Catholic Word of the Day: SWASTIKA, 01-07-10

CatholicReference.net ^ | 01-07-10 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

[Salvation]

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SWASTIKA

A symbol of the Cross, sometimes called the crux gammata, made up of four Greek gammas joined at their bases. It is of Sanshrit origin and means "good omen." It has several recognized meanings, e.g., rotation of the sun, four points of the compass. It has sometimes been referred to as the crooked cross. It was the emblem of the Nazis in World War II. Seldom used by Christians before the third century, and then only to conceal the Cross from unbelievers.

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

[Salvation]

This should bring about a lot of pictures and discussion. I was floored by a connection of religion with the swastika.

[Salvation]

From NewAdvent

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The sign of the cross, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles, greatly antedates, in both the East and the West, the introduction of Christianity. It goes back to a very remote period of human civilization. In fact, some have sought to attach to the widespread use of this sign, a real ethnographic importance. It is true that in the sign of the cross the decorative and geometrical concept, obtained by a juxtaposition of lines pleasing to the sight, is remarkably prominent; nevertheless, the cross was originally not a mere means or object of ornament, and from the earliest times had certainly another — i.e. symbolico-religious — significance. The primitive form of the cross seems to have been that of the so-called "gamma" cross (crux gammata), better known to Orientalists and students of prehistoric archæology by its Sanskrit name, swastika.

 

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We shall explain below the value and symbolical meaning of this crux gammata when found on Christian monuments. But the swastika is not the only sign of this kind known to antiquity.

 

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Another symbol largely employed during the third and fourth centuries, the swastika already spoken of at some length, still more closely resembles the cross. On monuments dating within the Christian Era it is known as the crux gammata, because it is made by joining four gammas at their bases. Many fantastic significations have been attached to the use of this sign on Christian monuments, and some have even gone so far as to conclude from it that Christianity is nothing but a descendant of the ancient religions and myths of the people of India, Persia, and Asia generally; then these theorists go on to point out the close relationship that exists between Christianity, on the one hand, Buddhism and other Oriental religions, on the other. At the very least they insist upon seeing some relation between the symbolical concepts of the ancient religions and those of Christianity. Such was the opinion held by Emile Burnouf (cf. Revue des Deux Mondes, 15 August, 1868, p. 874). De Rossi ably refuted this opinion, and showed the real value of this symbol on Christian monuments (Bull. d' arch. crist., 1868, 88-91). It is fairly common on the Christian monuments of Rome, being found on some sepulchral inscriptions, besides occurring twice, painted, on the Good Shepherd's tunic in an arcosolium in the Catacomb of St. Generosa in the Via Portuensis, and again on the tunic of the fossor Diogenes (the original epitaph is no longer extant. In the catacomb of St. Domitilla in the Via Ardeatina. Outside of Rome it is less frequent. There is one example in an inscription found at Chiusi (see Cavedoni, Ragguaglio di due antichi cimiteri di Chiusi). A stone in the museum at Bergamo bears the monogram joined to the gamma cross, but it would seem to be of Roman origin. Another in the Mannheim Museum, with the name of a certain Hugdulfus, belongs to the fifth or sixth century. In a sarcophagus at Milan belonging to the fourth century it is repeated over and over again, but evidently as a mere ornamental motive (see Allegranza, Mon. di Milano, 74).

De Rossi (Rom. Sott. Crist., II, 318) made researches into the chronology of this symbol, and the examples of it to be found in the catacombs at Rome, and he observed that it was seldom or never used until it took the place of the anchor, i.e. about the first half of the third century, whence he inferred that, not being of ancient tradition, it came into fashion as the result of studied choice rather than as a primitive symbol linking the beginnings of Christianity with Asiatic traditions. Its genesis is reflex and studied, not primitive and spontaneous. It is well known how anxiously the early Christians sought out means whereby they could at once portray and conceal the Cross of Christ. That in this way they should have discovered and adopted the crux gammata, is easily intelligible, and it is explained not merely by what has already been said, but also by the similarity between the Greek character gamma () and the Phnician character tan. The latter has been famous since Apostolic times as a symbol of the Cross of Christ and of the Redemption (cf. Barnabæ Epist., ix, 9).

[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day – links will be provided later by another FReeper.

 

Casualism	Victim	Frustulum
Unity	Isaiah	Episcopal Curia
Wake	Canonical Age	Paschal Candle
Doctrinal Demythology	Pro Armenis	Lamb
Responsory	Dogma	Roman Martyrology
Greek Rites	Anglican Orders	Attritionism
Ciborium	Paenitemini	Amice
Feast of the Visitation	Our Lady Protectress of Rome (Salus Populi Romani)	Tosefta
Györ	Poverty of Sharing	Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarium
Penalty, Penitential	Intuition	Witness
Sanctuary of [Our] Sorrowful Mother	Basilians	Evil Habits
Orate Fratres	Codex Sinaiticus	Clothing of Religious
Unam Sanctam	Eckhartism	Christendom
Herodias	Tower of Babel	Tabula Rasa
Jeronymites/Heironymites	Individuation	Swastika

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[the invisib1e hand]

and then only to conceal the Cross from unbelievers.

No wonder it was hijacked by an AntiChrist. It's a symbol of cowardice.

[Salvation]

Also quite interesting.

 

[Salvation]

And the proponents of socialism.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Here is a photo of thre main street in Farmington, NM. The building on the left was a hotel we stayed at in 1956. the building is still there as I saw it on a visit three months ago.

There used to be a Swastika Hotel in Raton NM but it changed it's name when Germany declared war on the US. There is also another town that still has a Swastika street.

Now, if someone would find and post the US Army shoulder patch from the 1930s that had the Swastika on it. It also was from a New Mexico brigade or division.

[Straight Vermonter]

Earlier Catholic Words of the Day

Casualism	Victim	Frustulum
Unity	Isaiah	Episcopal Curia
Wake	Canonical Age	Paschal Candle
Doctrinal Demythology	Pro Armenis	Lamb
Responsory	Dogma	Roman Martyrology
Greek Rites	Anglican Orders	Attritionism
Ciborium	Paenitemini	Amice
Feast of the Visitation	Our Lady Protectress of Rome (Salus Populi Romani)	Tosefta
Györ	Poverty of Sharing	Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarium
Penalty, Penitential	Intuition	Witness
Sanctuary of [Our] Sorrowful Mother	Basilians	Evil Habits
Orate Fratres	Codex Sinaiticus	Codex Sinaiticus
Unam Sanctam	Eckhartism	Christendom
Herodias	Tower of Babel	Tabula Rasa
Jeronymites/Heironymites	Individuation	Swastika

[Salvation]

Interesting U. S. connections.

[blackpacific]

We went to midnight mass at Old St. Mary’s in Cincinnati on Christmas Eve. The interior of the church is covered with swastikas in the tile. Of course, this church was built about 100 years before Hilter was existed. It was a German form of the cross.