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
Fig. 55 shows a simple cone, the upper surface being flat and without
other decoration than three Swastikas equidistant from the hole and from
each other, all made by the two crossed ogee lines with ends curved to the
right. This specimen is much like that of Fig. 71 (Madam Schliemann
collection in the U. S. National Museum, Cat. No. 149704). Fig. 56 shows a
remarkable spindle-whorl. Its marks greatly excited the interest of Dr.
Schliemann, and he devoted much space to the discussion of these and
similar characters. The whorl is in the form of a cone. It bears upon its
conical surface four Swastikas, the ends of three of which bend to the
right and one to the left. There are but two of these ends which bend at
right angles. Most of them are at an obtuse angle, while the ends of two
are curved. Some taper to a point and finish with a slight flourish. The
other marks which so interested Dr. Schliemann were the chevron ornament
(zigzag), drawn in parallel lines, which, he strongly argued, and
fortified with many authorities, represented lightning. The second series
of marks he called a "burning altar." This assertion he also fortified
with authorities and with illustrations of a similar sign from different
countries. (See fig. 101.) The third series of marks represented an
animal, name and character unknown, with a head or tusks with two large
branching horns or ears, a straight back, a stiff but drooping tail, four
legs, and two rows of the remarkable dots--seven in one, six in the
other--placed over the back of the animal. (See figs. 99 and 100.) Fig. 57
represents another cone-shaped whorl, the flat surface of which is
engraved with one perfect Swastika, the two arms crossing each other at
right angles and the two ends bending at right angles to the right; the
other two are curved, also to the right. Two of the other figures Dr.
Schliemann calls Swastikas, although they are uncertain in some of their
arms and angles. The fourth character he imagined to be an inchoate or
attempted Swastika. Fig. 58 shows a biconical whorl with curious and
inexplicable characters. One of them forms a crude Swastika, which, while
the main arms cross at right angles the ends are bent at uncertain angles,
three to the left and one to the right. These characters are so
undetermined that it is doubtful if they could have had any signification,
either ornamental or otherwise. Fig. 59 is almost conical, the flat
surface thereof being only slightly raised at the center. It is much the
same form as the whorls shown in figs. 55 and 71. The nearly flat surface
is the top, and on it, equidistant from the center hole and from each
other, are three ogee Swastikas of double lines, with their ends all
curved to the right. In the alternate spaces are small incised circles,
with dots in the centers. In fig. 60 a biconical whorl is shown. It has
three of the circle segments marked in equilateral positions, with three
or four parallel lines, after the style shown in Fig. 54.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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