Unfortunately, the memory of the Holocaust is still far too strong to allow that to happen. They refuse to allow Nazi violence to take it away from them, and I wish the Western world could do the same. I have to give these Asian cultures props for not bowing to Nazi hatred, and still proudly utilizing a beautiful and geometrically pleasing symbol. The swastika was swapped for an X when the anime was brought to the US Manga and anime frequently needs to be edited when it is translated for a Western audience. There are numerous instances of imported toys carrying the symbol and Western purchasers being outraged when they discover it. At the end of the 2018 Olympics, the Chinese delegation featured it heavily in their presentation during the closing ceremony. A swastika formed from Hebrew letters, as used in Kabbala (Jewish mysticism)Īsian cultures still use the swastika. Whatever the inspiration, the swastika is an iconic symbol that pervaded human art for millennia. A Han Dynasty manuscript detailing comet tail varieties Other theories suggest a spinning comet, or even a cross with trailing arms inspired the swastika. From baskets to fabric to brick laying, this pattern can be picked out anywhere this weave is replicated. If you take a look at the most simple form of weaving, with alternate rows of fibers running up and down, and side to side, a pattern can be drawn to show repeating swastikas. The most compelling, I believe, has to do with weaving. ![]() ![]() There are several theories as to how this symbol independently appeared across so many cultures. The Snoldelev Stone in Denmark, carved in the 9th Century The Vikings used it as an alternate to Thor’s Hammer. Chief William Neptune of the Passamaquoddy Several Native American tribes use the swastika to represent the sun, and the Navajo use it for good luck. In fact, it is frequently used to mark the entrance or doorway of Hindu homes or temples. It’s one of the oldest consistently used symbols around the world, and it still plays an important role in many Asian cultures today. A three thousand year old necklace from Iran In reality, the swastika has been found in Neolithic settlements on every continent except Antarctica. Most people at this point are aware that the swastika was used as a good luck symbol in the Hindu faith, and while this is true (among many other associations), it’s far from the whole picture. The floor of a Byzantine church in Israel I also think it’s high time we took back the swastika, but before we do that, we need to understand the full history of this well-recognized symbol. And I say it’s time we take a stand and take it back from the Neo-Nazis. Thankfully, the ADL and the SPLC have a note attached to their entries on the valknut mentioning that some people still use it for its original religious use. Nazis have a long history of appropriating cultural symbols and turning them into symbols of hate, and I’m sick of it. So, a progressive LGBTQ ally Democrat Jew now has a Neo-Nazi hate symbol tattooed on her shoulder.īut here’s the thing. My inner engineer loves the trianglesįast forward seven years, and enough Neo-Nazi groups have appropriated it that both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center have it classified as a hate symbol. ![]() It’s Viking, it’s made up of a bunch of triangles (I like geometry), and it’s a simple design that a tattoo artist was able to do in less than an hour. So within a month of getting my first job in 2013, and switching over to my own health insurance plan, I got a valknut tattooed on my left shoulder. I made a deal with my parents that when I had my own health insurance, I could get tattoos. I’ve been into Vikings since I was a little girl. I’m actually a Jewish engineer Democrat from Connecticut.
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