CHAPTER XVII 



THE SWASTIKA 



A GOOD many people have never heard of the 

 Swastika. It is an emblem or device such as is 

 the Cross or the Crescent. Here it is (Fig. 38) 

 in its most simple and most common form. In India it 

 is in common use at the present day, and has been so 

 for ages. It is the emblem of good 

 luck. The name " Swastika," by which 

 it is widely known, is a Sanskrit word 

 meaning " good luck." The word is 

 composed of Su, the equivalent of the 

 Greek eu, signifying "well" or "good," 

 and asti (like the Greek esto], signify- 

 ing " being/'whilst ka is a suffix com- 

 pleting the word as a substantive. 

 The sign or emblem called Swastika 

 must have existed and been largely 

 used in decoration of temples, images, 

 swords, banners, utensils, and personal 

 trinkets of all sorts long before this name was given to it. 

 It has a name in many widely separate languages. It 

 is often referred to by English writers as the fylfot, the 

 gammadion, and the "crux ansata," also as the "croix 

 gamme'e." It is often found more roughly drawn (on 

 pottery or cloth) as shown in Fig. 39. Often the arms of 

 the cross are bent rigidly at right angles as in Fig. 38, 



but they are often only curved as seen in Fig. 39, C, 



191 



FIG. 38. The swastika 

 in its simplest rectan- 

 gular form. It may 

 turn to the right, as 

 here, or to the left, a 

 less usual thing, but 

 without significance. 



