swastika

Also known as fylfot, gammadion

thumb|The swastika is a symbol with many styles and meanings and has been used in many cultures and religions around the world for millennia. thumb|The Cultural appropriation|appropriation of the swastika by the [[Nazi Party (1920–1945) is the most recognisable modern usage of the symbol in the Western world.]]

AI overview

The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used across many cultures and religions for thousands of years, with various styles and meanings in each tradition. In the Western world today, it is most widely recognized because of its appropriation by the Nazi Party, though this represents only one modern use of a symbol with a much longer and more diverse history.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Four-swastika collage (transparent).png

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Swastikas
Commons gallery: Swastika
Unicode character: 卐

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~77 min read

Article

42 sections

Contents

Etymology and nomenclature
Appearance
Written characters
Origin
North Pole
Comet
Four winds
Historical uses
Prehistory
Caucasus
Europe
Southern and eastern Asia
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Prevalence in southern Asia
Spread to eastern Asia
Classical Europe
Medieval and early modern Europe
Middle Ages
Rediscovery by Heinrich Schliemann
German occultism and pan-German nationalism
Post-Schliemann popularity
New religious movements
Nazism
Americas
Africa
Modern adoptions
Modern controversy
Germany
Legislation in other European countries
Outside Europe
Media
Use by neo-Nazis <span class="anchor" id="Neo-Nazism"></span>
Western misinterpretation of Asian use
Swastika as distinct from ''Hakenkreuz'' debate <span class="anchor" id="Hakenkreuz"></span>
See also
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links

The swastika ( , ; 卐 or 卍) is a symbol that has been used in many cultures and religions of Eurasia, as well as a few in Africa and the Americas, for thousands of years. The swastika was and continues to be used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in several religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. In the Western world, however, it is predominantly associated with the Nazi Party, which appropriated and widely displayed it on the flag of Germany and in other official capacities. This appropriation continues with the symbol's popularity among neo-Nazis around the world.