From Hope to Evil.

     Do you recognize this symbol?

Hindu Sign of Hope

Brick with Swastika and Inscription

    
 This is the ancient symbol used by Hindus and other eastern cultures and was/still is a great theological value called Swastika.

      The term swastika or rather 'Svastika' comes from Sanskrit the oldest language known to man. It is directly and positively denoted in eastern culture as 'good to be'. What we see here is another clash between eastern and western culture. There are many records of it's usage in many unexpected places over the span of three thousand years.

     The Hindus first used it as a sign of hope and blessing for the things to come. They placed it on the walls of their homes and in their temples. Despite what people may think, the Swastika is a beautiful sign. A Cross with it's edges turned portrays the denotative meaning of hope or rebirth, This sign is believed to be adopted from a certain constellation/group of stars, sort of like the big dipper. This sign was found in many different ancient civilizations and although it held a theological value it is said it had supernatural powers. The Buddhists started to use it as battle standards when they went to battle and as time went the Nazis began to believe that it had the power to make them invincible. This changed the denotative meaning of the symbol from hope to racial purism and power. However, regardless of it's affiliation with the Nazis, the Hindus still believe in it and continue to decorate their homes and their streets with Swastika symbols for good luck.

     As the Third Reich fell at the end of 1945, so did all the things it stood for. However, that meaning changed ever since the Nazis propagated it's meaning of racial purism during the early 1920s. Likewise the Allies had their own media spread propaganda and fear towards the swastika and twisted it's visual perception and now it is connotatively known, around western culture, as evil and genocidal.

 The Svastika was used as a symbol for certain medals in the boys' scouts of America and Great Britain. It was removed form the medals because of the Nazi affiliation with the sign at the time. 
The Nazis used the symbol on most of their propaganda posters and used it to show victory and purity.