OCR Text |
Show How Jt Started By Jean Newton Swastika "Will you kindly tell me," Inquires A reader, "how the Swastika came to be taken by so many of us as a symbol sym-bol of good luck?" The swastika, which Is the cross made by crossing two letter "Z's" has been the symbol of good luck for so long hack that the reliable evidence has been preserved to indicate just why this particular ideograph should have its present significance. We do know that from time out of mind It has had this significance, and among peoples in all parts of the world excepting ex-cepting Africa, Polynesia, Australia and the Polar regions. The swatika as the good luck symbol Is found in China, Korea, Japan and India. As far back as in ancient Troy the swastika was used in this sense by the Myceneans. It is found in relics of such widely separated peoples as those who inhabited Europe during i the Bronze age, the Etruscans, the Indians of our own Colorado and Mexico, Mex-ico, and among others of North American Amer-ican natives who antedated Columbus by at least ten centuries. Another curiously significant fact is that in the Indian language the word "swastika" means good luck ; while in ancient Sanscrit "swasti" means "hail" or "be well." (. Bell Syndicate.) WNU Service. |