b'By Jim and Bobbi Jeen Olson,WesternTradingPost.comT hroughout much of the modernadorning them date to between 1890 world, the Swastika symboland 1930. It is a novelty among some represents Nazism and reminds uscollectors to search out these items of Adolf Hitlerracism. But it was notdue to their rarity. However, this has always this way. Before WWII, it was aalso led to resurgence in the use of it globally recognized symbol. Its meaningon crafts and jewelry once again. Until had nothing to do with Nazi Germanyrecent years, if you found a Native except in the few years leading up to andor Western Americana type of object including the war. Before that, it waswith a Swastika on it, there was a high associated with good luck. degree of probability it was made between the late 1800s and early 1930s. The symbol has a long history dating backBut since authentic items are getting to prehistoric times. In the Americas,harder to find because more collectors variations of it have been found inare seeking them out, nowadays, you excavations of Mound-builder andwill also see it on modern made retro-Mississippian era sites. Further south,style items as well. the ancient Aztecs were said to have used the symbol. By the early 1900s,Where did the name come from? The several Southwestern and Plains Nativeword Swastika is said to have Sanskrit American tribes were using it on craftsorigins and can be found in writings built for their use and for that of thedating back to 500 BC. It roughly commercial tourist markets.translates into: to be good; to be well; or auspicious. There are different According to Wikipedia, the earliestwords for it around the globe, but known use of the symbol may date backSwastika is by far the most common. In as far as 10,000 BC. They report, It was found on a late Paleolithic figurine ofthe western United States, a common a bird, carved from mammoth ivory, found in Ukraine. The symbol dates tocontemporary term for it on Americana 6,000 BC in Bulgaria and 3,000 BC on the Indian Subcontinent according tois Whirling Logs.I believe the term archeological findings. It has been found in prehistoric sites in Africa, China,Whirling Logs is something used and Europe as well. It seems the Swastika symbol, or variations of it, were usedmore after WWII to give it a symbolism in many parts of the world during ancient times.more closely associated with a Native American sounding themesetting In about 1870, German archeologist Heinrich Schliemann found objectsit apart from the word Swastika. Prior bearing the Swastika in the ruins of what was believed to be the lost city ofto the war, you would rarely (if ever) Troy. Some credit this discovery, and subsequent publications about it, as asee the term Whirling Logs appear catalyst for the resurgence in the use of the Swastika in modern times.Thein literature or brochures promoting Swastika gained popularity in the West during the late 1800s and was widelyWestern Americana or Native crafts. The word Swastika however does appear used. It remained popular through the 1920s until the use of it waned in thein such ads or sometimes the phrase, Indian Good Luck Symbol was used. 1930s. It had increasingly become associated with Nazism. After WWII however, using the word Swastika on an item for sale would have been a difficult sell. Therefore, another term such as Whirling Logs sounded In the American West, it was on many Cowboy and Native American itemsmore acceptable. So Whirling Logs is now the popular label for the symbol during the period mentioned above. Jewelry, saddles, textiles, baskets, bridles,on Americana.spurs, poker chips, and a large variety of other items were decorated with iteven appearing on road signs in Arizona. To the Americans, it was toutedHow is it properly drawn? Variations of the Swastika appear all over the globe as an Indian Good Luck symbol. Who came up with that idea? I dont thinkfrom ancient times to now. It can be left or right facing, be squared off, hooked, we will ever know for sure. Although it had been used as a good luck symboloffset, etc. In antique Americana and Native American items, it is found both worldwide in the past, it was probably a trader somewhere who encouraged theleft and right-facing and is usually squared off. In Nazi Germany however, it modern-day Natives to decorate their crafts with Indian looking and popularwas always squared off, right-facing, and stood on end. All authentic Nazi items symbols of the day so he could sell their wares to the tourists and have a storybearing a Swastika are marked this way. They never drew it using any of the to go with them. other variations. In Western Americana however, there is no right or wrong way for it to appear and you will see it in several different forms on those items.In the late 1930s, Native Americans collaborated in agreement with each other to quit using the symbol on their crafts for sale. Those who made other WesternAre you a racist if you collect items with the symbol on them? In most of the items such as bits, spurs, saddles, and the like also quit using it. During theworld and throughout the better part of history the symbol has been associated WWII years and thereafter, many items bearing the symbol were destroyed duewith good luck or something close to that. The Germans however used it to to the Nazi stigmata associated with it and since so many of those items weresymbolize nationalistic pride and Arian supremacy. But the Nazi German use destroyed it became much harder to find authentic examples. As we get furtherof the Swastika reigned for a mere 25 years or so out of the entire existence away from the war years, however, and people start to look past the relativelyof the symbol which goes back thousands of years. So if you are a collector or few years it was used by the Nazis, it has become more acceptable to collectdealer who seeks to educate the world about the true meaning of it, or perhaps those types of antiques once again.you simply find it a novelty to collect because of its colorful history that does not make you a racist. Far from it. However, there are still a few extreme For many Western Americana collectors, it is desirable to collect objects withindividuals out there who use it to symbolize some sort of supremacy.So the symbol on them. A plus often cited is that it helps to determine the agereally it boils down to how you think about it and how you use it that matters. of an item (pre-WWII). Most Americana collectibles found with the symbolTherein lies the difference between a genuine collector and a wanna-be Nazi. ArizonaRealCountry.com September 2020 15'