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
Beyond these instances the author is unable to find evidence of the
Swastika having served as a symbol of any religious or philosophic idea or
of any sect or organization.
Whether among the Bronze Age people of western Europe--among the Trojans,
Greeks, or Etruscans--whether among the semicivilized peoples of South or
Central America, or among the savages (mound-builders) of North America,
there is apparently no instance of the Swastika having been regarded as
holy or used on a sacred object--that is, holy and sacred in the light of
godliness, piety, or morality. It may have been or may yet be discovered
that some of these wild men used the Swastika upon objects serving at
ceremonies or festivals of their religion, or which had, in their eyes, a
semi-sacred character. But it does not seem that it was used as a
representative of a holy idea or of any god or supernatural being who
stood for such an idea. The meal used in the Zuñi ceremony may have been
regarded as sacred, and it may, indeed must, have been made on a stone
metate, yet neither the metate nor the stone thereby obtained any holy or
sacred character. So, also, it may have been decorated with a fret,
chevron, herringbone, or any of the numerous styles, none of which would
receive any sacred character from such use. So it is believed to have been
with the Swastika found on these objects; it was not holy or sacred
because of this use.
The author declines to discuss the possible relation of the Swastika to
the sun or sun god, to the rain or rain god, the lightning, to Dyaus, Zeus
or Agni, to Phebus or Apollo, or other of the mythological deities. This
question would be interesting if it could be determined with certainty, or
if the determination would be accepted by any considerable number of
persons. But this is left for some one more competent and more interested
than the author.
The most probable use of the Swastika among prehistoric peoples, or among
Orientals other than the Buddhists, was as a charm or amulet signifying
good fortune, good luck, long life, or benediction and blessing.[306] (See
p. 780.)
Looking over the entire prehistoric world, we find the Swastika used on
small and comparatively insignificant objects, those in common use, such
as vases, pots, jugs, implements, tools, household goods and utensils,
objects of the toilet, ornaments, etc., and infrequently on statues,
altars, and the like. In Armenia it was found on bronze pins and buttons;
in the Trojan cities on spindle-whorls; in Greece on pottery, on gold and
bronze ornaments, and fibulæ. In the Bronze Age in western Europe,
including Etruria, it is found on the common objects of life, such as
pottery, the bronze fibulæ, ceintures, spindle-whorls, etc.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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