Slavic swastika, its significance for us should be the subject of special attention. It is possible to confuse the fascist swastika and Slavic only with complete ignorance of history and culture. A thoughtful and attentive person knows that the swastika is not originally a "brand" of Germany from the time of fascism. Today, not all people remember the true history of this sign. And all this thanks to the world tragedy of the Great Patriotic War, which thundered across the Earth under the standard of a subordinate swastika (enclosed in an inextricable circle). We need to figure out what this swastika symbol was in Slavic culture, why it is still revered, and how today we can put it into practice. Remember that the Nazi swastika is banned in Russia.
Archaeological excavations on the territory of modern Russia and in neighboring countries confirm that the swastika is a much more ancient symbol than the emergence of fascism. So, there are finds with images of a solar symbol dating back to 10,000-15,000 years before the advent of our era. Slavic culture is replete with numerous facts, confirmed by archaeologists, that our people used the swastika everywhere.
vessel found in the Caucasus
The Slavs still retained the memory of this sign, because embroidery patterns are still transmitted, as well as ready-made towels, or homespun belts and other products. In the photo - the belts of the Slavs of different regions and dating.
Looking up old photographs, drawings, you can make sure that the Russians also massively used the swastika symbol. For example, the image of swastikas in a laurel wreath on money, weapons, banners, sleeve chevrons of Red Army soldiers (1917-1923). The honor of the uniform and the solar symbol in the center of the symbolism were one.
But even today you can find both a straight and stylized swastika in the architecture preserved in Russia. For example, let's take only one city of St. Petersburg. Take a closer look at the mosaics on the floor of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, or the Hermitage, to forged vignettes, moldings on buildings along many streets and embankments of this city.
Paul in St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Paul in the Small Hermitage, Room 241, History of Ancient Painting.
Fragment of the ceiling in the Small Hermitage, Room 214, "Italian Art of the Late 15th-16th Centuries".
House in St. Petersburg on Angliyskaya embankment, 24 (the building was built in 1866).
Slavic swastika - meaning and meaning
The Slavic swastika is an equilateral cross, the ends of which are equally bent in one direction (sometimes along the movement of the clock hands, sometimes against). On the bend, the ends on the four sides of the figure form a right angle (straight swastika), and sometimes - sharp or blunt (oblique swastika). They depicted a symbol with pointed and rounded bends of the ends.
Such symbols can mistakenly include a double, triple ("triskelion" with three rays, the symbol of Zervan - the god of space and time, fate and time among the Iranians), an eight-ray ("kolovrat" or "rotary") figure. These variations are incorrectly called swastikas. Our ancestors, the Slavs, perceived each symbol, albeit similar to something else, as a force that has its own separate purpose and function in Nature.
Our native ancestors gave the meaning to the swastika like this - the movement of forces and bodies in a spiral. If this is the sun, then the sign showed vortex flows in the heavenly body. If this is the Galaxy, the Universe, then the movement of celestial bodies in a spiral within the system around a certain center was understood. The center is, as a rule, "self-radiant" light (white light without a source).
Slavic swastika in other traditions and peoples
Our ancestors of the Slavic families in ancient times, along with other peoples, revered swastika symbols not only as amulets, but also as signs of sacred significance. They helped people get in touch with the gods. So, in Georgia they still believe that the roundness of the corners in the swastika means nothing more than the infinity of movement in the entire Universe.
The Indian swastika is now inscribed not only on the temples of various Aryan gods, but is also used as a protective symbolism in household use. They draw this sign in front of the entrance to the dwelling, draw it on dishes, and use it in embroidery. Modern Indian fabrics are still produced with designs of rounded swastika symbols, similar to a blossoming flower.
Near India, in Tibet, Buddhists are no less respectful of the swastika, drawing it on Buddha statues. In this tradition, the swastika means that the cycle in the universe is endless. In many respects, even the whole law of the Buddha is complicated on the basis of this, as recorded in the dictionary "Buddhism", Moscow, ed. "Respublika", 1992 Back in the days of Tsarist Russia, the emperor met with Buddhist lamas, finding much in common in the wisdom and philosophy of the two cultures. Today, llamas use the swastika as a protective sign that protects against evil spirits and demons.
The Slavic and fascist swastikas differ in that the former is not included in a square, circle, or any other outline, while on the Nazi flags we observe that the figure is most often located in the center of a white circle-disk located on a red field. The Slavs never had the desire or purpose to place the sign of any God, Lord or power in a closed space.
We are talking about the so-called "subjugation" of the swastika so that it "works" for those who use it at will. It is believed that after A. Hitler drew attention to this symbol, a special witchcraft rite was performed. The motive of the ceremony was as follows - to begin to rule the whole world with the help of heavenly forces, subjugating all peoples. As far as this is true, the sources are silent, but on the other hand, many generations of people were able to see what can be done with the symbol and how to denigrate it and use it to their advantage.
Swastika in Slavic culture - where it is used
The swastika among the Slavic peoples is found in different signs, which have their own names. In total, there are 144 species of such names today. The following variations are popular among them: Kolovrat, Charovrat, Salting, Inglia, Agni, Svaor, Ognevik, Suasti, Yarovrat, Svarga, Rasich, Svyatoch and others.
In the Christian tradition, swastikas are still used, depicting various saints on Orthodox icons. An attentive person will see such signs on mosaics, paintings, icons, or attire of a priest.
Small swastikas and double swastikas depicted on the robe of Christ Pantocrator the Almighty - a Christian fresco in the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Novgorod Kremlin.
Today, swastika symbols are used by those Slavs who continue to honor the horses of their ancestors and remember their Native Gods. So, on the celebration of the day of Perun the Thunderer, round dances are held around the swastika signs laid out on the ground (or inscribed) - “Fash” or “Agni”. There is also a well-known dance "Kolovrat". The magical meaning of the sign was passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, understanding Slavs today can freely wear amulets with swastika signs, use them as talismans.
