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
[Illustration: Fig. 166. CYPRIAN VASE WITH SWASTIKAS AND FIGURES OF BIRDS.
Perrot and Chipiez, "History of Art in Phenicia and Cyprus," II, p. 300,
fig. 237; Goodyear, "Grammar of the Lotus," pl. 48, figs. 6, 12; Cesnola,
"Cyprus, its Ancient Cities, Tombs, and Temples," Appendix by Murray, p.
412, pl. 44, fig. 34.]
[Illustration: Fig. 167. CYPRIAN VASE WITH LOTUS, BOSSES, BUDS, SEPALS,
AND DIFFERENT SWASTIKAS. Cesnola Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York City. Goodyear, "Grammar of the Lotus," pl. 48, fig. 3.]
_Swastikas with four arms crossing at right angles, ends bent to the
left._--Figs. 141, 142, 144, 149, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156, and 157
represent the normal Swastika with four arms, all bending at right angles,
but to the left. The vases on which they have been found are not described
as to color or form. It would be difficult to do so correctly; besides,
these descriptions are not important in our study of the Swastika. Fig.
155 represents a vase or pitcher (oinochoë, Greek--[Greek: oinos], wine,
and [Greek: cheô], to pour) with painted Swastika, ends turned to the
left. It is in the Museum of St. Germain, and is figured by M. De
Mortillet in "Musée Préhistorique." Fig. 156 represents a Cyprian vase
from Ormidia, in the New York Museum. It is described by Cesnola[177] and
by Perrot and Chipiez.[178] Fig. 157 is taken from a fragment of archaic
Greek pottery found in Santorin (Ancient Thera), an island in the Greek
Archipelago. This island was first inhabited by the Phenicians, afterwards
by the Greeks, a colony of whom founded Cyrene in Africa. This specimen is
cited by Rochette and figured by Waring.[179]
[Illustration: Fig. 168. CYPRIAN VASE WITH BOSSES, LOTUS BUDS, AND
DIFFERENT SWASTIKAS. Cesnola Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York City. Goodyear, "Grammar of the Lotus," pl. 48, fig. 15.]
_Swastikas with four arms crossing at other than right angles, the ends
ogee and to the left._--Figs. 158, 159, and 160 show Swastikas with four
arms crossing at other than right angles, many of them ogee, but turned to
the left. Fig. 161 is a representation of a wooden button or clasp, much
resembling the later gold brooch of Sweden, classified by Montelius (p.
867), covered with plates of gold, from Sepulcher IV, Mycenæ (Schliemann,
Mycenæ, fig. 385, p. 259). The ornament in its center is one of the ogee
Swastikas with four arms (tetraskelion) curved to the left. It shows a dot
in each of the four angles of the cross similar to the Suavastika of Max
Müller and the _Croix swasticale_ of Zmigrodzki, which Burnouf attributed
to the four nails which fastened the cross _Arani_ (the female principle),
while the _Pramantha_ (the male), produced, by rotation, the holy fire
from the sacred cross. An almost exact reproduction of this Swastika will
be found on the shield of the Pima Indians of New Mexico (fig. 258).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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