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
We see on one hemisphere the [Z] standing for Zeus (= Indra) the sky
god, and on the other side a rude representation of a sacred (_somma_)
tree; a very interesting and curious western perpetuation of the
original idea and a strong indirect proof of the [Z] standing for the
emblem of the sky god.
[Illustration: Fig. 48. SPINDLE-WHORL WITH SWASTIKAS. Depth, 23 feet.
Schliemann, "Ilios," fig. 1982.]
[Illustration: Fig. 49. SPHERE DIVIDED INTO EIGHT SEGMENTS, ONE OF WHICH
CONTAINS A SWASTIKA. Schliemann, "Ilios," fig. 1999.]
[Illustration: Fig. 50. BICONICAL SPINDLE-WHORL WITH SWASTIKA. Schliemann,
"Ilios," Fig. 1949.]
Fig. 50 represents one of the biconical spindle-whorls with various
decorations on the two sides, longitudinal lines interspersed with dots,
arcs of concentric circles arranged in three parallels, etc. On one of
these sides is a normal Swastika, the arms crossing at right angles, the
ends bent at right angles to the left. The specimen shown in fig. 51
contains four perfect Swastikas and two inchoate and uncertain. Both of
the latter have been damaged by breaking the surface. The four Swastikas
all have their arms bent to the right; some are greater than at right
angles, and one arm is curved. Several ends are tapered to a point. Fig.
52 shows a whorl of biconical form. It contains two Swastikas, the main
arms of which are ogee forms, crossing each other at the center at nearly
right angles, the ogee ends curving to the right. In fig. 53 the entire
field of the upper surface is filled with, or occupied by, a Greek cross,
in the center of which is the central hole of the whorl, while on each of
the four arms is represented a Swastika, the main arms all crossing at
right angles, the ends all bent to the right at a slightly obtuse angle.
Each of these bent ends tapers to a point, some with slight curves and a
small flourish. (See figs. 33 and 34 for reference to this flourish.) The
specimen shown in fig. 54 has a center field in its upper part, of which
the decoration consists of incised parallel lines forming segments of
circles, repeated in each one of the four quarters of the field. The
center hole is surrounded by two concentric rings of incised lines. In one
of these spaces is a single Swastika; its main arms crossing at right
angles, two of its ends bent to the left at right angles, the other two in
the same direction and curved.
[Illustration: Fig. 51. BICONICAL SPINDLE-WHORL WITH SIX SWASTIKAS. Depth,
33 feet. Schliemann, "Ilios," fig. 1859.]
[Illustration: Fig. 52. BICONICAL SPINDLE-WHORL WITH TWO OGEE SWASTIKAS.
Depth, 33 feet. Schliemann, "Ilios," fig. 1876.]
[Illustration: Fig. 53. SPINDLE-WHORL WITH FOUR SWASTIKAS. Depth, 33 feet.
De Mortillet, "Musée Préhistorique," fig. 1240.]
[Illustration: Fig. 54. SPINDLE-WHORL WITH ONE SWASTIKA. Depth, 33 feet.
De Mortillet, "Musée Préhistorique," fig. 1241.]
_The Fourth City_ (13.2 to 17.6 feet deep).--Schliemann says:[144]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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