The swastika in Slavic culture was perceived differently in different places in Russia. For example, on the Pechora River, the inhabitants called this sign "hare", perceiving it as a sunbeam, a ray of sunlight. But in Ryazan - "feather grass", seeing in the sign the embodiment of the elements of the wind. But the people also felt the fiery power in the sign. So, there are the names "solar wind", "flinters", "saffron milk cap" (Nizhny Novgorod region).
The concept of "swastika" was transformed into a semantic meaning - "what came from Heaven." Here are concluded: "Sva" - Heaven, Svarga Heavenly, Svarog, rune "s" - direction, "tika" - running, movement, the arrival of something. Understanding the origin of the word "Suasti" ("Swasti") helps to determine the strength of the sign. "Su" - good or beautiful, "asti" - to be, to abide. In general, we can summarize the meaning of the swastika - "Be good!".
Mein Kampf - Hitler's autobiography, where he said that the swastika, as a symbol of the National Socialist movement, was his idea. As a child, Adolf most likely saw this symbol on the wall of a Catholic monastery near the town of Lambach. A cross with curved ends is a sign that has been widely demanded since antiquity. He was depicted on coins, household items and emblems from the 8th millennium BC. Then the swastika was a symbol of life, the sun, prosperity. Another place where Hitler could see her is the emblems of Austrian anti-Semitic organizations.
Calling the symbol Hakenkreuz (Hakenkreuz is translated from German as a hook cross), the dictator called himself the first to create this symbol, although in Germany it was used even before Hitler. So, in 1920, the leader of the Nazis, if I may say so, developed the logo of the party - a red flag, inside of which there is a white circle, and in its center a black swastika with hooks. So, red is Marxism, it came after the 120,000th demonstration of the left under the red banner. The Fuhrer also noticed how strongly the scarlet color affects the human psyche. In general, Hitler talked about all the influence of symbols on a person, about their meaning. This was to help him inject his ideology into the masses. When the Fuhrer used the color red, he turned the death of socialism. That is, so brightly he attracted the attention of workers who were already familiar with the red banner. By adding a black swastika to the already familiar scarlet flag, he, as it were, lured the citizens to his side with the help of bait.
Hitler has a red color - movement, white - the sky and nationalism, and a swastika - the work and struggle of the Aryans. In general, it is impossible to recognize the full authorship of Hitler in the creation of symbols. By and large, he even stole the name of the party from the Viennese nationalists, simply rearranged some of the letters. The use of symbols is the idea of the dentist Friedrich Krohn, he handed over the note to the leadership of the party back in 1919. But in his "brilliant" autobiography, Hitler does not say a word about the dentist.
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However, in the understanding of Kron himself, red was supposed to be the personification of love for the motherland, white - hatred for the First World War, and the black cross - sorrow for the defeat in the war. Hitler stole the idea and turned it into a symbol of the struggle against the "inferior" races. Jews, Slavs and all other "blond beasts" were to be destroyed, the Fuhrer believed.
So, the ancient symbol, which personified goodness, became overshadowed by its use in National Socialist symbolism. Later, in 1946, the mention of Nazi ideology and symbols became prohibited, as decided by the Nuremberg Tribunal. The swastika, of course, also fell under the ban. Today, the attitude towards the swastika has slightly lowered its degree. For example, in April 2015, Roskomnadzor acknowledged that its use outside of any kind of propaganda does not constitute extremist activity. However, at the sight of a swastika, any person first of all remembers fascism, you cannot erase history, alas. It is very difficult to return a symbol to its former meaning after such a serious humiliation of its meaning. Even today, many racist organizations actively use the swastika in their illegal activities.
There is one strange hypothesis, which is mainly distributed on the Internet, it says that the swastika came to Hitler from Stalin. The authors refer to Russian banknotes of the period from 1917 to 1923, where the swastika was depicted. The swastika was also found on the sleeve patches of soldiers and officers of the Red Army, it was recognized in laurel wreaths, where the letters “R.S.F.S.R” were also located. As for Stalin, he could "give" the swastika to Hitler in 1920, but this hypothesis is too vague.
In order to return the ancient symbol to its original meaning, it may take more than a dozen years.
Swastika (Skt. स्वस्तिक from Skt. स्वस्ति , match, greeting, good luck) - a cross with curved ends ("rotating"), directed clockwise (卐) or counterclockwise (卍). The swastika is one of the most ancient and widespread graphic symbols.
The swastika was used by many peoples of the world - it was present on weapons, everyday items, clothes, banners and coats of arms, and was used in the design of churches and houses. The oldest archaeological finds with the image of the swastika date back to approximately 10-15 millennium BC.
The swastika as a symbol has many meanings, for most peoples they were all positive. The swastika among most ancient peoples was a symbol of the movement of life, the Sun, light and prosperity.
Occasionally, the swastika is also used in heraldry, mainly English, where it is called fylfot and is usually depicted with shortened ends.
In the Vologda region, where swastika patterns and signs are extremely widespread, village old people in the 50s said that the word swastika is a Russian word that comes from sva- (one’s own, following the example of a matchmaker, brother-in-law, etc.) -isti- or there is, I exist, with the addition of a particle -ka, which must be understood as a diminutive meaning of the main word (river - river, stove - stove, etc.), that is, a sign. Thus, the word swastika, in such an etymology, means the sign "one's own", and not someone else's. What was it like for our grandfathers, from the same Vologda region, to see the sign “there is one” on the banners of their worst enemy.
Near the constellation Ursa Major (dr. Makosh) allocate a constellation swastikas, to date not included in any astronomical atlas.
