Swastika history. The real history of the swastika
Slavic swastika , its meaning for us should be the subject special attention. Confused fascist swastika and Slavic is possible only with complete ignorance of history and culture. A thoughtful and attentive person knows that the swastika was not originally a “brand” of Germany during the times of fascism. Today not all people remember true story the appearance of this sign. And all this thanks to the global tragedy of the Great Patriotic War, which thundered across the Earth under the standard of the subordinate swastika (enclosed in an unbroken circle). We need to figure out what this swastika symbol was in Slavic culture, why it is still revered, and how we can put it into practice today. We remember that Nazi swastika prohibited in Russia.
Archaeological excavations on the territory modern Russia and in neighboring countries they confirm that the swastika is much more ancient symbol than the emergence of fascism. Thus, there are finds with images of the solar symbol dating back to 10,000-15,000 years before our era. Slavic culture is replete with numerous facts, confirmed by archaeologists, that the swastika was used by our people everywhere.
vessel found in the Caucasus
The Slavs still preserved the memory of this sign, because embroidery patterns are still passed on, as well as ready-made towels, or homespun belts and other products. In the photo - the belts of the Slavs different regions and dating.
By looking up old photographs and drawings, you can verify that the Russians also widely used the swastika symbol. For example, the image of swastikas in a laurel wreath on money, weapons, banners, and sleeve chevrons of Red Army soldiers (1917-1923). The honor of the uniform and the solar symbol at the center of the symbolism were one.
But even today you can find both direct and stylized swastikas in the architecture preserved in Russia. For let's take an example only one city is St. Petersburg. Take a closer look at the mosaic on the floor St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, or the Hermitage, to forging vignettes, modeling on buildings along many streets and embankments of this city.
Floor in St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Floor in the Small Hermitage, room 241, “History of ancient painting”.
Fragment of the ceiling in the Small Hermitage, room 214, " Italian art end of the 15th - 16th centuries."
House in St. Petersburg on Angliyskaya Embankment, 24 (the building was built in 1866).
Slavic swastika - meaning and significance
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). When bending, the ends on the four sides of the figure form a right angle (straight swastika), and sometimes sharp or obtuse (oblique swastika). A symbol was depicted with pointed and rounded ends.
Such symbols may 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), eight-rayed (“kolovrat” or “rotary”) figure. It is incorrect to call these variations swastikas. Our Slavic ancestors perceived each symbol, even if it was somewhat similar to another, as a force that had its own separate purpose and function in Nature.
Our dear ancestors gave the meaning to the swastika as follows - the movement of forces and bodies in a spiral. If this is the sun, then the sign showed vortex currents in the celestial 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, the “self-luminous” light ( white light, having no source).
Slavic swastika in other traditions and peoples
In ancient times, our ancestors of the Slavic clans, along with other peoples, revered swastika symbols not only as amulets, but also as signs that have sacred meaning. They helped people get in touch with the gods. Thus, in Georgia they still believe that the rounded corners in the swastika mean 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 protective symbolism in home use. This sign is drawn before entering a home, painted on dishes, and used in embroidery. Modern Indian fabrics are still produced with designs of rounded swastika symbols, similar to a blooming flower.
Near India, in Tibet, Buddhists are no less respectful of the swastika, drawing it on statues of Buddha. In this tradition, the swastika means that the cycle in the Universe is endless. In many ways, even the whole law of the Buddha is based on this, as recorded in the dictionary “Buddhism”, Moscow, ed. "Republic", 1992. Back in the days Tsarist Russia, the emperor met with Buddhist lamas, finding much in common in the wisdom and philosophy of the two cultures. Today, lamas use the swastika as a sign of protection against evil spirits and demons.
The Slavic swastika and the fascist one differ in that the first 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 “subordination” of the swastika so that it “works” for those who use it at will. There is an opinion that after A. Hitler drew attention to this symbol, a special witchcraft ritual was performed. The motive of the ritual was the following - to begin to rule the entire world with the help of heavenly powers, subjugating all peoples. The sources are silent as to how true this is, but many generations of people were able to see what could be done with the symbol and how to denigrate it and use it to their advantage.
Swastika in Slavic culture - where it is used
Swastika Slavic peoples 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, Posolon, Inglia, Agni, Svaor, Ognevik, Suasti, Yarovrat, Svarga, Rasich, Svyatoch and others.
