From Good Vibes to Genocide: The Origins of the Swastika
We’ve all seen the symbol of the Swastika in the pages of ‘Maus’ in the past week. Whenever it showed up on a page, it denoted fear, power, and the telltale impact of genocide that followed the Nazis. But the real origins of the Swastika dates back about 6,000 years ago, the oldest sightings discovered in cave and rock paintings. In Sanskrit (a classical Indian language), ‘Swastika’ means well-being. Scholars have hypothesized that the symbol first originated in the Indian subcontinent and moved westward to Scandinavia, the Scottish Highlands, Finland, and other parts of Europe. Today, it is still used in a number of religions, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrian faith, and many more. Greek currency, Native American healing rituals, Baroque architecture, and Iron Age artifacts all hold some trace of the Swastika. Generally, the swastika was regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck. So how did the meaning of this once innocent symbol change from prosperous to infamo...