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
with a particular idea, either as a symbol, charm, or ornament, and not a
meaningless figure to fill a vacant space.
Yet it is practically this difficult form of the cross which appears to
have spread itself through the widest culture areas, extending almost to
the uttermost parts of the earth. All this is foundation for the
suggestion that the Swastika was not the result of duplicate invention or
independent discovery, that it is not an illustration of parallelism in
human thought, but that it was transmitted from person to person, or
passed from one country to another, either by the migration of its people,
by their contact or communication, or by the migration and transmission of
the symbol and the sign itself. Pushing the argument of the difficulty of
its making, to account for the rarity of the design, it is alleged that in
modern times the Swastika is practically unknown among Christian peoples.
It passed out of use among them nigh a thousand years ago and has been
supplanted by every other imaginable geometric form. The fret, chevron,
herringbone, crosses, and circles of every kind, spirals, volutes, ogees,
moldings, etc., have all remained in use since neolithic times, but no
Swastika. The latest use mentioned in the literature upon this subject
appears to have been in the arch-Episcopal chair in the cathedral at
Milan, which bears the three ancient Christian crosses, the Latin cross,
the monogram of Christ, and the Swastika, of which the first and last are
carved in alternates around the pedestal of the chair. Yet the knowledge
of the Swastika has been perpetuated in some countries and its use has not
died out all over the world; therefore, examples of its use in modern
times should be noted in order to prevent misapprehension and
contradiction. The double Greek fret made with two continuous lines (fig.
139) forms a pseudo Swastika at each intersection, although we have seen
that this is not a real but only an apparent Swastika (p. 783). This is
used in modern times by carpet and linen weavers as borders for carpets
and tablecloths, and by tile makers in similar decoration. The Swastika
mark has continued in use among the Orientals; the Theosophists have
adopted it as a seal or insignia; the Japanese (fig. 30), the Koreans (p.
799), the Chinese (fig. 31), the Jains (figs. 33, 34), and, among the
North American Indians, the Navajo (pl. 17), and those of the Kansas
Reservation (pls. 15 and 16). It is not used by European peoples in modern
times, except in Lapland and Finland. The National Museum has lately
received a collection of modern household and domestic utensils from
Lapland, some of which bear the marks of the cross and one a churn, the
lid of which bears a possible Swastika mark. Through the kindness of
Professor Mason and Mr. Cushing, I have received a drawing of this (fig.
344). Theodor Schvindt, in "Suomalaisia koristeita,"[309] a book of
standard national Finnish patterns for the embroideries of the country,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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