forms of greeting. Symbols which are so similar as to be mistaken for those named in sentence 1 shall be deemed to be equivalent thereto. […]

United States

The swastika symbol was popular^[50] as a good luck or religious/spiritual symbol in the United States, prior to its association with Nazi Germany. The symbol remains visible on numerous historic buildings, including sites that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of It also appeared on tiles, lampposts, metal valves, tools, surfboards, stock certificates, brand names, place names, medals, commercial tokens, postcards, souvenirs, rugs and clothing; see Western use of the Swastika in the early 20th century. Swastika ( Gammadion, " Fylfot " Symbol became a popular symbol of luck in the Western world in the early 20th century

The shoulder patch of the 45th Infantry Division, a National Guard unit from the Southwestern US, was originally a yellow swastika on a red diamond, in the context of a religious/mystical symbol of the Native American tribes of that region. The 45th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Korean War. For the National Guard of a State and other countries' National Guard see National Guard. As war with Nazi Germany became imminent in the late 1930s, the swastika was replaced by a yellow thunderbird emblem; this may have been done as a simple tactical move to avoid confusion and friendly fire incidents as much as due to the political stigma of the symbol and its association with Nazism.

On November 8, 2004 Microsoft released a "critical update" to remove "unacceptable symbols" from the Bookshelf Symbol 7 font. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Bookshelf Symbol 7 is a Typeface which comes packaged with Microsoft Office 2003. An analysis of the unpatched and patched fonts shows the symbol deemed unacceptable to be a swastika, and possibly a six-point star.

In September of 2007 the United States Navy announced it would spend $600,000 to "camouflage" a barrack at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado near San Diego, so that it would no longer resemble a swastika from the air. Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB Coronado is a naval installation located across the bay from San Diego CA.

Satirical use

The powerful symbolism acquired by the swastika has often been used in graphic design and propaganda as a means of drawing Nazi comparisons; examples include the cover of Stuart Eizenstat's 2003 book Imperfect Justice,^[51] publicity materials for Costa-Gavras's 2002 film Amen,^[52] and a billboard that was erected opposite the U. Reductio ad Hitlerum, also argumentum ad Hitlerum, or reductio (or argumentum) ad Nazium Stuart Eizenstat (born 1943 is a partner at Washington DC law firm Covington & Burling and senior strategist at APCO Worldwide. Constantinos Gavras (born February 13, 1933, Loutra Iraias, Greece) better known as (Constantin Costa-Gavras (Κώστας Γαβράς S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, in 2004, which juxtaposed images of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse pictures with a swastika. Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading Beginning in 2004 accounts of Abuse, Torture, Sodomy and Homicide of Prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq

Controversy over Asian products

In recent years, controversy has erupted when consumer goods bearing the symbol have been exported (often unintentionally) to North America. In 2002, Christmas crackers containing plastic toy pandas sporting swastikas were pulled from shelves after complaints from consumers in Canada. Christmas Crackers is also an episode of Only Fools and Horses. The Giant Panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca, "black-and-white cat-foot" is a Mammal classified in the Bear family ( Ursidae) native to Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The manufacturer, based in China, explained the symbol was presented in a traditional sense and not as a reference to the Nazis, and apologized to the customers for the cross-cultural mixup. ^[53]

Contemporary usage

Finland

The swastika was adopted by the Finnish Air Force after 6 March 1918, when Eric von Rosen donated an aeroplane adorned with swastikas which was his personal good luck symbol from Sweden to the Finnish white army. The Finnish Air Force (FAF ( Finnish: Ilmavoimat, Swedish: Flygvapnet) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Count Carl Gustaf Bloomfield Eric von Rosen (born June 2 1879 in Stockholm, died April 25 1948 Skeppsholmen "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The White Guards is one translation of the Finnish term Suojeluskunta ( Plural: Suojeluskunnat, Finland-Swedish: The swastika was officially adopted as the nationality marking on the Finnish Air Force planes on 18 March 1918. The Finnish Air Force (FAF ( Finnish: Ilmavoimat, Swedish: Flygvapnet) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

The roundel was used until late 1944 when a substitution for a blue on white roundel was made. Existing decorations and unit flags of the Finnish Air Force were not altered, and they still feature the traditional blue swastika within a white circle.

The president of Finland is the grand master of the Order of the White Rose. The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the According to the protocol, the president shall wear the Cross of Liberty with Chains on formal occasions. The original design of the chains, decorated with swastikas, dates from 1918 by the artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The Grand Cross with Chains has been awarded 11 times to foreign heads of state. To avoid misunderstandings, the swastika decorations were replaced by fir-crosses at the request of President Kekkonen in 1963. Kekkonen redirects here For other uses see Kekkonen (disambiguation.