Constellation swastikas in the upper left corner of the image of the map of stars in the sky of the Earth
The main human energy centers, called in the East chakras, earlier - on the territory of modern Rus' were called swastikas: the oldest amulet symbol of the Slavs and Aryans, a symbol of the eternal cycle of the Universe. The swastika reflects the Highest Heavenly Law, to which everything that exists is subject. This fiery sign was used by people as a talisman that guards the existing order in the universe.
Swastika in the cultures of countries and peoples
The swastika is one of the most archaic sacred symbols, already found in the Upper Paleolithic among many peoples of the world. India, ancient Rus', China, Ancient Egypt, the Mayan state in Central America - this is the incomplete geography of this symbol. Swastika symbols denoted calendar signs back in the days of the Scythian kingdom. The swastika can be seen on old Orthodox icons. The swastika is a symbol of the Sun, good luck, happiness, creation (the "correct" swastika). And, accordingly, the swastika of the opposite direction symbolizes darkness, destruction, the “night Sun” among the ancient Russians. As can be seen from ancient ornaments, in particular, on jugs found in the vicinity of Arkaim, both swastikas were used. This has deep meaning. Day replaces night, light replaces darkness, new birth replaces death - and this is the natural order of things in the Universe. Therefore, in ancient times there were no "bad" and "good" swastikas - they were perceived in unity.
This symbol was found on clay vessels from Samarra (the territory of modern Iraq), which date back to the 5th millennium BC. The swastika in the left and right rotation form is found in the pre-Aryan culture of Mohenjo-Daro (Indus River basin) and ancient China around 2000 BC. In Northeast Africa, archaeologists have found a burial stele of the Meroz kingdom, which existed in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. The fresco on the stele depicts a woman entering the afterlife, and a swastika also flaunts on the clothes of the deceased. The rotating cross also adorns the golden weights for scales that belonged to the inhabitants of Ashanta (Ghana), and the clay utensils of the ancient Indians, and the carpets of the Persians. The swastika was on almost all amulets among the Slavs, Germans, Pomors, Skalvians, Curonians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Mordovians, Udmurts, Bashkirs, Chuvashs and many other peoples. In many religions, the swastika is an important religious symbol.
Children light oil lamps on New Year's Eve Diwali.
The swastika in India has traditionally been seen as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance. It was closely associated with the cult of the god Agni. She is mentioned in the Ramayana. In the form of a swastika, a wooden tool was made to produce the sacred fire. They laid him flat on the ground; the recess in the middle served for the rod, which was rotated until the appearance of fire, kindled on the altar of the deity. It was carved in many temples, on the rocks, on the ancient monuments of India. Also a symbol of esoteric Buddhism. In this aspect, it is called the "Seal of the Heart" and, according to legend, was imprinted on the heart of the Buddha. Her image is placed on the hearts of the initiates after their death. Known as the Buddhist cross (it resembles a Maltese cross in shape). The swastika is found everywhere where there are traces of Buddhist culture - on rocks, in temples, stupas and on Buddha statues. Together with Buddhism, it penetrated from India to China, Tibet, Siam and Japan.
In China, the swastika is used as a sign of all the deities worshiped in the Lotus School, as well as in Tibet and Siam. In ancient Chinese manuscripts, it included such concepts as "region", "country". Known in the form of a swastika are two curved mutually truncated fragments of a double helix, expressing the symbolism of the relationship "Yin" and "Yang". In maritime civilizations, the double helix motif was an expression of the relationship between opposites, a sign of the Upper and Lower Waters, and also meant the process of becoming life. Widely used by Jains and followers of Vishnu. In Jainism, the four arms of the swastika represent the four levels of existence. On one of the Buddhist swastikas, each blade of the cross ends in a triangle indicating the direction of movement and crowned with an arch of a flawed moon, in which, like in a boat, the sun is placed. This sign represents the sign of the mystical arba, the creative quaternary, also called Thor's hammer. A similar cross was found by Schliemann during the excavations of Troy.
Greek helmet with swastika, 350-325 BC from Taranto, found at Herculanum. Cabinet of medals. Paris.
Swastika in Russia
A special kind of swastika, symbolizing the rising Sun-Yarilu, the victory of Light over Darkness, Eternal life over death, was called brace(lit. "wheel rotation", Old Church Slavonic form kolovrat was also used in Old Russian).
The swastika was used in rituals and construction. So, in particular, many ancient Slavic settlements had the form of a swastika, oriented to the four cardinal points. The swastika was often the main element of Proto-Slavic ornaments.
According to archaeological excavations, some ancient cities in Russia were built in this way. Such a circular structure can be observed, for example, in Arkaim, one of the most famous and oldest structures in Russia. Arkaim was built according to a pre-designed plan as a single complex complex, moreover, oriented to astronomical objects with the greatest accuracy. The pattern formed by four entrances in the outer wall of Arkaim is a swastika. Moreover, the swastika is “correct”, that is, directed towards the Sun.
The swastika was also used by the peoples of Russia in homespun production: in embroideries on clothes, on carpets. The swastika was used to decorate household utensils. She was also present on the icons.
In the light of the stormy and controversial discussions that often arise now around the most ancient symbol of Russian National Culture - the Gamma Cross (Yarga-Swastika), it is necessary to recall that it was she who was one of the symbols of the struggle against the age-old oppression of the Russian people. Not many people know that many centuries ago, “The Lord God pointed out to Emperor Constantine the Great that with the Cross he would win… only with Christ, and precisely with the Cross, the Russian People would defeat all their enemies and finally throw off the hated yoke of the Jews! But the Cross with which the Russian People will win is not simple, but, as usual, golden, but for the time being it is hidden from many Russian Patriots under the rubble of lies and slander. In news reports made according to the books of Kuznetsov V.P. "The history of the development of the shape of the cross." M.1997; Kutenkova P. I. "Yarga-swastika - a sign of Russian folk culture" St. Petersburg. 2008; Bagdasarov R. "Mysticism of the Fiery Cross" M. 2005, tells about the place in the culture of the Russian People of the most fertile cross - the swastika. The swastika cross has one of the most perfect forms and contains in graphic form the whole mystical mystery of God's Providence and the whole dogmatic fullness of the Church's doctrine.
