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
In the spaces
are two Swastikas, in both of which the two main arms cross at right
angles. Some of the ends bend at a right, and others at an obtuse, angle.
In one of the Swastikas the bent ends turn toward each other, forming a
rude figure 8. The specimen shown in fig. 61 is biconical, but much
flattened; it contains five ogee Swastikas, of which the ends of four bend
to the right and one to the left. In an interval between them is one of
the burning altars. Fig. 62 shows three Swastikas with double parallel
lines. The main arms cross each other at right angles; the ends are bent
at nearly right angles, one to the left, one to the right, and the other
both ways. Fig. 63 represents a spindle-whorl with a cup-shaped depression
around the central hole, which is surrounded by three lines in concentric
circles, while on the field, at 90 degrees from each other, are four ogee
Swastikas (tetraskelions), the arms all turning to the left and spirally
each upon itself. The specimen shown in fig. 64 is biconical, though, as
usual, the upper cone is the smallest. There are parallel lines, three in
a set, forming the segments of three circles, in one space of which
appears a Swastika of a curious and unique form, similar to that shown in
fig. 60. The two main arms cross each other at very nearly right angles
and the ends also bend at right angles toward and approaching each other,
so that if continued slightly farther they would close and form a
decorative figure 8. The specimen shown in fig. 65 is decorated with
parallel lines, three in number, arranged in segments of three circles,
the periphery of which is toward the center, as in figs. 60 and 64. In one
of the spaces is a Swastika of curious form; the main arms cross each
other at right angles, but the four ends represent different styles--two
are bent square to the left, one square to the right, and the fourth
curves to the left at no angle. Fig. 66 shows a biconical whorl, and its
top is decorated to represent three Swastikas and three burning altars.
The ends of the arms of the Swastikas all bend to the left, some are at
right angles and some at obtuse angles, while two or three are curved; two
of them show corrections, the marks at the ends having been changed in one
case at a different angle and in another from a straight line to a curve.
Fig. 67 shows four specimens of Swastika, the main arms of all of which
cross at right angles. The ends all bend to the right, at nearly right
angles, tapering to a point and finishing with the slight flourish noted
in the Jain Swastika (fig. 34_c_). They are alternated with a chevron
decoration. Fig. 68 shows three Swastikas, the ends of the arms of which
are all bent to the left. One Swastika is composed of two ogee lines. Two
arms of another are curved, but all others are bent at right angles, some
of them tapering to points, finishing with a little flourish (figs. 67
and 34_c_). One of these ends, like that in fig. 66, has been corrected by
the maker. Fig.
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