In the Christian tradition, swastikas are still used, depicting Orthodox icons various saints. An attentive person will see such signs on mosaics, paintings, icons, or a priest’s robe.
Small swastikas and double swastikas depicted on the robe of Christ Pantocrator Pantocrator - a Christian fresco of 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, to celebrate the day of Perun the Thunderer, there are round dances around swastika signs laid out (or inscribed) on the ground - “Fash” or “Agni”. There are also many famous 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 and use them as talismans.
The swastika in Slavic culture was perceived differently in different places in Russia. For example, on the Pechora River, residents called this sign “hare”, perceiving it as sunny bunny, beam sunlight. But in Ryazan - “feather grass”, seeing in the sign the embodiment of the element of wind. But the people also felt the fiery power in the sign. Thus, the names “solar wind”, “Ognivtsy”, “Ryzhik” (Nizhny Novgorod region) are found.
The concept of "swastika" was transformed into semantic meaning- “that which came from Heaven.” Here are contained: “Sva” - Heaven, Svarga Heavenly, Svarog, rune “s” - direction, “tika” - running, movement, the arrival of something. Understanding the origin of the word "Suasti" ("Svasti") helps determine the strength of the sign. “Su” - good or beautiful, “asti” - to be, to remain. In general, we can summarize the meaning of the swastika - “Be kind!”.
One Russian tourist, having visited Southeast Asia, reported in social networks about your impressions. In Bangkok, he saw a man who had a large swastika on the front and back of his T-shirt.
The tourist's blood rushed to his head. He wanted to immediately explain to the stupid native what kind of disgusting thing he was wearing. But, having cooled down a little, the Russian decided to abstain from communication: maybe local resident just doesn’t know anything about “German fascism”? Nevertheless, the shock from what he saw was so great that, upon returning home, he turned to the forum visitors with the question: “What to do in such a situation?”
Swastikas past and present
Indeed, most Asians do not know who Hitler is. Some may have heard of World War II. But it’s unlikely that even the most educated people. But in India, almost everyone knows well that the swastika is a symbol of prosperity, the sun, a sign of favorable destinies. Not a single wedding in India, Nepal, South Korea cannot do without this symbol.
The swastika appeared in ancient times and was widespread throughout Eurasia. It is an integral part of Buddhism, with which it came to China, Siam and Japan. This symbol is also used by other religions. IN late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, due to the fascination with the culture of the East, the swastika became very popular in Europe.
In the summer of 1917, the Russian Provisional Government even placed a large swastika on the 250-ruble bill, against the backdrop of a double-headed eagle. Some white units placed the swastika on their shoulder straps. The Bolsheviks also did not escape the general trend and used the swastika as a revolutionary symbol.
The seal of the Moscow Provincial Council of Workers' and Peasants' Deputies of 1919 in the form of a swastika looks especially impressive today. The red sleeve patch of the Red Army soldiers of the South-Eastern Front with a star and swastika is also impressive. In the end, People's Commissar Lunacharsky harshly stopped this “disgrace” in 1922.
Currently, Europeans perceive the swastika only as a symbol of Nazism (the National Socialist Party of Germany) with all its horrors. Today it is difficult to imagine that our distant and not so distant ancestors found something attractive in this symbol, it seems so sinister to us.
The denial of the swastika is firmly ingrained in the consciousness of the majority European peoples. But humanity consists not only of Europeans, and this has to be taken into account, especially in foreign trips. As they say, you don’t go to someone else’s monastery with your own rules.
Fascia among the Nazis
The symbol of fascism, the fascia, unlike the swastika, is not a sign that causes irritation to post-Soviet space. And in Europe they treat him very tolerantly. One of the reasons, apparently, lies in the fact that the fascists did not cause as much trouble as the Nazis. At the very least, they were “only” going to conquer other peoples, but not destroy them.
Fasces on the facade of the Central Station, Milan.
Here it is necessary to note the different understanding of the term “fascism” in former USSR and the rest of the world. On the initiative of I. Stalin, the Comintern (international association communist parties, under the control of the Soviet leadership) proposed calling the National Socialists “German fascists.” Fascists are members of the Italian radical party created by B. Mussolini.