Icon "Symbol of Faith"
Swastika in the RSFSR
It is necessary to remind and remember in the future that "Russians are the third God's Chosen People ( "Third Rome - Moscow, Fourth - do not happen"); the swastika is a graphic representation of the entire mystical mystery of the Providence of God, and the entire dogmatic fullness of the Church's doctrine; The Russian People under the sovereign hand of the Victorious Tsar from the Royal House of the Romanovs, who swore to God in 1613 to be faithful to the end of time and this people will defeat all their enemies under banners on which, under the face of the Savior Not Made by Hands, a swastika will develop - a gamma cross! In the State Emblem, the swastika will also be placed on a large crown, which symbolizes the power of the God-Anointed Tsar both in the earthly Church of Christ and in the Kingdom of the God-chosen Russian People.
In 3-2 millennia BC. e. a swastika braid is found on the ceramics of the Eneolithic of the Tomsk-Chulym region and on the gold and bronze products of the Slavs found in the barrows of Stavropol in the Kuban. In the second half of the 4th millennium BC. e. swastika symbols are common in the North Caucasus (where the Sumerians come from - Proto-Slavs) in the form of huge models of the Sun-mounds. In terms of mounds, they are already known varieties of swastikas. Only magnified a thousand times. At the same time, a swastika ornament in the form of a braid is often found in the Neolithic sites of the Kama region and the Northern Volga region. The swastika on a clay vessel found in Samara has also been dated to 4000 BC. e. At the same time, a four-pointed zoomorphic swastika is depicted on a vessel from the area between the Prut and Dniester rivers. In the 5th millennium BC. e. Slavic religious symbols - swastikas - are common everywhere. Anatolian dishes feature a centripetal rectangular swastika surrounded by two circles of fish and long-tailed birds. Spiral-shaped swastikas were found in Northern Moldavia, as well as in the area between the Seret and Strypa rivers and in the Moldavian Carpathian region. In the 6th millennium BC. e. swastikas are common on whorls in Mesopotamia, in the Neolithic culture of Trypillya-Kukuteni, on the bowls of Samara, etc. In the 7th millennium BC. e. Slavic swastikas are inscribed on the clay seals of Anatolia and Mesopotamia.
An ornamental swastika grid was found in stamps and on a bracelet made of mammoth bone in Myozyn, Chernihiv region. And this is a find from the 23rd millennium BC! And 35-40 thousand years ago, the Neanderthals inhabiting Siberia, due to two to three million years of adaptation, acquired the appearance of Caucasoids, as evidenced by the teeth of adolescents found in the Altai caves of Denisov, named after Okladchikov and in the village of Sibiryachikha. And these anthropological studies were carried out by the American anthropologist K. Turner.
The swastika in post-imperial Russia
In Russia, the swastika first appeared in official symbols in 1917 - it was then, on April 24, that the Provisional Government issued a decree on the issuance of new banknotes in denominations of 250 and 1000 rubles. The peculiarity of these banknotes was that they had an image of a swastika on them. Here is the description of the front side of the 1000-ruble banknote, given in paragraph No. 128 of the Senate resolution of June 6, 1917:
“The main pattern of the grid consists of two large oval guilloche rosettes - right and left ... In the center of each of the two large rosettes there is a geometric ornament formed by cross-intersecting wide stripes bent at right angles, at one end to the right, and at the other - to the left ... The intermediate background between both large rosettes is filled with a guilloche pattern, and the center of this background is occupied by a geometric ornament of the same pattern as in both rosettes, but of a larger size.
Unlike the banknote of 1000 rubles, on the 250-ruble banknote there was only one swastika - in the center behind the eagle. From the banknotes of the Provisional Government, the swastika also migrated to the first Soviet banknotes. True, in this case this was due to production necessity, and not ideological considerations: it was just that the Bolsheviks, who were preoccupied with issuing their own money in 1918, simply took ready-made, created by order of the Provisional Government, clichés of new banknotes (5,000 and 10,000 rubles) that were being prepared for release in 1918. Kerensky and his comrades could not print these banknotes, due to certain circumstances, but the clichés were useful to the leadership of the RSFSR. Thus, swastikas were also present on Soviet banknotes in denominations of 5,000 and 10,000 rubles. These banknotes were in circulation until 1922.
Not without the use of the swastika in the Red Army. In November 1919, the commander of the South-Eastern Front, V.I. Shorin, issued order No. 213, which introduced a new sleeve insignia for the Kalmyk formations. The appendix to the order also included a description of the new sign: “Rhombus measuring 15x11 centimeters made of red cloth. In the upper corner there is a five-pointed star, in the center - a wreath, in the middle of which is "LYUNGTN" with the inscription "R. S. F. S. R. "The diameter of the star is 15 mm, the wreath is 6 cm, the size of the "LYUNGTN" is 27 mm, the letter is 6 mm. The sign for the command and administrative staff is embroidered in gold and silver, and for the Red Army soldiers it is screen-printed. The star, "lyungtn" and the ribbon of the wreath are embroidered with gold (for the Red Army - with yellow paint), the wreath itself and the inscription - with silver (for the Red Army - with white paint). The mysterious abbreviation (if, of course, it is an abbreviation at all) LYUNGTN just denoted the swastika.
