1921.] The Svastika and-the Omkara. 235 
Chi Rho (YX). That monogram, found on early Christian coins 
and figured by Constantine on his standard, represents, as is well 
known, the first two letters of the Greek word Xpuwros, the 
other letters being left out to be supplied to the mind by 
suggestion. If five letters out ofa total of seven could thus be 
omitted from the Christian symbol, the omission of the final 
ma of om from its symbolic representation in the shape of a 
svastika will not appear strange. From the alphabetical 
standpoint, the Indian symbol was simply 0; but, symboli- 
eally, it represented the omkara 
Outside India, the srabtika is found dispersed on a very 
large scale, Pubione throughout the world. In England, the 
svastika has been known as the fylfot,—a ie taken by the 
earlier ety mologists to mean ‘ four-footed’ o ‘ many-footed. 
Although the New English Dictionary iB allctives this deriva- 
tion, 1 am inclined to accept it in view of the fact that the 
omkara is described in Upanishadic literature as catuspada or 
‘four-footed.! The earliest undoubted occurrence of the 
svastika is said to be in connexion with the Third City 
on the site of Hissarlik, identified with ancient Troy. It 
is common also in the Fourth and Fifth Cities on the same 
site, and is principally found there on spindle whorls. Its 
most luxuriant expression, however, is to be met with on Grecian 
vases of the fifth, sixth and seventh centuries B. 
ere were many varieties of the aris already i in those 
remote ages. I am ‘ill-equipped to deal with all of them and 
with the associated emblems and figures. But some points 
deserve special notice here as being particularly relevant to my 
present thesis. The svastika-types may be classified under 
two broad divisions: (1) the plain svastika, right-handed,’ and 
‘left handed,’ and (2) the ‘ ogee’ svastika, or svastika with 
spirals attached to the arms, also ‘right- -handed’ and ‘left- 
nde A most remarkable feature on 4 few Greek ori 
is the occurrence of a number of what would appear to 
Greek ‘M’s by the side of the svastika. 8 This Gaacsintion of 
the Greek ‘M’s with the svastika on ancient Greek vases 
recalls the association of the Brahmi ma \ with the svastika in 
bear confirmatory testimony to the gh oa of 
The dots which occasionally 
appear in conjunction with the svastika should; I think, be 
likewise interpreted as corresponding to the nasal bindu of the 
Indian alphabet. 
r. Van Manen, of the Imperial Library, bing organ “rapes 
me older whe clagge ae © iene that it is more satisfac ree 
Wilson, The Sw ere See also Plates III and J 
s Ibid., aig 27, 149, 
° 
