The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration: With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric Times — John Shaqi
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
Ludwig Müller, in his elaborate treatise, gives it as his opinion that the
Swastika had no connection with the Tau cross or with the _Crux ansata_,
or with the fire wheel, or with arani, or agni, or with the mystic or
alphabetic letters, nor with the so-called spokes of the solar wheel, nor
the forked lightning, nor the hammer of Thor. He considers that the
triskelion might throw light on its origin, as indicating perpetual
whirling or circular movement, which, in certain parts of southern Asia as
the emblem of Zeus, was assimilated to that of Baal, an inference which he
draws from certain Asiatic coins of 400 B. C.
Mr. R. P. Greg[46] opposes this theory and expresses the opinion that the
Swastika is far older and wider spread as a symbol than the triskelion, as
well as being a more purely Aryan symbol. Greg says that Ludwig Müller
attaches quite too much importance to the sun in connection with the early
Aryans, and lays too great stress upon the supposed relation of the
Swastika as a solar symbol. The Aryans, he says, were a race not given to
sun worship; and, while he may agree with Müller that the Swastika is an
emblem of Zeus and Jupiter merely as the Supreme God, yet he believes that
the origin of the Swastika had no reference to a movement of the sun
through the heavens; and he prefers his own theory that it was a device
suggested by the forked lightning as the chief weapon of the air god.
Mr. Greg's paper is of great elaboration, and highly complicated. He
devotes an entire page or plate (21) to a chart showing the older Aryan
fire, water, and sun gods, according to the Brahmin or Buddhist system.
The earliest was Dyaus, the bright sky or the air god; Adyti, the infinite
expanse, mother of bright gods; Varuna, the covering of the shining
firmament. Out of this trinity came another, Zeus, being the descendant of
Dyaus, the sky god; Agni, the fire; Sulya, the sun, and Indra, the rain
god. These in their turn formed the great Hindu trinity, Brahma, Vishnu,
and Siva--creator, preserver, and destroyer; and, in his opinion, the
Swastika was the symbol or ordinary device of Indra as well as of Zeus. He
continues his table of descent from these gods, with their accompanying
devices, to the sun, lightning, fire, and water, and makes almost a
complete scheme of the mythology of that period, into which it is not
possible to follow him. However, he declines to accept the theory of Max
Müller of any difference of form or meaning between the Suavastika and the
Swastika because the ends or arms turned to the right or to the left, and
he thinks the two symbols to be substantially the same. He considers it to
have been, in the first instance, exclusively of early Aryan origin and
use, and that down to about 600 B. C. it was the emblem or symbol of the
supreme Aryan god; that it so continued down through the various steps of
descent (according to the chart mentioned) until it became the device and
symbol of Brahma, and finally of Buddha.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account