Over the course of a number of years, the author's collection was replenished, and in 1971 a full-fledged book on vexillology was prepared, supplemented by historical reference information explaining the evolution of flags. The book was provided with an alphabetical index of country names in Russian and English. The book was designed by artists B. P. Kabashkin, I. G. Baryshev and V. V. Borodin, who painted flags especially for this edition.
Although almost two years had passed from putting it into typesetting (December 17, 1969) to signing for publication (September 15, 1971), and the text of the book was as ideologically verified as possible, a disaster struck. Upon receipt from the printing house of signal copies of the already finished circulation (75 thousand copies), it was found that the illustrations on a number of pages of the historical section contain images of flags with a swastika (pages 5-8; 79-80; 85-86 and 155-156). Emergency measures were taken to reprint these pages in an edited form, that is, without these illustrations. Then, manual (for the entire print run!) Cutting out ideologically harmful, “anti-Soviet” sheets was made and new ones pasted in the spirit of communist ideology.
The Ynglings claim that the ancient Slavs used 144 swastika symbols. Also, they offer their interpretation of the word "Swastika": "Sva" - "arch", "heaven", "C" - the direction of rotation, "Tika" - "running", "movement", which determines: "Coming from the sky" .
Swastika in India
Swastika on Buddha statue
In pre-Buddhist ancient Indian and some other cultures, the swastika is usually interpreted as a sign of auspicious destinies, a symbol of the sun. This symbol is still widely used in India and South Korea, and most weddings, holidays and festivities cannot do without it.
Swastika in Finland
Since 1918, the swastika has been part of the state symbols of Finland (now it is depicted on the presidential standard, as well as on the banners of the armed forces).
Swastika in Poland
In the Polish army, the swastika was used in the emblem on the collars of the Podhalian Riflemen (21st and 22nd Mountain Rifle Divisions
Swastika in Latvia
In Latvia, the swastika, which in the local tradition had the name "fiery cross", was the emblem of the air force from 1919 to 1940
Swastika in Germany
- Rudyard Kipling, whose collected works were always decorated with a swastika, ordered that it be removed in the latest edition in order to avoid association with Nazism.
After the Second World War, the image of the swastika was banned in a number of countries and can be criminalized.
Swastika as an emblem of Nazi and fascist organizations
Even before the Nazis entered the political arena of Germany, the swastika was used as a symbol of German nationalism by various paramilitary organizations. It was worn, in particular, by members of the detachments of G. Erhardt.
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In the view of Hitler himself, she symbolized "the struggle for the triumph of the Aryan race." This choice combined both the mystical occult meaning of the swastika, and the idea of the swastika as an "Aryan" symbol (due to its prevalence in India), and the already established use of the swastika in the German extreme right tradition: it was used by some Austrian anti-Semitic parties, and in March 1920 During the Kapp putsch, it was depicted on the helmets of the Erhardt brigade that entered Berlin (here, perhaps, there was the influence of the Baltic states, since many fighters of the Volunteer Corps encountered the swastika in Latvia and Finland). In 1923, at the Nazi Congress, Hitler reported that the black swastika was a call for a merciless fight against communists and Jews. Already in the 1920s, the swastika became increasingly associated with Nazism; after 1933, it finally began to be perceived as a Nazi symbol par excellence, as a result of which, for example, it was excluded from the emblems of the scouting movement.
However, strictly speaking, not any swastika was a Nazi symbol, but a four-pointed one, with the ends pointing to the right side and rotated by 45 °. At the same time, it should be in a white circle, which in turn is depicted on a red rectangle. It was such a sign that was on the state banner of National Socialist Germany in 1933-1945, as well as on the emblems of the civil and military services of this country (although, of course, other options were used for decorative purposes, including by the Nazis).
In 1931-1943, the swastika was on the flag of the Russian Fascist Party, organized by Russian emigrants in Manchukuo (China).
The swastika is currently used by a number of racist organizations.
Swastika in transcripts of Soviet teenagers
The acrophonemic convention of the meaning of the Nazi swastika of the Third Reich, - common in deciphering among Soviet children and adolescents from films and stories about the Great Patriotic War (WWII), - the encrypted name of state political figures, leaders and members of the Social Socialist German Workers' Party in Germany, according to the first letters of famous names in history: Hitler ( German Adolf Hitler), Himmler ( German Heinrich Himmler), Goebbels ( German Joseph Goebbels), Goering ( German Hermann Goring).
Swastika in the USA
In the textbooks of world history, documentaries about the Second World War, we see a sign that carries the ideology of fascism. A frightening sign is drawn on the armbands of the SS men, on the fascist flag. They marked the captured objects. Many countries were afraid of the bloody symbol and, of course, no one thought about what the fascist swastika meant.
Historical roots
Contrary to our assumptions, the swastika is not a Hitlerian invention. This symbol begins its history far before our era. In the process of studying different eras, archaeologists see this ornament on clothes and various household items.
The geography of the finds is extensive: Iraq, India, China, and even in Africa, a funerary fresco with a swastika was found. However, the largest number of evidence of the use of the swastika in the daily life of people was collected on the territory of Russia.
The word itself is translated from Sanskrit - happiness, prosperity. The sign of a rotating cross, according to some guesses of scientists, symbolizes path of the sun across the dome of heaven, is a symbol of fire and hearth. Protects the house and the temple.
Initially, in everyday life, the sign of a rotating cross began to be used by tribes of white people, the so-called Aryan race. However, Aryans are historically Indo-Iranians. Presumably, the native territory is the Eurasian circumpolar region, the region of the Ural Mountains, which means that the close connection with the Slavic peoples is quite understandable.
Later, these tribes actively moved south and settled in Iraq and India, bringing culture and religion with them to these lands.
What does the German swastika mean?
