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The Swastika

Dispersion of the Swastika

Page 63

been broken; its use is somewhat indeterminable, but it is believe by the curator of that museum and others to have been an arrowhead or spearhead. In form it belongs to Class A of stemmed implements, is lozenge-shaped, without shoulder or fig. 203

barb. It is a little more than two inches long, five-eighths of an inch wide, is flat and thin. On one side it bears two oblique of St. Andrew's crosses scratched in the bone; on the other, a figure resembling the Swastika. It is not the normal Swastika, but a variation therefrom. It is a cross about three-eighths of an inch square. The main stem lines cross each other at right angles; the ends of each of these arms are joined by two incised lines, which gives it the appearance of two turns to the right, but the junction is not well made, for the lines of the cross extend in every case slightly farther than the bent end. The variation from the fig. 204 a and b

normal Swastika consists of the variation produced by this second line. This object was lately found by M. Dupont, of Brussels, in the prehistoric cavern of Sinsin, near Namur. Most, or many, of these caverns belong to Paleolithic times, and one, the Grotte de Spy, has furnished the most celebrated specimens of the skeletons of Paleolithic man. But the cavern of Sinsin was determined, from the objects found therein, to belong to the Bronze age.
Scandinavia. --- The evidences of prehistoric culture have great resemblance fig. 205

throughout Denmark, Sweden, and Norway; so it is believed that during the prehistoric ages their peoples had the same culture, and the countries have been classed together as Scandinavia.
A bronze sword is reported by Mr. George Stephens (1) as having been found at Sæbo, Norway, with runes and a Swastika inlaid with silver. This specimen (fig. 203) was the subject of discussion before the International Congress of Anthropology and Prehistoric Archæology (2), at Budapest, 1876. Its runes were translated by Stephens and being read from right to left. "OH THURMUTH," or "owns me Thurmuth." But on the same page he gives another sign for Thu and renders

as Odin or (W)oden. In the discussion before the congress it seems to have been agreed that the sign

stood for "blessing," "good luck," or some beneficent charm or benediction. A spearhead has been for years displayed in the museum at Torcello, near Venice, Italy, with a Swastika sign (fig. 204a) prominent as an engraved sign. (3) Associated with it, but not a part of it, was an inscription (fig. 204b), which has always been attributed to the Etruscans. Mr. I. Undset, an archæologist in the museum of Christiana, made an extended visit through Italy, in 1883, and on seeing this spearhead recognized the inscription as runic and belonging to Scandinavia. The arms of the Swastika turned to the left, and the ends were finished with three dots of the same style as those described employed in the Croix swasticale (fig. 12). Figs. 205 and 206 represent articles of dress or toilet, and bear the Swastika. The first shows a redding comb, the Swastika on which turns to the right. It was fig. 206

probably of bone or horn, as are those of modern times. Fig. 206 shows a brooch, the interior decoration of which is a combination of Swastikas more or less interlaced. It is of bronze and was used as a dress ornament. Fig. 207 shows a large brooch, the bodies and bar of which are almost covered with the tetraskelion style of Swastika. There are six of the four armed Swastika, four of which turn to the left and two to the right. Another is triskelion, the arms of which turn to the right. In Scandinavia more than in other countries the Swastika took the form of a rectangular body with arms projecting from each corner and bending in a spiral form, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left.

ENDNOTES:

1. "Old Northern Runic Monuments," pt. 3, p. 407. [Back]

2. Proceeding of the Eighth Session, I, pp. 457-460. Back

3. Du Chaillu, "Viking Age," I, fig. 335. H. Mis. 90, pt. 2 ---- 55 Back

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