The fact is that then certain difficulties arose in identifying the enemy. Hitler's party, the NSDAP, was considered both socialist and workers, had a red flag and celebrated the proletarian holiday of May 1. Explaining to not very literate people how Hitler’s socialism differed from Stalin’s was simply an impossible task. But there were no problems with the term “German fascists”. In the Soviet Union.
But it did not take root in Europe, despite all the efforts of the Comintern. People there just didn't understand what we were talking about we're talking about when instead common word“Nazi” they heard the long and indigestible “German fascism”. Therefore, European communist parties, in order to be understood by their compatriots, were forced to use the generally accepted term - “Nazi”.
Fascia is a symbol of power in Ancient Rome
The term “fascism” itself comes from the word “fascia”. Fascia was a symbol of power in Ancient Rome. It was a bundle of birch twigs into which an ax was stuck. Fasces were worn by lictors - accompanying persons and at the same time guards of high-ranking officials.
Lictor with fasces
Later in heraldry, fasces became a symbol of state and national unity, a symbol of state protection. This symbol is still widely used today. Fascia is present in the symbolism of Russian federal services execution of punishments and bailiffs. It is also on the emblem of the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency Situations. And in the coat of arms of France, the fascia is even a central element.
Mussolini used the fascia on the banner of the fascist party as a symbol of the unity of the state and the people, of all levels of society - from the rich and noble to the poorest. In general, something similar to the well-known slogan “The people and the party are united.”
Of course, one cannot call all structures, and especially states, fascist because of the presence of fasces on their banners and coats of arms. Fascia was luckier than the swastika. - She doesn’t cause such rejection. Although in Moscow from 1997 to 2002 there was a law providing for punishment for promoting fascia.
red star
Very popular symbol is a red star. After October Revolution, when the question arose about the symbolism of the Red Army, they settled on a five-pointed red star. The Red Star in May 1918 was officially, by order of Trotsky, declared the emblem of the Red Army. In this order she was called “the star of Mars with a plow and a hammer.”
God of war Mars in the then Soviet tradition was considered a defender of peaceful labor. After some time the plow was replaced with a sickle. The red star emblem was worn on the chest. But later they began to wear the star on hats, instead of a cockade.
The five-pointed star (pentacle, pentagram) has been known for almost 6000 years. She was a symbol of safety and protection from all kinds of adversity. The pentagram was used by different religions and peoples. But during the Inquisition, the attitude towards the pentagram in Europe changed radically, and it began to be called “the witch’s foot.” Later it was clarified that the symbol of Satan is only an inverted star - when one ray is directed downward, and two rays looking up form, as it were, horns.
And a star “standing on two legs” is quite pleasing to God. The “flaming” pentagram, with tongues of flame between the rays of the star, is one of the main symbols of the Freemasons. Already from early XIX centuries, stars “climbed” onto epaulettes and shoulder straps.
The stars on the American flag were originally eight-pointed. But under the influence of local Masons they were very quickly replaced with five-pointed ones. The US military, like its Soviet counterparts, uses the pentacle to denote the nationality of military equipment.
"St. George's Ribbon"
IN lately at the red star, the only symbol Soviet army and her victories, a competitor appeared - orange-black " St. George's ribbon" For all its visual attractiveness and even similarity to the St. George Ribbon, it is inappropriate to call it that. On the real St. George's ribbon there are three black and two yellow stripes, which symbolize the three deaths and two resurrections of St. George the Victorious.
From 1917 to 1992 St. George's ribbon was not used in any Soviet awards. But she was involved in the White Army and the Russian Corps, which fought on the side of Hitler. A person with such a ribbon, who fell into the hands of the NKVD or Smersh during the war, would, at best, be sent to a concentration camp. The current “St. George’s ribbon” repeats the colors of the blocks of the Order of Glory and the medal “For Victory over Germany” and has nothing to do with the life and death of St. George the Victorious.
In any case, the Russians liked the ribbon and are perceived today as a symbol of the Great Patriotic War. She is perceived the same way in Belarus. But in Ukraine the perception of this symbol is ambiguous.
People who are nostalgic for the USSR, although they claim that it is a symbol of the past war, still perceive the ribbon as a symbol of the Soviet past. Another part of the population has a very negative attitude towards the ribbon, considering it an element of “imperial” propaganda, along with other Soviet symbols.
