The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration: With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric TimesWilson, Thomas
Religion
The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration: With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric Times
Wilson, Thomas
Industries, Primitive; Swastikas; Symbolism
_Swastika on coins in Mesembria and Gaza._--Mr. Percy Gardner, in his
article, "Ares as a Sun-god,"[243] finds the Swastika on a coin of
Mesembria in Thrace. He explains that "Mesembria is simply the Greek word
for noon, midday ([Greek: mesêmbria])." The coins of this city bear the
inscription [Greek: MES][S], which Greg[244] believes refers by a kind of
pun to the name of the city, and so to noon, or the sun or solar light.
The answer to this is the same given throughout this paper, that it may be
true, but there is no evidence in support of it. Max Müller[245] argues
that this specimen is decisive of the meaning of the sign Swastika. Both
these gentlemen place great stress upon the position which the Swastika
held in the field relative to other objects, and so determine it to have
represented the sun or sunlight; but all this seems _non sequitur_. A coin
from Gaza, Palestine, ancient, but date not given, is attributed to R.
Rochette, and by him to Munter (fig. 235). The Swastika sign is not
perfect, only two arms of the cross being turned, and not all four.
[Illustration: Fig. 236. GOLD BRACTEATE WITH JAIN SWASTIKA. Denmark.
Waring, "Ceramic Art in Remote Ages," pl. 1, fig. 9.]
_Swastika on Danish gold bracteates._--Fig. 236 represents a Danish gold
bracteate with a portrait head, two serpents, and a Swastika with the
outer ends finished with a curve or flourish similar to that of the Jains
(fig. 33).
There are other bracteates with the Swastika mark, which belong to the
Scandinavian countries.[246] Some of them bear signs referring to
Christian civilization, such as raising hands in prayer; and from a
determination of the dates afforded by the coins and other objects the
Swastika can be identified as having continued into the Christian era.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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