5. The swastika was known across the world from ancient times
The swastika’s earliest appearance in Europe was in what became Ukraine. But as a symbol of religious significance, it was known throughout Eurasia. It became a significant religious icon in Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. It was sacred to the Greeks and the Romans. Early Christian churches used the icon in both the Eastern and Roman branches. It can be found in floor mosaics, ceilings, friezes, stained glass windows, artwork, and altars in churches of the Gothic period. The nobility in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland, used the symbol in their coats of arms and as decorative flourishes in their great houses. In the Nordic regions, the symbol was indicative of Thor’s hammer. It still decorates the elephants at Carlsberg’s in Copenhagen.
Ancient North American Indian tribes also used the swastika as symbol from the Passamaquoddy in Maine to the Navajo in the southwest. How it spread around the world, in virtually every portion of the world, remains a mystery, as the symbol has no equivalent in nature nor the night sky. Since its use by the Nazi Party in Germany it has been banned from being displayed publicly in both Germany and Austria, and its use even for scholarly purposes is subject to restrictions. Around the world, it is still displayed, sometimes as a symbol of hate, and in others, with the religious significance it has always conveyed.