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
A remark of yours [Schliemann] (Troy, p. 38.) that the Svastika
resembles a wheel in motion, the direction of the motion being
indicated by the crampons, contains a useful hint, which has been
confirmed by some important observations of Mr. Thomas, the
distinguished Oriental numismatist, who has called attention to the
fact that in the long list of the recognized devices of the
twenty-four Jaina Tirthankaras the sun is absent, but that while the
eighth Tirthankara has the sign of the half-moon, the seventh
Tirthankara is marked with the Svastika, i. e., the sun. Here, then,
we have clear indications that the Svastika, with the hands pointing
in the right direction, was originally a symbol of the sun, perhaps of
the vernal sun as opposed to the autumnal sun, the _Suavastika_, and,
therefore, a natural symbol of light, life, health, and wealth.
But, while from these indications we are justified in supposing that
among the Aryan nations the Svastika may have been an old emblem of
the sun, there are other indications to show that in other parts of
the world the same or a similar emblem was used to indicate the earth.
Mr. Beal * * * has shown * * * that the simple cross ([cross]) occurs
as a sign for earth in certain ideographic groups. It was probably
intended to indicate the four quarters--north, south, east, west--or,
it may be, more generally, extension in length and breadth.
That the cross is used as a sign for "four" in the Bactro-Pali
inscriptions (Max Müller, "Chips from a German Workshop," Vol. II, p.
298) is well known; but the fact that the same sign has the same power
elsewhere, as, for instance, in the Hieratic numerals, does not prove
by any means that the one figure was derived from the other. We forget
too easily that what was possible in one place was possible also in
other places; and the more we extend our researches, the more we shall
learn that the chapter of accidents is larger than we imagine.
The "Suavastika" which Max Müller names and believes was applied to the
Swastika sign, with the ends bent to the left (fig. 10), seems not to be
reported with that meaning by any other author except Burnouf.[17]
Therefore the normal Swastika would seem to be that with the ends bent to
the right. Burnouf says the word Suavastika may be a derivative or
development of the Svastikaya, and ought to signify "he who, or, that
which, bears or carries the Swastika or a species of Swastika." Greg,[18]
under the title Sôvastikaya, gives it as his opinion that there is no
difference between it and the Swastika. Colonel Low[19] mentions the word
Sawattheko, which, according to Burnouf[20] is only a variation of the
Pali word Sotthika or Suvatthika, the Pali translation of the Sanskrit
Swastika. Burnouf translates it as Svastikaya.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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