The Swastika
Dispersion of the Swastika
There
were also found in the fourth city many needles of bone for female handiwork,
bear tusks, spit rests of mica schist, whetstones of slate, porphyry,
etc., of the usual form, hundreds of small silex saws, and some knives
of obsidian, Stone whorls, which are so abundant at Mycenae, are but rarely
found here; all of those which occur are, according to Mr. Davis, of steatite.
On the other hand, terra-cotta whorls, with or without incised ornamentations,
are found by thousands; their forms hardly vary from those in the third
(the burnt) city, and they same may be generally said of their incised
ornamentation. * * * The same representation of specimens of whorls are
given as in the third city, and the same observations apply.Fig. 55 shows a simple cone, the upper surface being flat and without other
decoration than three Swastikas equidistant from the hole and from each
other, all made by the two crossed ogee lines with ends curved to the
right. This specimen is much like that of
fig. 71 ( Madam Schliemann collection in the U. S. national Museum,
Cat. No. 149704). Fig. 56 shows
a remarkable spindle-whorl. It’s marks greatly excited the interest of
Dr. Schliemann, and he devoted much space to the discussion of these and
similar characters. The whorl is in the form of a cone. It bears upon
its conical surface four Swastikas, the ends of three of which bend to
the right and one to the left. There are but two of these ends which bend
at right angles. Most of them are at an obtuse angle, while the ends of
two are curved. Some taper to a point and finish with a slight flourish.
The other marks which so interested Dr. Schliemann were the chevron ornament
(zigzag), drawn in parallel lines, which , he strongly argued, and fortified
with many authorities, represented lightning. The second series of marks
he called a “burning altar.” This assertion he also fortified with authorities
and with illustrations of a similar sign from different countries. (See
fig. 101.) The third series
of marks represented an animal, name and character unknown, with a head
or tusks with two large branching horns or ears, a straight back, a stiff
but drooping tail, four legs, and two rows of the remarkable dots– seven
in one, six in the other–placed over the back of the animal. (See figs.
99 and 100.) Fig. 57 represents
another cone-shaped whorl, the flat surface of which is engraved with
one perfect Swastika, the two arms crossing each other at right angles
and the two ends bending at right angles to the right; the other two are
curved, also to the right. Two of the other figures Dr. Schliemann calls
Swastikas, although they are uncertain in some of their arms and angles.
The fourth character he imagined to be an inchoate or attempted Swastika.
Fig. 58 shows a biconical whorl
with curious and inexplicable characters. One of them forms a crude Swastika,
which, while the main arms cross at right angles the ends are bent at
uncertain angles, three to the left and one to the right. These characters
are so undetermined that it is doubtful if they could have had any signification,
either ornamental or otherwise. Fig.
59 is almost conical, the flat surface thereof being only slightly
raised at the center. It is much the same form as the whorls shown in
fig. 55 and 71. The nearly flat
surface is the top, and on it, equidistant form the center hole and from
each other, are three ogee Swastikas of double lines, with their ends
all curved to the right. In the alternate spaces are small incised circles,
with dots in the centers. In fig.
60 a biconical << Previous Page Next Page >>
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