\doc\web\97\03\swat.txt Date sent: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 23:03:35 -0400 Send reply to: Hank Roth's PNEWS CONFERENCES From: Kari Sprowl Subject: Re: [PN] X-dress today To: PNEWS-L@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU >Hitler chose the left-revolving swastika because the traditional swastika >- a Bhuddist symbol, revolves right and signifies luck. The Bhuddist >symbol was around for much longer than the relatively recent western >left-vs-right dichotomy. > >Alister > Actually, the Buddhists got it from the Asian Indians. I think "svastika" is a Sanscrit word. It was, when clockwise, a symbol of the vernal equinox. It was also a symbol of the four elements (earth,air,fire, and water) in balance and in evolution. Hitler turned it around (counterclockwise) to mean DEvolution. Hitler also took the Elder Futhark (the alphabet in which Old English and Old Norse were written prior to the Romans) symbol for the sound "s," also meaning solar energy, doubled it, and made it the insignia for the SS. Hitler was good at screwing with other peoples' symbology. He thought that it would bring him some special magic powers. Guess he was wrong. He was very good at being wrong. Kari >+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ >| alister air | "Organised and stable communities | >| computing science student | of solidarity and support make it | >| and helpdesk officer | possible for disaffection to | >| university of technology, sydney | become something more than | >| www.progsoc.uts.edu.au/~baitoven/ | cynicism and hopelessness." | >+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ > > These are my opinions today. Ask me tommorow - they may have changed.