Swastika is a mystical symbol that originally represents the search for happiness, salvation and good luck.
The swastika is formed by a cross with its ends curved and positioned around a static center. In some cultures the swastika represents the concept of the cyclical movement and regeneration of life.
The symbol is also known as swastika cross or swastika, and is present in the history of different ancient cultures. There are records that the symbol was already used in the Neolithic Period, being also found in the history of countless civilizations, such as the Aztecs, the Celts, the Buddhists, the Greeks, the Hindus, in Egypt, among others.
Swastika types
There are different styles of swastikas, depending on the culture in which it was used, but fundamentally they all have the same cross-shaped structure with broken ends. Also according to culture, the swastika can have different meanings.
Essentially, there are two main types of swastikas: with the arms pointing to the right and with the arms to the left, representing the “male” and the “female”, respectively.
The swastika is also considered a cyclic representation of birth, that is, of the life renewal movement.
In India, the symbol was used in various ceremonies, such as commemorations and religious celebrations, being associated with Buddha and the concept of auspicious (which brings luck and hope), a term widely used in culture Indiana.
Nazi swastika
The symbol of the swastika cross became popular after the emergence of the Nazi movement, which adopted this image as an icon of his party (German National Socialist Workers' Party), from 1920. The image was adopted by Nazism as a representative symbol of the supremacy of the Aryan race.
The likely explanation for why the Nazi Party chose the swastika as a symbol is due to certain similarities that have been identified between Sanskrit and the German language. These similarities have been interpreted by some scholars as a sign that Indians and Germans would be descended from the same race: the Aryan race.
How did the swastika become a negative symbol?
It was from the use by Nazism and due to the atrocities committed during the period of World War II that the cross swastika gained a negative meaning, as it represents to this day the memory of inhumane acts practiced by members of the III Reich during Nazism.
In some countries, for example, the use of the swastika is prohibited and considered a crime of apology for Nazism. In Brazil, according to Law No. 7,716/89 (which provides for crimes related to racial prejudice), whoever manufactures or using the swastika as a form of apology for Nazi ideals can be punished with up to 5 years of prison.
Symbol (emblem) of the German Nazi Party.
Learn more about the meaning of Nazism and SS (Schutzstaffel).
origin of the swastika
It is believed that the swastika exists for more than 7,000 years, having been used by people who inhabited the Eurasian region during the Neolithic Period. The symbol was also used by ancient civilizations in North and Central America.
Etymologically, the word "swastika" derives from the Sanskrit svastika, what do you mean good luck or conducive of well-being. Sanskrit is an ancient language of India, used mainly by scholars.
Traditionally, for most civilizations in which it was used, the swastika was taken as a solar symbol, representing the birth and rebirth of life. It meant an energy source capable of creating everything in the world. Thus, the swastika would represent the symbology of the world's creative energy.
See also the Highlights of World War II.
