For the town in Ontario, see Swastika, Ontario.

The swastika (from Sanskrit स्वास्तिक ) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles in either left-facing () or right-facing () direction. The swastika is a holy symbol in Hinduism and Jainism. In the West, it is most widely known and used as a symbol of Nazism. It is traditionally oriented so that a main line is horizontal, though it is occasionally rotated at forty-five degrees. The Hindu version is often decorated with a dot in each quadrant.

Overview

---

The motif seems to have first been used in Neolithic Eurasia. The swastika is used in religious and civil ceremonies in India. Most Indian temples, entrance of houses, weddings, festivals and celebrations are decorated with swastikas. The symbol was introduced to Southeast Asia by Hindu kings and remains an integral part of Balinese Hinduism to this day, and it is a common sight in Indonesia. The symbol has an ancient history in Europe, appearing on artifacts from pre-Christian European cultures. It was also adopted independently by several Native American cultures. In the Western world, the symbol experienced a resurgence following the archaeological work in the late nineteenth century of Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered the symbol in the site of ancient Troy and associated it with the ancient migrations of Proto-Indo-Europeans ("Aryan" people). He connected it with similar shapes found on ancient pots in Germany, and theorised that the swastika was a "significant religious symbol of our remote ancestors," linking ancient German, Greek and Vedic culture.Schliemann, H, Troy and its remains, London: Murray, 1875, pp. 102, 119-20 Sarah Boxer. "One of the world's great symbols strives for a comeback". The New York Times, July 29, 2000. By the early 20th century it was widely used worldwide and was regarded as a symbol of good luck and auspiciousness.

The work of Schliemann soon became intertwined with the völkisch movements, for which the swastika was a symbol of "Aryan" identity, a concept that came to be equated by theorists like Alfred Rosenberg with a Nordic master race originating in northern Europe. Since its adoption by the Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler, the swastika has been associated with fascism, racism (white supremacy), World War II, and the Holocaust in much of the West. The swastika remains a core symbol of Neo-Nazi groups, and is also regularly used by activist groups to signify the supposed Nazi-like behaviour of organizations and individuals they oppose.

More on [ Swastika ]

Swastika - Twitter Search

ay swastika christmas sweater what????? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6wseDgvkbQ
mallow610 (mallow610) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:00:22 -0000
ay swastika christmas sweater what????? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6wseDgvkbQ
@caseclosed31 a swastika? let me guess -- a complete asshole looking for a fight? am i close?
Nationaltwitts (Bernie) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:43:41 -0000
@caseclosed31 a swastika? let me guess -- a complete asshole looking for a fight? am i close?
So a guy walked in here with a huge swastika on his shirt.... I'm German too, but seriously, dude.... WTF ???
caseclosed31 (#Case) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:28:50 -0000
So a guy walked in here with a huge swastika on his shirt.... I'm German too, but seriously, dude.... WTF ???
and those kids who wear swastika, che guevara, or mao tse tung shirts? Idiots. Imbeciles. All your history teachers should be fired.
alypaap (Alyssa P.) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:24:56 -0000
and those kids who wear swastika, che guevara, or mao tse tung shirts? Idiots. Imbeciles. All your history teachers should be fired.
@ATROCiTYinc http://twitpic.com/u92o8 - Um...is that a SWASTIKA on his shirt, above the bars???? (I know it can't be, but that looks WEIRD!
reesah (S. Reesa Herberth) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:16:12 -0000
@ATROCiTYinc http://twitpic.com/u92o8 - Um...is that a SWASTIKA on his shirt, above the bars???? (I know it can't be, but that looks WEIRD!
RT @robdelaney: Dude w/ a swastika tattoo ON HIS NECK just asked me for $. I didn't give him any. There's a lesson in there somewhere...
jroadman (Jenna Roadman) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:55:26 -0000
RT @robdelaney: Dude w/ a swastika tattoo ON HIS NECK just asked me for $. I didn't give him any. There's a lesson in there somewhere...

Subscribe to Swastika RSS feed