THE SWASTIKA 



195 



The Mykenseans and their island relatives obtained 

 the Swastika either from the ancient Bronze-age people 

 of Europe or else gave it to them, since it is very nearly 

 as common as a decoration or symbol on the bronze 

 swords, spear-heads, shields, and other metal work of 

 these prehistoric people of the middle and north of Europe 

 (also occurring in the pottery of the Swiss Lake dwellings), 

 as it is in the islands and adjacent 

 lands of the Eastern Mediter- 

 ranean. The Swastika is also 

 found abundantly on the early 

 work of the Etruscans, but dis- 

 appeared from general use in 

 Italy, as it did from the rest of 

 Europe, before historic times, 

 although occasionally used (as 

 in the decoration of the walls of 

 a house at Pompeii). All over 

 Germany, Scandinavia, France, 

 and Britain it is found (Fig. 44) 

 on objects of the Bronze period 

 sometimes on stone as well as 

 on bronze utensils, ornaments, 

 and weapons. A few objects of 

 Anglo-Saxon age are ornamented 

 with it especially remarkable 

 is a piece of pottery of that age from Norfolk 

 (Fig- 45> 



The history of the " Swastika " would be remarkable 

 enough if it ended here with the disappearance of its use 

 in Europe in prehistoric times and its continued use in 

 the Far East and India. But the most curious fact about 

 it is that we find it as a very common and favourite 

 decoration and device among the native tribes in North 

 America and Mexico, and exceptionally in Brazil. It is 



FIG. 43. Ornament from an 

 archaic (pre-Hellenic) Boeo- 

 tian vase, showing several 

 swastikas, Greek crosses and 

 two serpents (from Good- 

 year). 



