The history of the swastika goes much further back than the sad meaning and full of atrocities committed by Adolph Hitler in Germany. Actually, the swastika meant, and means, the complete opposite of what this character infused with the symbol. But have you ever heard it?
Today we want to focus on you knowing the history of the swastika. If you wonder why, we will tell you that a designer must know the origin of every symbol. Because sometimes this one changes as radically as this one did.
The origin of the swastika
Everyone associates the swastika as a symbol of Nazi Germany. However, very few know that this was used a long time ago. According to historians, some objects have been found bearing this symbol. Specifically, the ones we have been able to find are the following:
A bird torso carved with a design of interlocking swastikas. According to the carbon test to which it was subjected, it is known to date back 15000 years.
- Simple swastikas that are related to the Neolithic Vinca culture in Southeast Europe, dated to 7000 years ago. It is thought that it was a way of expressing the number 13, as a swastika, by the shepherds of Djowi (present-day Iran).
- Clay pots with swastikas dating back 4000 years.
- Coins from ancient Mesopotamia that have that same symbol and that date back 3000 years.
All this can give you an idea that the swastika was not invented by Hitler as such. And it didn't have that sad, cruel and "black" meaning that was given to it either.
What does the swastika mean?
The first thing you should know about the history of the swastika is that it had a meaning. Its origin is attributed to Hinduism and it is known that the word comes from the Sanskrit suastíka, which means "very auspicious" (good omen, favourable). Therefore, the meaning of the swastika was positive; It came to indicate success, well-being, fortune, luck...
If we divide the word, it is made up of two terms:
- Su, which means good or very.
- asti, which is the third person singular of the verb to be.
Therefore, we could translate it as good is, well is, or, as it is commonly known, "well-being."
There are other names by which it can also be known, such as the following:
- Swastika.
- Cross crampon.
- Tetraskel.
- Wan. The latter deserves a little more mention since it is currently used in China as a Chinese character (it is related to the number 10.000).
Before Hitler, it was a very welcome symbol
And not only welcome, but many well-known brands used it. It was a symbol that represented good fortune and good luck. Coca-Cola, for example, used it in some advertisements that were placed in stores. Carlsberg also made use of it in their bottles. There was even a magazine called the Swastika that was run by the Girls Club of America (sort of like the female boyscouts). And badges with this symbol were sent to those who signed up for the club, in addition to awarding them to those who sold the most.
Even the US military wore it with pride. This was stamped on Royal Air Force aircraft.
At least, until Hitler made an appearance and relegated it to a dark, cruel and unpleasant meaning.
The reason why Hitler chose the swastika as a symbol
According to historians, by the late 30s, many German scholars were sure that there were similarities between German and Sanskrit. Some even came to think that the Indians and the Germans had common ancestors, and a story began to take shape in which they imagined a race of white warriors. I would.
Such was the conviction of this idea that many nationalist groups decided to appropriate the swastika, giving it a meaning of "national pride" and displaying it against the Jewish people, who for them were something that "dirty their pure origin and that of their future". .
It was Hitler who finally gave it the design that now terrifies many. In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote:
«Meanwhile, after innumerable attempts, I established the final form; a flag with a red background, a white disk and a black swastika in the center. After long trials, I also found the final ratio between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk, as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika."
At that time it became the icon of Nazi propaganda and a symbol that was totally contrary to its origin. Yes, for the Germans it was a symbol of pride and nationality; but for the Jewish people it only meant suppression, fear and death.
The swastika, a symbol used in many cultures
If you think that the swastika is only an oriental symbol or that in Europe it was only present in the Nazi era, the truth is that you are wrong. Actually, it is known that it appeared in many areas of Europe. There are Greek, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon discoveries of the swastika, in Eastern Europe... Which tells us that the symbol was already there for thousands of years, always with a positive connotation.
Currently, this symbol can be seen in Roman, Romanesque and Gothic art, in places as famous as Amiens Cathedral, in France, or closer, in the Valencia Cathedral (the Gate of the Iron Gate). .
Mosaics, friezes, vases, coins, temples... and it is even part of some Hindu traditions and ceremonies, where the symbol still retains that positive meaning that seeks the well-being of whoever wears it.
The two forms of the swastika
Did you know that the swastika has two different shapes?
- The swastika, which has the upper arm pointing to the right and is said to be because it rotates clockwise.
- The sauvástica, which has the upper arm to the left (and therefore rotates counterclockwise).
In both cases the symbol has a total of 20 sides, making it an irregular icoságono. The best known is black, but in reality it has many other colors such as red, orange, blue...
Now you know a little more about the history of the swastika. Do you think it will get rid of its dark meaning?