9th June 2020
I’ve never understood how the Swastika became such a twisted symbol. Today it is associated with Nazism but it has a history of thousands of years and historically been associated with good fortune.
In Sanskrit, Swastika means ‘Well-being’. It is still today a well known Hindu sign and I believe used in Buddhism. Evidence shows it was even used by ancient Greeks and Anglo Saxons for example having been used in Greek architecture and is known as the Greek key pattern we see on tiles. Earlier in the 20th Century it got adopted in the West in many advertising slogans – the likes of Coca Cola, Carlsberg used it. According to designers, the reason it is visually so popular is that it flows as a symbol and geometrically is very easy on the eye.
In a convoluted history it was appropriated by ant-semitic groups. I find this difficult to follow as it has something to do with a German archaeologist believing he had discovered Troy and somehow this led to a belief that the Germans were descended from a superior race and this led to wider adoption of the symbol associated with God by nationalist groups.
Now it is illegal to display the Swastika in Germany and many countries find it difficult to view the symbol publicly.
The question is should it be outlawed given its original representation was of well being?
Curiosity and the rascal 