Also a design by Gallen-Kallela of 1918, the Cross of Liberty has a swastika pattern in the arms of the cross. There are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty ( Vapaudenristin ritarikunta) the Order of the White Rose of Finland The Cross of Liberty is depicted in the upper left corner of the flag of the President of Finland. The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the President and the ^[54]

In December 2007, a silver replica of the WWII Finnish air defences relief ring became available through Rautasormus. fi. ^[55] The original war-time idea was that the public swap their precious metal rings for the State air defences relief ring, made of iron.

Traditional symbol that incorporates a swastika, tursaansydän, is used by scouts in some instances [7] and a certain student organization[8]. Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide Youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical mental and spiritual Village of Tursa uses tursaansydän as a kind of a certificate of genuineness of products made there. [9] Traditional textiles are still being made with swastikas as a part of traditional ornaments.

India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

In South Asia, the swastika remains ubiquitous as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. In India, electoral ballot papers are stamped with a round swastika-like pattern (to ensure that the accidental ink imprint on the other side of a folded ballot paper can be correctly identified as such), so that this variant of the symbol is connected with political elections. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Many businesses and other organisations, such as the Ahmedabad Stock Exchange and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce^[56], use the swastika in their logos. Ahmedabad Stock Exchange or ASE is the second oldest exchange of India located in the city of Ahmedabad in the western part of the country The red swastika was suggested as an emblem of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in India and Sri Lanka, but the idea was not implemented [10]. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Swastikas can be found practically everywhere in Indian cities, on buses, buildings, auto-rickshaws, and clothing.

Tajikistan

In 2005, authorities in Tajikistan called for the widespread adoption of the swastika as a national symbol. Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece President Emomali Rahmonov declared the swastika an "Aryan" symbol and 2006 to be "the year of Aryan culture," which would be a time to “study and popularize Aryan contributions to the history of the world civilization, raise a new generation (of Tajiks) with the spirit of national self-determination, and develop deeper ties with other ethnicities and cultures. Emomalii Rahmon ( Tajik: Эмомалии Раҳмон or امامعلی رحمان (formerly Emomali Sharifovich Rahmonov, Эмомалӣ Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit " Ārya " meaning "noble" or "honorable" ”[11]

Canada

The town of Swastika, Ontario, founded in 1908, got its name from a former mine of the same name, and inhabitants refused to have it changed during and after the Second World War. Swastika (swaz-TEE-kuh is a small community founded in 1908 around a mining site in Northern Ontario, Canada, and today within the municipal boundaries of Kirkland

New religious movements

Theosophical Society

The Theosophical Society uses a swastika as part of its seal, along with an Aum, a hexagram, a Star of David, an Ankh and an Ouroboros. The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. Aum (also Om) ॐ is a mystical or sacred Syllable in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions The Star of David or Shield of David ( Magen David in Hebrew with nikkud or מגן דוד without academically transcribed Māḡēn Dāwīḏ by Ankylosis progressive homolog (mouse, also known as ANKH, is a human Gene. The Ouroboros (Greek grc Ουροβόρος from grc ουροβόρος όφις "tail-devouring snake" also spelled Ourorboros, Oroborus, Uroboros Unlike the much more recent Raëlian movement (see below), the Theosophical Society symbol has been free from controversy, and the seal is still used. The current seal also has English text (reference: [12]). English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

Raëlian Movement

Founded in the 1970s, the Raëlian Movement, a small cult believing in the possibility of immortality by scientific progress and extraterrestrial life, used a symbol that was the source of considerable controversy: an interlaced Star of David and swastika. Raëlism or Raëlian Church consists of the practitioners of a UFO religion founded by a former French sports-car journalist and test driver named Claude This article discusses cult in the original and typically ancient sense of "religious practice" (cultus The Star of David or Shield of David ( Magen David in Hebrew with nikkud or מגן דוד without academically transcribed Māḡēn Dāwīḏ by In 1991, the symbol was changed to remove the swastika and deflect public criticism. The symbol was restored to its original form in 2007. [13]

Ananda Marga

The Tantra-based religious movement Ananda Marga uses a motif similar to the Raëlians, but in their case the apparent star of David is defined as intersecting triangles with no specific reference to Jewish culture. Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric Ananda Marga, officially known as Ananda Marga Pracharaka Samgha (AMPS meaning "the organization for the propagation of the path of bliss " is

