By Rebecca
Yes, it is true; the swastika is going to be forever etched in most people’s minds as a
symbol of the Nazi movement. It is a true tragedy considering how much this symbol has
to offer humanity. Before the swastika was hijacked by Hitler to become the Hakenkreuz
(hooked cross) it was living a peaceful life providing luck and good fortune to millions of
people. This may seem awkward to say, but join me in opening your hearts to the
swastika.
The swastika is a simple shape. It’s an equilateral cross, with the arms bent at right
angles in either a left-facing or right-facing direction. Some people espouse the belief
that a left-facing swastika is a sign of evil. Perhaps that’s true, the power a symbol has is
only what is given to it by its viewer, but as far as I’ve uncovered, there is no historical
precedent to confirm such a belief. Traditionally the swastika is oriented so that the main
line is horizontal, but you will sometimes see it rotated slightly.
The swastika has a long history, and as any long lived thing, it has amassed a significant
number of names associated with it. As mentioned before, the swastika lived a part of its
life as the hooked cross of the Nazi movement. It is also known as the gammadion due to
it being created out of four of the Greek characters gamma. In medieval times it was
referred to as the fylfot, which was due to its use in stained glass windows where the
swastika was used to fill the “foot” or bottom of the decorative pieces. When discussing
heraldry, the swastika is known as the cross cramponne because each arm resembles a
crampon or angle-iron. There are dozens more names that the swastika is known by, but
must important is when we’re talking about the original….the swastika.
The swastika is a sacred symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism. For the Hindu the swastika
represents the two forms of the god Brahma. Brahma is a creation deity, so the left-
facing form represents the evolution of the universe and the right-facing signifies the
involution of the universe. As if that wasn’t enough, on its own the swastika is a holy
symbol and you will find it as decoration on all kinds of things throughout the Hindu world
and culture. For Buddhists, the swastika represents eternality. As such you will find it on
the chests and feet of some Buddhist statuary. Right-facing represents the balance of
opposites, Dharma, and universal harmony. Left-facing represents intelligence and
strength. Of course, thanks to good ole’ hooked cross swastika you will be hard pressed
to find a right facing swastika at a Buddhist temple outside of India. In China you will find
a swastika on maps to denote the location of temples and frequently on Chinese food
packaging to signify that the product is vegetarian.
The swastika has a place in Native American traditions as well. To the Navajo it was (and
perhaps still is) a sacred image used in rituals. Due to its frequent associations with the
sun, the swastika has a place in Germanic and Slavic history, folklore, and art.
It's OK we're taking it back: The Swastika