Anatoly PONOMARENKO
"Secrets of the 20th century"
Nowadays, the Swastika is a negative symbol and is associated only with murder and violence. Today, the Swastika is firmly associated with fascism. However, this symbol appeared much earlier than fascism and has nothing to do with Hitler. Although it is worth recognizing that the Swastika symbol has discredited itself and many people have there is a negative opinion about this symbol, except perhaps for the Ukrainians, who revived Nazism on their land, which they are very happy about.History of the Swastika
According to some historians, this symbol arose several thousand years ago, when there was no trace of Germany. Meaning of this symbol was to indicate the rotation of the galaxy; if you look at some space photographs, you can see spiral galaxies that somewhat resemble this sign.Slavic tribes used the Swastika symbol to decorate their homes and places of worship, wore embroidery on clothes in the form of this ancient symbol, used it as amulets against evil forces, and applied this sign to exquisite weapons.
For our ancestors, this symbol personified the heavenly body, representing all the brightest and kindest things that exist in our world.
Actually, this symbol was used not only by the Slavs, but also by many other people for whom it meant faith, goodness and peace.
How did it happen that this beautiful symbol of goodness and light suddenly became the personification of murder and hatred?
Thousands of years have passed since the Swastika sign was of great importance, gradually it began to be forgotten, and in the Middle Ages it was completely forgotten, only occasionally this symbol was embroidered on clothes. And only by a strange whim at the beginning of the twentieth century this sign saw the light again. that time in Germany was very turbulent and in order to gain faith in oneself and instill it in other people, various methods, including including occult knowledge. The Swastika sign first appeared on the helmets of German militants, and just a year later it was recognized official symbol fascist party. Much later, Hitler himself loved to perform under the banners with this sign.
Types of swastika
Let's first dot the i's. The fact is that the Swastika can be depicted in two forms, with the tips bent counterclockwise and clockwise.Both of these symbols contain completely different opposite meanings, thus balancing each other. That Swastika, the tips of the rays of which are directed counterclockwise, that is, to the left, means good and light, denoting the rising sun.
The same symbol, but with the tips turned to the right, carries a completely opposite meaning and means misfortune, evil, all kinds of troubles.
If you look at what kind of Swastika Nazi Germany had, you can see that its tips are bent to the right. This means that this symbol has nothing to do with light and goodness.
From all of the above, we can conclude that not everything is as simple as it seemed to us. Therefore, do not confuse these two completely opposite meanings of the Swastika. This sign in our time can serve as an excellent protective amulet, if only it is depicted correctly. If people scared to point at this amulet with your finger, you can explain the meaning of the "Swastika" symbol and make small excursion into the history of our ancestors, for whom this symbol was a sign of light and goodness.
August 21st, 2015 , 08:57 pm
Looking at this Tibetan yak, I noticed the swastika ornament. And I thought: the swastika is “fascist”!
I have come across many times attempts to divide the swastika into “right-handed” and “left-handed”. They say that "f The "ashist" swastika is "left-handed", it rotates to the left - "backward", i.e. counterclockwise in time. The Slavic swastika, on the contrary, is “right-handed.” If the swastika rotates clockwise ("right-handed" swastika), then this means an increase vital energy, if against (left-sided) - then this indicates the “suction” of vital energy to Navi, the afterlife of the dead.
michael101063 c A very ancient sacred symbol writes: "... you need to know that the swastika can be left-sided and right-sided. The left-sided one was associated with lunar cults, black magic of blood sacrifices and the downward spiral of involution. The right-sided one was associated with solar cults, white magic and the upward spiral of evolution .
It is no coincidence that the Nazis used and continue to use the left-handed swastika, just like the black sorcerers Bon-po in Tibet, to whom expeditions of the Nazi occult Institute Ahnenerbe went for sacred knowledge of antiquity.
It is no coincidence that there has always been close communication and cooperation between the Nazis and black sorcerers. And it is also not accidental that the Nazis massacred civilians, since in essence they are bloody sacrifices to the forces of darkness."
And so I look at this yak and I feel sorry for him: the stupid Tibetans have hung him all over with a “fascist” “left-handed” swastika, through which the Navy will suck out all his energy and he, poor fellow, will become hobbled and die.
Or maybe it’s not the Tibetans who are stupid, but those who divide it into the “malicious” left-sided side and the “beneficent” right-sided side? It is obvious that our distant ancestors did not know such a division. Here is an ancient Novgorod ring found by the expedition of Ak. Rybakova.
