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
Spiral-volute designs resembling the Swastika in general effect are found
on aboriginal mound pottery from the Mississippi Valley. The Fourth Annual
Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1882-83,[276] shows many of these. Fig.
289 represents a teapot-shaped vessel from Arkansas, on the side of which,
in incised lines, is shown the small circle which we saw on the shell
disks, and springing from the four opposite sides are three incised lines,
twisting spirally to the right, forming the four volutes of the Swastika
(tetraskelion) and covering the entire side of the vessel. The same spiral
form of the Swastika is given in fig. 290, a vessel of eccentric shape
from Pecan Point, Ark. The decoration is in the form of two lines crossing
each other and each arm then twisting to the right, forming volutes, the
incised lines of which, though drawn close together and at equal
distances, gradually expand until the ornament covers the entire side of
the vase. It is questionable whether this or any of its kindred were ever
intended to represent either the Swastika or any other specific form of
the cross. One evidence of this is that these ornaments shade off
indefinitely until they arrive at a form which was surely not intended to
represent any form of the cross, whether Swastika or not. The line of
separation is not now suggested by the author. An elaboration of the
preceding forms, both of the vessel and its ornamentation, is shown by the
vessel represented in fig. 291, which is fashioned to represent some
grotesque beast with horns, expanding nostrils, and grinning mouth, yet
which might serve as a teapot as well as the former two vessels. The
decoration upon its side has six incised lines crossing each other in the
center and expanding in volutes until they cover the entire side of the
vessel, as in the other specimens. Fig. 292 shows a pot from Arkansas. Its
body is decorated with incised lines arranged in much the same form as
fig. 291, except that the lines make no attempt to form a cross. There are
nine arms which spring from the central point and twist spirally about as
volutes until they cover the field, which is one-third the body of the
bowl. Two other designs of the same kind complete the circuit of the pot
and form the decoration all around. Fig. 293[277] represents these volutes
in incised lines of considerable fineness, close together, and in great
numbers, forming a decoration on each of the sides of the vase, separated
by three nearly perpendicular lines.
[Illustration: Fig. 292. POTTERY BOWL ORNAMENTED WITH MANY-ARMED VOLUTES.
Arkansas. 1/3 natural size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 293. POTTERY VASE ORNAMENTED WITH VOLUTES. Arkansas.]
[Illustration: Fig. 294. TRIPOD POTTERY VASE. Four-armed volutes making
spiral Swastika. Arkansas. 1/3 natural size.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account