I didn't say Hitler didn't know...

[ Reply ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by the Fiddler from IDFAB103-11.splitrock.net on February 09, 2000 at 18:46:33:

In Reply to: Design also found on Amish, Penn Dutch, etc. barns (+ my 2 cents: what scholarly folks we Forum-fans are!) posted by Inbanana Jones on February 09, 2000 at 03:40:32:

: This design is found in many contexts across the globe. I've seen it depicted in African textiles, Native American religious and secular art, as well as the 'forementioned Tibetan and East Asian religious art. I would advise caution in assigning simple notions of good/evil, "positive/negative energy" to the design based on either the direction of the arms or the context in which it is used as a symbol (e.g., Hitler's Germany).

I guess I didn't make myself clear enough... the symbol has been closely tied with satanisitic practices since WAY back, in European history.


: Similarly, asserting that Hitler unknowingly practiced Satanism is, in my opinion, ascribing too little responsibility to the Nazis (who knew quite well what they were doing);

I didn't mean that Hitler didn't know what he was doing, I was only including the ideas of some arguments I have read, in which they claim Hitler didn't realize it was Satan he was worshiping, but rather a Aerian Christ.


it is also rather reductionist and unreasonable to suggest that human behavior can be understood by applying broad and one-dimensional notions such as "Satanism", "purity", or "evil" to social history, whatever one's particular religious or philosophic point of view.

I completely agree. But you'll never catch me with a Swastika of any sort on my person or as decoration on anything I own.


: Designs such as the swastika are only given meaning, only become symbols, when they can be tied via archaeological data, cultural tradition, or observed behavior to a particular human context.
: Symbols only make sense within their cultural context: thus the swastika, with arms left or right, simply will not translate as "sun", "anti-christ", "purity/profanity" from culture to culture, or from region to region. Recognizing this diversity in meaning, and exploring the depths and ramifications of this meaning in cultures is a true joy of anthropology and archaeology, as Indy might argue.

Once again, I completely agree, accept that the Swastika as adopted by the Nazi's and used anciently by those who passed it on to Hitler, was in fact a "anti-Christ" symbol.


: Finding ubiquitous symbols may cloyingly suggest that their is some unconscious archetypal "human character", but even Jung did not argue that this could be more that some organically-derived type of, essentially, a genetically-imprinted survival mechanism. Writers like Joseph Campbell go too far, I think, in suggesting that such archetypes can have serious potential to provide meaningful insights into human behavior.

Well said!

--the Fiddler


Follow Ups:



Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:  


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]