CHAPTER XVII
THE SWASTIKA
Fig. 38.—The swastika in its simplest rectangular form. It may turn to the right, as here, or to the left, a less usual thing, but without significance.
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), signifying "being," whilst ka is a suffix completing 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 gammée." 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, or curled spirally as in B, when it is called an "ogee." The arms of the Swastika are sometimes bent to the right as in Fig. 38, and sometimes to the left as in Fig. 39. This difference does not appear to have any symbolic significance, but to depend on the fancy of the artist.
Fig. 39.—Three simple varieties of the swastika. A, the normal rectangular. B, the ogee variety (with spiral extremities). C, the curvilinear or "current" variety.