The sign of the rotating cross was revived in the 19th century thanks to active archaeological activities. Then it was used in Europe as a talisman that brings good luck. Later, a theory about the exclusivity of the German race appeared, and the swastika acquired the status symbol of many far-right German parties.
In his autobiographical book, Hitler indicated that he came up with the emblem of the new Germany on his own. However, in fact it was already a well-known sign for a long time. Hitler depicted him in black, in a white ring, on a red background and called Hakenkreuz, which in German means " hook cross».
The blood-red canvas was deliberately proposed in order to attract the attention of the Soviet people and taking into account the psychological influence of such a shade. The white ring is a sign of national socialism, and the swastika is a sign of the struggle of the Aryans for their pure blood.
According to Hitler's idea, hooks are knives prepared for Jews, gypsies and unclean people.
Swastika of Slavs and Nazis: differences
However, when compared with the fascist ideological emblem, a number of distinctive features were found:
- The Slavs did not have clear rules for the image of the sign. A fairly large number of ornaments were considered a swastika, all of them had their own names and had a special power. There were intersecting lines, frequent forks, or even curved curves. As you know, in the Hitlerite emblem there is only a four-sided cross with sharp curved tips to the left. All intersections and bends at right angles;
- The Indo-Iranians painted the sign in red on a white background, but other cultures: Buddhist and Indian used blue or yellow;
- The Aryan sign was a powerful noble amulet that symbolized wisdom, family values and self-knowledge. According to their idea, the German cross is a weapon against an unclean race;
- Ancestors used the ornament in household items. They decorated their clothes, handbrakes, napkins, painted vases for them. The Nazis used the swastika for military and political purposes.
Thus, it is impossible to put both of these signs in one line. They have a lot of differences, both in writing, and in use and ideology.
Myths about the swastika
Allocate several delusions concerning the ancient graphic ornament:
- The direction of rotation does not matter. According to one theory, the direction of the sun to the right means peaceful creative energy, and if the rays look to the left, then the energy becomes destructive. The Slavs, among other things, used the left-sided ornament to attract the patronage of their ancestors and increase the strength of the clan;
- The author of the German swastika is not Hitler. For the first time, a mythical sign was brought to the territory of Austria by a traveler - the abbot of the monastery Theodor Hagen at the end of the 19th century, from where it spread to German soil;
- The swastika in the form of a military sign was used not only in Germany. Since 1919, the RSFSR has used sleeve badges with a swastika to designate the Kalmyk military.
In connection with the difficult events of the war, the swastika cross acquired a sharply negative ideological connotation and, by decision of the post-war tribunal was banned.
Rehabilitation of the Aryan symbol
Various states today treat the swastika differently:
- In America, a certain sect is actively trying to rehabilitate the swastika. There is even a holiday for the rehabilitation of the swastika, which is called the World Day and is celebrated on June 23;
- In Latvia, before a hockey match, during a demonstration flash mob, dancers unfurled a large swastika on an ice rink;
- In Finland, the swastika is used on the official flag of the air force;
- In Russia, heated debates are still raging on the subject of restoring the sign in rights. There are whole groups of swastikophiles who make various positive arguments. In 2015, Roskomnadzor spoke about the permissibility of displaying the swastika without its ideological propaganda. In the same year, the Constitutional Court banned the use of the swastika in any form, due to the fact that it is immoral in relation to veterans and their descendants.
Thus, the attitude towards the Aryan sign is different all over the world. However, we all need to remember what the fascist swastika means, since it was a symbol of the most destructive ideology in the history of mankind and has nothing to do with the ancient Slavic sign in terms of meaning.
Video about the meaning of the fascist symbol
In this video, Vitaly Derzhavin will talk about a few more meanings of the swastika, how it appeared and who first started using this symbol:
Swastika(Skt. स्वस्तिक from Skt. स्वस्ति, svasti, greeting, good luck) - a cross with curved ends ("rotating"), directed either clockwise (this is the movement of the earth around the sun), or counterclockwise.
(Old Ind. svastika, from su, lit. "associated with good"), one of the most archaic symbols, already found in the images of the Upper Paleolithic, in the ornament of many peoples in different parts of the world.
The swastika is one of the most ancient and widespread graphic symbols. "The symbol of the swastika crystallizes from the rhombo-meander ornament, which first appeared in the Upper Paleolithic, and then inherited by almost all peoples of the world." The oldest archaeological finds depicting a swastika date back to approximately 25-23 millennium BC (Mezin, Kostenki, Russia).
The swastika was used by many peoples of the world - it was present on weapons, everyday items, clothes, banners and coats of arms, and was used in the design of churches and houses.
The swastika as a symbol has many meanings, in most nations they are positive. The swastika among most ancient peoples was a symbol of the movement of life, the Sun, light, prosperity.
Celtic Kermaria Stone, 4th century BC
The swastika reflects the main type of movement in the Universe - rotational with its derivative - translational and is able to symbolize philosophical categories.
In the 20th century, the swastika (German Hakenkreuz) became famous as a symbol of Nazism and Nazi Germany, and in Western culture it is steadily associated with the Nazi regime and ideology.
History and meaning
The word "swastika" is a compound of two Sanskrit roots: सु, su, "good, good" and अस्ति, asti, "life, existence", that is, "well-being" or "well-being". There is another name for the swastika - "gammadion" (Greek γαμμάδιον), consisting of four Greek letters "gamma". The swastika is considered not only as a solar symbol, but also as a symbol of the fertility of the earth. This is one of the ancient and archaic solar signs - an indicator of the apparent movement of the Sun around the Earth and the division of the year into four parts - four seasons. The sign fixes two solstices: summer and winter - and the annual movement of the Sun. Has the idea of four cardinal points, centered around an axis. The swastika also suggests the idea of movement in two directions: clockwise and counterclockwise. Like "Yin" and "Yang", a dual sign: rotating clockwise symbolizes male energy, counterclockwise - female. In ancient Indian scriptures, male and female swastikas are distinguished, which depicts two female, as well as two male deities.