If you believe modern idle “reasoning”, then the owner of this ring was a mentally abnormal person, a withered evil spirit with a penis at half past six. This is of course complete nonsense. If this form of swastika was associated with something negative, neither animals nor (especially) people would wear it.
R. Bagdasarov, our main “expert” on swastikas, notes that there are no clear meanings for the “left” and “right” swastikas even in India, not to mention other cultures. In Christianity, for example, both versions of the swastika are used.
If we divide the swastika into “positive” and “negative”, then it turns out that the clergyman worships both God and the devil at the same time, which again looks like complete nonsense.
So there are no “right-handed” or “left-handed” swastikas. A swastika is a swastika.
The urban legend of the Soviet pioneers said that the swastika was the four letters G gathered in a circle: Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, Himmler. The children did not think that the German Gs are actually different letters - H and G. Although the number of leading Nazis on G really went off scale - you can also remember Grohe, and Hess, and many others. But it's better not to remember.
The German Nazis used this sign even before Hitler came to power. And why they showed such interest in the swastika is not at all surprising: for them it was an object of mystical power that came from India, from the original Aryan territories. Well, it also looked beautiful, and the leaders of the national socialist movement always attached great importance to issues of aesthetics.
Statue Indian elephant with a swastika on the site of the old Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen. The statue has nothing to do with Nazism: pay attention to the dots near the center
If we consider the swastika not as part of patterns and designs, but as an independent object, then its first appearance dates back to approximately the 6th-5th centuries BC. It can be seen on objects found in excavations in the Middle East. Why is it customary to call India the birthplace of the swastika? Because the word “swastika” itself is taken from Sanskrit (literary ancient Indian language), means “well-being”, and purely graphically (according to the most common theory) symbolizes the Sun. Four-pointedness is far from necessary for it; there is also a great variety of angles of rotation, inclination of rays and additional patterns. In classical Hindu form, she is usually depicted as in the picture below.
There are many interpretations of which direction the swastika should rotate. There is even discussion of dividing them into female and male, depending on the direction
Due to the high popularity of the Sun among people of all races, it is logical that the swastika is an element of symbolism, writing and graphics among hundreds and hundreds of ancient peoples scattered throughout the planet. Even in Christianity it has found its place, and there is an opinion that christian cross is her direct descendant. Family traits It's really not hard to see. In our dear Orthodoxy, swastika-like elements were called “gammatic cross” and were often used in the design of temples. True, now it is not so easy to detect their traces in Russia, since after the start of the Great Patriotic War even harmless Orthodox swastikas were eliminated.
Orthodox gamma cross
The swastika is such a widespread object of world culture and religion that what is rather surprising is the rarity of its appearance in modern world. Logically, she should follow us everywhere. The answer is really simple: after the collapse of the Third Reich, it began to evoke such unpleasant associations that they got rid of it with unprecedented zeal. This is amusingly reminiscent of the story of the name Adolf, which was extremely popular in Germany at all times, but almost disappeared from use after 1945.
Craftsmen have gotten used to finding swastikas in the most unexpected places. With the advent of space images of the Earth in the public domain, the search for natural and architectural incidents has turned into a kind of sport. The most popular site for conspiracy theorists and swastikophiles is the naval base building in San Diego, California, designed in 1967.
The US Navy spent $600 thousand to somehow rid this building of its resemblance to a swastika, but the final result is disappointing
The Russian Internet and some station stalls are filled with all sorts of interpreters of Slavic pagan swastikas, where they meticulously explain in pictures what “yarovrat”, “svitovit” or “posolon” means. It sounds and looks exciting, but keep in mind that there is no trace of any scientific basis behind these myths. Even the term “Kolovrat”, which has come into use, supposedly Slavic name swastikas are the product of speculation and myth-making.
A beautiful example of rich Slavophile fantasy. Pay special attention to the name of the first swastika on the second page
Outlandish mystical powers are attributed to the swastika, hence the interest in it from people who are suspicious, superstitious or prone to the occult. Does it bring happiness to the wearer? Think about it: Hitler used it both in the tail and in the mane, and ended up so badly that you wouldn’t wish it on your enemy.
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was a big fan of swastikas. She drew the symbol everywhere she could reach with pencils and paints, especially in her children’s rooms, so that they would grow up healthy and not worry about anything. But the empress was shot by the Bolsheviks along with her entire family. The conclusions are obvious.