According to Ananda Marge:

External or physical service acted out through the motor organs is symbolised by the triangle pointing upwards. Internal or spiritual service done through channelizing of mental energy to the mantra is symbolized by the triangle pointing downwards. . . Attaining that state of oneness with the Generator, Operator and Destroyer of this universe is symbolised by the swastika which means victory. ^[57]

Neopaganism

The Odinic Rite claims the "fylfot" as a "holy symbol of Odinism", citing the pre-Christian Germanic use of the symbol. The Odinic Rite (OR is a Germanic neopagan organisation practicing a form of Germanic neopaganism termed Odinism after the chief god of Norse mythology Fylfot or fylfot cross is a Synonym for Swastika, sometimes used in Britain.

Image Gallery

A swastika on a Buddhist temple in Korea. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia.	Reconstructed colour scheme of the entablature on a Doric temple, decorated with swastika designs . An entablature (ɛnˈtæblətʃɚ Latin, and tabula, a tablet) refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above The Doric order was one of the three '''orders''' or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or Classical architecture; the other two Canonical	A swastika on a Roman mosaic.	A Swastika Drug Company medication box.
A part of the Book of Silk from 400 BC. The Book of Silk is an ancient Astronomy book made by Chinese astronomers around 400 BCE and found in the Mawangdui tomb of China in 1973	A swastika shown painted inside the nosecone of the Spirit of St. Louis. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout	The swastika on a comb found in the Danish bog Nydam Mose, from around 300. Nydam Mose ("Nydam Bog" is a modern day excavation site located at Øster Sottrup a town located in Sundeved, eight kilometres from Sønderborg,	The swastika shape on the Danish Snoldelev Stone, from around 800. The 9th century Runestone at Snoldelev, Ramsø, Denmark, is decorated with a design of three Drinking horns interlocking as incomplete
Interlocking swastika design in pavement of Amiens Cathedral. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens) or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete Cathedral in	The tombstone of abbot Simon de Gillans (-1345), with a stole depicting swastikas. The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. Musée de Cluny, Paris. The Musée de Cluny, officially known as Musée National du Moyen Âge, is a Museum in Paris, France.	Stećak with swastika from Medieval Bosnia. Stećak ( pronounced:) is common name for Medieval Tombstones in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia The Byzantines restored control over Bosnia at the end of 10th century but not for long as it was soon taken by Emperor Samuil of Bulgaria.	Detail of The Seven Sacraments (1445) by Roger van der Weyden. Rogier van der Weyden, also known as Rogier de le Pasture (1399/1400 &ndash June 18, 1464) is with Jan van Eyck, considered one of the The crosses on the priest's stole are alternately in swastika and in "patent" form.

See also

Notes

References

External links

general

• History of the Swastika (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• The History of the Swastika (About. com)
• The Origins of the Swastika BBC News
• Good overview of the Swastika ProSwastika
• Sites presenting versions of Wilson's The Swastika
  • The Swastika
  • The Swastika (a scan of the original publication)
  • The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol (DjVu) and layered PDFPDF (16. DjVu (pronounced Déjà vu) is a Computer File format designed primarily to store scanned images especially those containing text and line 2 MB) (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries)

Dharmic religions

• "The Swastika", Lawrence Waldron, Chan Magazine, Summer 2000.
• Swastikam - Symbol of Auspiciousness (chapter 7 of Vishayasuchi by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami)
• Hindus opposing EU swastika ban (BBC)
• swastika-info.com.

early Western use

• Windsor's "Swastikas" Hockey Teams 1905–1916
• Finnish uses of the swastika

• [14] US Army Air Corp (USAAC) Boeing P-12C with 55th Pursuit Squadrons swastika-insignia in 1930s. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC was the predecessor of the U WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The USAAC became the United States Air Force in 1941.

Nazi use

• Documentary about the use of the swastike in the Third Reich
• The Swastika and the Nazis by Servando González
• From Flags of the World:
  • Origins of the Swastika Flag (Third Reich, Germany) (collection of links and comments)
  • Neonazi flags (links to other FOTW pages)

miscellaneous

• Comets and the Bronze Age Collapse by Bob Kobres
• Swastika Gallery
• The Swastika Stone on Ilkley Moor in England
• Reclaim the Swastika
• Navy to mask Coronado's swastika-shaped barracks

For a list of flags see List of flags or Gallery of flags by design. Ilkley Moor is the highest part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, United

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