White glazed netted orch, Yi Dynasty
The swastika personifies a moral characteristic: movement along the sun is good, against the sun is evil. (()) In the symbolism of auspiciousness, the sign is depicted in the form of a cross with the ends bent at an angle or oval (in the clockwise direction), which means “screwing” the energies , holding the flow of physical forces in order to control the lower forces. The right-handed swastika is perceived as a sign of dominance over matter and control of energy (as in yoga: holding the body immobile, “screwing up” the lower energies makes it possible for the higher forces of the energies to manifest themselves). The left-handed swastika, on the contrary, means the unwinding of physical and instinctive forces and the creation of an obstacle to the passage of higher forces; the direction of movement favors the mechanical, earthly side, the exclusive striving for power in matter. The counterclockwise swastika is also seen as a symbol of black magic and negative energies. As a solar sign, the swastika serves as an emblem of life and light. It is perceived as an incomplete zodiac circle or as a wheel of life. Sometimes the swastika is identified with another solar sign - a cross in a circle, where the cross is a sign of the daily movement of the Sun. As a symbol of the Sun, an archaic coiled swastika with a symbol of a ram is known. A symbol of rotation, continuous movement, expressing the invariance of the solar cycle, or the rotation of the Earth around its axis. A rotating cross, the blades at the ends of which represent the movement of light. The swastika contains the idea of eternal overcoming of the inertia of the square by the wheel of rotation.
The swastika is found in the culture of the peoples of many countries of the world: in the symbols of Ancient Egypt, in Iran, in Russia, in the ornaments of different communities. One of the oldest forms of the swastika is Asia Minor and is an ideogram of the four cardinal points in the form of a figure with four cross-shaped curls. Back in the 7th century BC, images similar to the swastika were known in Asia Minor, consisting of four cross-shaped scrolls - rounded ends are signs of cyclic movement. There are interesting coincidences in the image of Indian and Asia Minor swastikas (dots between the branches of the swastika, jagged thickenings at the ends). Other early forms of the swastika - a square with four plant-like roundings along the edges - are a sign of the earth, also of Asia Minor origin. The swastika was understood as a symbol of the four main forces, the four cardinal points, the elements, the seasons and the alchemical idea of the transformation of the elements.
In the cultures of countries
The swastika is one of the most archaic sacred symbols, already found in the Upper Paleolithic among many peoples of the world. India, ancient Rus', China, Ancient Egypt, the Mayan state in Central America - this is the incomplete geography of this symbol. Swastika symbols denoted calendar signs back in the days of the Scythian kingdom. The swastika can be seen on old Orthodox icons. The swastika is a symbol of the Sun, good luck, happiness, creation (the “correct” swastika). And, accordingly, the swastika of the opposite direction symbolizes darkness, destruction, the “night Sun” among the ancient Russians. As can be seen from ancient ornaments, in particular, on jugs found in the vicinity of Arkaim, both swastikas were used. This has deep meaning. Day replaces night, light replaces darkness, new birth replaces death - and this is the natural order of things in the Universe. Therefore, in ancient times there were no "bad" and "good" swastikas - they were perceived in unity.
The first swastika drawings appeared at an early stage in the formation of the symbols of the Near East Neolithic cultures. Swastika-like figure 7 thousand BC from Asia Minor consists of four cruciform scrolls, i.e. signs of vegetation, and, obviously, is one of the variants of the ideogram of the concept of "four cardinal points". The memory that the swastika once symbolized the four cardinal directions is recorded in medieval Muslim manuscripts, and has also survived to our time among the American Indians. Another swastika-like figure, belonging to the early stage of the Asia Minor Neolithic, consists of the sign of the Earth (a square with a dot) and four plant-like appendages adjoining it. In such compositions, one should, apparently, see the origin of the swastika - in particular, its variant with rounded ends. The latter is confirmed, for example, by the ancient Cretan swastika, combined with four plant elements.
This symbol was found on clay vessels from Samarra (the territory of modern Iraq), which date back to the 5th millennium BC. The swastika in the left and right rotation form is found in the pre-Aryan culture of Mohenjo-Daro (Indus River basin) and ancient China around 2000 BC. In Northeast Africa, archaeologists have found a burial stele of the kingdom of Meroz, which existed in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. The fresco on the stele depicts a woman entering the afterlife, and a swastika also flaunts on the clothes of the deceased. The rotating cross also adorns the golden weights for scales that belonged to the inhabitants of Ashanta (Ghana), and the clay utensils of the ancient Indians, and the carpets of the Persians. The swastika was on almost all amulets among the Slavs, Germans, Pomors, Skalvians, Curonians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Mordovians, Udmurts, Bashkirs, Chuvashs and many other peoples. In many religions, the swastika is an important religious symbol.
Ancient Greek Funerary Vessel, circa 750 B.C. BC.
Details of an ancient Greek burial vessel
The swastika in India has traditionally been seen as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance. It was closely associated with the cult of the god Agni. She is mentioned in the Ramayana. In the form of a swastika, a wooden tool was made to produce the sacred fire. They laid him flat on the ground; the recess in the middle served for the rod, which was rotated until the appearance of fire, kindled on the altar of the deity. It was carved in many temples, on the rocks, on the ancient monuments of India. Also a symbol of esoteric Buddhism. In this aspect, it is called the "Seal of the Heart" and, according to legend, was imprinted on the heart of the Buddha. Her image is placed on the hearts of the initiates after their death. Known as the Buddhist cross (it resembles a Maltese cross in shape). The swastika is found everywhere where there are traces of Buddhist culture - on rocks, in temples, stupas and on Buddha statues. Together with Buddhism, it penetrated from India to China, Tibet, Siam and Japan.
