Peace. I'm sure 90 out of 100 people think of Nazi germany, Hitler and WWII when they see or think of this symbol but many people are not aware that
this symbol is quite common around the world and has not always been synonymous with hate.
For centuries this symbol had a positive meaning and in many parts of the world and it still does.
In the west in was popular in many designs from the 1800's to the 1920's
In WW1 the American 45th infanty wore the symbol in orange on a shoulder patch.
The swastika is also common in current Hundu architecture and artwork
The swastika is an ancient symbol that dates back as far as 3,000 years ago and possibly further. It has been found on many artifacts including pottery and ancient coins. It has been used by many cultures that include China, Japan, southern Europe, India, Egypt and many more.
The etymology of the word is Sanskrit (Indo-Aryan languadge) meaning svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix. It's also regarded as well being and auspicious.
It carried a positive connotation 'till the mid-nineteenth century when countries around Germany were growing larger, the germans adapted the
symbol because they had knowledge of Aryan/Indian origins, to represent a long Germanic/Aryan history.
What inspired Hitler to use the swastika as a symbol for the NSDAP was its use by the Thule-Gesellschaft since there were many connections between them and the DAP.
It is important to point out that the origins of the Nazi swastika are borrowed from sun crosses derived from sun symbols pictured below
Celtic Sun Cross, which became a common symbol in christianity in the fourth century
Basic sun cross
Ancient Norse
Nazi
The Nazi's simply varied the direction of the symbol with a 45 degree turn. I won't go further into the history of Nazi use for it since the purpose of this post is to educate how a symbol that originally stood for peace was turned into one of a hate.
It's always important to know the origin of things especially when you can relate to the history whether it's your or some one in your family. ALWAYS question the basis of your beliefs.
STAY TUNED!!!
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