Oct 21, 2009 - Hey, did you know that you can type swastikas? I'm not sure what the keystroke control shift alt delete combination is but now you can cut.
The swastika EssayWhat does the symbol mean?The swastika is a cross that has its ends bent at right angles- it ends up looking like a spine. In geometry, the swastika is described as a 20 sided polygon (a.k.a. An irregular icosagon). Heller (2008) notes that the swastika is also referred to as a “Gammadion,” “Hakenkreuz” or a “Flyfot.” It is also referred to as the “hooked cross” in German “the Hakenkreuz.” The swastika has various meanings across the world. The symbol of the Swastika is about 3000 years old. ” Specifically, “su” means “well” while “asti” means “being.” In the worship of the Aryan sun gods the swastika is considered as a representation of the sun.Temples: Influence of cultural understandingsThe swastika is used in the decoration of Hindu temples. Furthermore it is found on Hindu altars, pictures, sacred scripture, letter heads, gifts, iconography and signs.
On a daily basis the symbol is used during Hindu weddings, feasts, ceremonies, houses, passages, clothes, jewelry and decoration on food as well as pastries. The people who built temples which have swastikas in them as we see it today in the remains had a very high regard for the symbol. In the minds of these people who built these temples the swastika was inevitable because it brought good luck to building and ensured its sacred nature. To these people, the swastika is sacred, thus a part of their worship. Apart from temples, the swastika is also found on artifacts belonging to various groups in history- Indo Asians, Hittites, Slavs, Celts, Greeks, etc.
Some of these artifacts such as books, clothes, vases and goblets were used regularly in temples. Heller (2008)Why so many different meanings?The swastika has very many different meanings because it has been around and used for a very long time. The symbol has existed for many years. During this time, various ethnic and religious groups have attached meaning to it and interpreted the symbol according to their own terms. It is used in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Furthermore, Heller (2008) adds that the swastika is a sign among the Navajos and Nordic people.
The swastika symbol is also found in many cultures across the world- Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Southern European. In each of these places the swastika has a different name and it is interesting to note that among the Chinese the swastika is turned anti-clockwise. In these different cultures, the swastika has different meanings namely: life, the sun, good luck, strength and power. The current association of the swastika to Nazi Germany blinds many people from the various meaning which the symbol has across the world. The Germans used the swastika because they believe to have originated from the Aryan race. Since the Aryans used it, the Germans too adopted it. This was long before the Nazis began to use it.
The Nazi party officially adopted the use of the Swastika on the 7th of august 1920 during a congress in Salzburg.Similarities and differences of the swastika across two culturesIn Hinduism, Heller (2008) writes that the swastika is used as a symbol representing the sun god, “Surya.” Since the symbol faces all directions, the swastika represents stability. The swastika is considered holy in Hinduism. This is why the symbol is used to decorate many objects in that culture.In Buddhism the swastika is also known as the “yung drung” (in Tibet) and in this religion it represents eternity. In Japanese the swastika is referred to as “manji.” This literally means that the symbol which represents eternity. Furthermore the swastika also symbolizes harmony in the universe as well as a balance between opposites. When the spines on the swastika face left, it is referred to as “omote’ and represents love and mercy.
However, on the other hand, when the spines face right, it is referred to as “ura” and represents strength and intelligence.Jainism gives a great deal of prominence to the swastika. According to traditions in Jainism, the swastika is one of the symbols of the “ashta-mangalas.” As a result, the swastika is a very important symbol- all temples and holy books in this religion must have a swastika. Furthermore, ceremonies in temples begin and end with signs of the swastika made with rice around the altar. This is similar to Christianity were the sign of the cross is made.
In Jainism, the sign of the swastika is done. Among adherents of Jainism in Gujarat, India, the swastika is known as the “sathiyo.” In Gujarat, swastikas are made of rice in front of idols and worshippers place offerings on the swastika. These offerings are diverse and range from dried fruit and sweets to currency notes. As an important symbol in Jainism, India issued a 100 rupee coin in honor of the 2600th anniversary of the birth of Mahavir (an important figure in Jainism) and this coin has a swastika on it.In many of religions of the world, the swastika is a sacred symbol which has specific meaning attached to it. In many cases it is said to bring good luck. This is a major similarity with regard to the swastika among the many religions of the world- Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Mithraism.ConclusionMany people across the world today are quick to write off the swastika as a symbol which Hitler used on red flags with which he perpetrated his destructive mission.
In many places, the swastika evokes sad memories of concentration camps run by the Nazis. However, the swastika was used long before Hitler came on the scene. It is an interesting study to note the different meanings of swastika among various groups and faiths.ReferencesBalchin, W.
(1944) “The Swastika” Folklore Vol. 4 (Dec.)Heller, Steven (2008) The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption? New York: Allworth Press.
Swastika, equilateral with arms bent at right angles, all in the same rotary direction, usually clockwise. The swastika as a of prosperity and good fortune is widely distributed throughout the ancient and modern world. The word is derived from the Sanskrit svastika, meaning “conducive to well-being.” It was a favourite symbol on ancient coinage. In Scandinavia the left-hand swastika was the sign for the god ’s hammer.
The swastika also appeared in early Christian and (where it became known as the gammadion cross, or crux gammata, because it could be constructed from four Greek gammas Γ attached to a common base), and it occurred in South and Central America (among the ) and in (principally among the ).In India the swastika continues to be the most widely used symbol of,. Among the Jainas it is the emblem of their seventh (saint) and is also said to remind the worshiper by its four arms of the four possible places of rebirth—in the animal or plant world, in hell, on Earth, or in the spirit world.The Hindus (and also Jainas) use the swastika to mark the opening pages of their account books, doors, and offerings. A clear distinction is made between the right-hand swastika, which moves in a clockwise direction, and the left-hand swastika (more correctly called the sauvastika), which moves in a counterclockwise direction. The right-hand swastika is considered a solar symbol and imitates in the rotation of its arms the course taken daily by the, which in the Northern Hemisphere appears to pass from east, then south, to west. The left-hand swastika more often stands for night, the terrifying goddess, and magical practices.
Facts Matter. Support the truth and unlock all of Britannica’s content.In Germany the swastika (German: Hakenkreuz), with its oblique arms turned clockwise, became the national symbol. In 1910 a poet and nationalist ideologist Guido von List had suggested the swastika as a symbol for all anti-Semitic organizations; and when the was formed in 1919–20, it adopted it. On September 15, 1935, the black swastika on a white circle with a red background became the national. This use of the swastika ended in with the German surrender in May 1945, though the swastika is still favoured by neo-Nazi groups.