Torso of a female sculpture, 6th century BC
In China, the swastika is used as a sign of all the deities worshiped in the Lotus School, as well as in Tibet and Siam. In ancient Chinese manuscripts, it included such concepts as "region", "country". Known in the form of a swastika are two curved mutually truncated fragments of a double helix, expressing the symbolism of the relationship between "Yin" and "Yang". In maritime civilizations, the double helix motif was an expression of the relationship between opposites, a sign of the Upper and Lower Waters, and also meant the process of becoming life. Widely used by Jains and followers of Vishnu. In Jainism, the four arms of the swastika represent the four levels of existence.
Swastika in India
On one of the Buddhist swastikas, each blade of the cross ends in a triangle indicating the direction of movement and crowned with an arch of a flawed moon, in which, like in a boat, the sun is placed. This sign represents the sign of the mystical arba, the creative quaternary, also called Thor's hammer. A similar cross was found by Schliemann during the excavations of Troy. In Eastern Europe, Western Siberia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, it occurs from the II-I millennium BC. In Western Europe it was known to the Celts. Depicted in pre-Christian Roman mosaics and on the coins of Cyprus and Crete. An ancient Cretan rounded swastika made of plant elements is known. The Maltese cross in the form of a swastika of four triangles converging in the center is of Phoenician origin. It was also known to the Etruscans. In early Christianity, the swastika was known as the gamma cross. According to Guénon, until the end of the Middle Ages it was one of the emblems of Christ. According to Ossendowski, Genghis Khan wore on his right hand a ring depicting a swastika, into which was set a magnificent ruby - a sun stone. Ossendovsky saw this ring on the hand of the Mongol governor. At present, this magical symbol is known mainly in India and Central and East Asia.
Swastika in Russia
In Rus', swastika symbols have been known since ancient times.
The rhombo-meander swastika ornament in the Kostenkovo and Mezin cultures (25-20 thousand years BC) was studied by V. A. Gorodtsov.
As a special type of swastika, symbolizing the rising Sun-Yarilu, the victory of Light over Darkness, Eternal Life over death, Kolovrat was called (literally, “wheel rotation”, the Old Slavic form Kolovrat was also used in the Old Russian language).
In Russian folk ornamentation, the swastika was one of the common figures until the end of the 19th century.
The swastika was used in rituals and construction, in homespun production: in embroideries on clothes, on carpets. The swastika was used to decorate household utensils. She was also present on the icons
In the St. Petersburg Necropolis, Glinka's grave is crowned with a swastika.
In post-war children's legends, it was widely believed that the swastika consists of 4 letters "G", symbolizing the first letters of the names of the leaders of the Third Reich - Hitler, Goebbels, Himmler, Goering.
Swastika in India
In pre-Buddhist ancient Indian and some other cultures, the swastika is usually interpreted as a sign of auspicious destinies, a symbol of the sun. This symbol is still widely used in India and South Korea, and most weddings, holidays and festivities cannot do without it.
Swastika in India
Buddhist symbol of perfection (also known as manji, "whirlwind" (Jap. まんじ, "ornament, cross, swastika")). The vertical line indicates the relationship of heaven and earth, and the horizontal line indicates the relationship of yin-yang. The direction of short lines to the left personifies movement, gentleness, love, compassion, and their aspiration to the right is associated with constancy, firmness, intelligence and strength. Thus, any one-sidedness is a violation of world harmony and cannot lead to universal happiness. Love and compassion without strength and firmness are helpless, and strength and reason without mercy and love lead to the multiplication of evil.
Swastika in European culture
The swastika became popular in European culture in the 19th century, in the wake of the fashion of Aryan theory. English astrologer Richard Morrison organized the Order of the Swastika in Europe in 1869. It is found on the pages of books by Rudyard Kipling. The swastika was also used by the founder of the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell. In 1915, the swastika, being very common in Latvian culture since ancient times, was depicted on the banners of the battalions (later regiments) of the Latvian riflemen of the Russian army.
Altars with swastika in Europe:
From Aquitaine
Then, since 1918, it became an element of the official symbols of the Republic of Latvia - the emblem of military aviation, regimental insignia, insignia of societies and various organizations, state awards, and is still used today. The Latvian military order of Lachplesis was in the form of a swastika. Since 1918, the swastika has been part of the state symbols of Finland (now it is depicted on the presidential standard, as well as on the banners of the armed forces). Later it became a symbol of the German Nazis, after they came to power - the state symbol of Germany (depicted on the coat of arms and flag); after World War II, her image was banned in a number of countries.
Swastika in Nazism
The National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), which appeared in the 1920s, chose the swastika as its party symbol. Since 1920, the swastika has become associated with Nazism and racism.
There is a very common misconception that the Nazis chose the right-handed swastika as their emblem, thereby perverting the precepts of the ancient sages and desecrating the sign itself, which is more than five thousand years old. In reality, this is not so. In the cultures of different peoples, both left-handed and right-handed swastikas are found.
Under the definition of "Nazi" symbols, only a four-pointed swastika, standing on an edge of 45 °, with the ends pointing to the right, can fit. It was this sign that was on the state banner of National Socialist Germany from 1933 to 1945, as well as on the emblems of the civil and military services of this country. The Nazis themselves used the term Hakenkreuz (literally “crooked (hooked) cross”), which is synonymous with the word swastika (German: Swastika), which is also used in German.
In Russia, the stylized swastika is used as an emblem by the All-Russian social movement Russian National Unity (RNE). Russian nationalists claim that the Russian swastika - the Kolovrat - is an ancient Slavic symbol and cannot be recognized as Nazi symbols.
Swastika in the cultures of other countries
