of cruelty, destruction and evil. We associate it with one of the most horrific regimes that

has ever been. However, the roots of the swastika go much further back than nazi Germany. In

fact, it is a symbol that has accompanied humanity for thousands of years. It is time

to have a closer look at the origin of the swastika. The swastika can be traced in many

different cultures all over the world. Evidence from England, Scandinavia, America, India

and many other places speak of ancient cultures with the swastika as an important symbol.

To many Hindus, the swastika still represents an important heritage, and is a symbol of

hope, benevolence and good. The ancient symbol seems to be an important part of human history

and religios practice. Its original meaning being a mystery. In 1874 an archeological

excavation began in Tyrkey, of what was believed to be the ancient city of Troy. The dig was

lead by a German business man named Heinrich Schliemann. During the excavation, strange

spheres with symbols in them were uncovered at the site. Symbols that we would call the

swastika. He also found pottery bearing the same symbol. This find was important, because

it would lie the foundation of the metamorphosis of this symbol into the emblem of the arian

masterrace. A new mythology of the swastika to be constructed by the nazis. Schliemann

himself didn't know what these symbols were, but there were scholars more than willing

to interpret them for him. And one of these men were Émile-Louis Burnouf, who was a scholar

of ancient Indian litterature. He tried to make sense of Schliemann's finds by turing

to an ancient Hindu epic called the Rigveda. The Rigvedas mention a people calld the Arias.

And in the lexica of the Rigvada the word swastika is mentioned. Burnouf simply put

the two together and told the story of this people, who were invading warriors from the

north who displaced the existing people of India, and how the swastika was their ancient

symbol. These were also the same people who we find represented in the pottery of Troy.

In other words, the pseudo historian Burnolf brought together two entirely unconnected

mythologies. The people of Troy were fused with the Arians of the Rigvedas, and Burnolf

claimed that the swastika was the symbol that united them. It was simply the perfect excuse

to create a new mythology of a single pan European warrior race using the swastika as

their emblem. For a man like Hitler, a symbol with this kind of mythology was perfect for

his ambitios project. And the swastika became the perfect emblem for his nazi movement.

The nazis wanted to create a new history for themselves, with a new foundation in the greatness

of an Arian masterrace. It was perhaps history's most successful example of cultural theft.

The swastika is for most no longer associated with divine blessings, but with race hatred.

After the second world war, the symbol was banned in Germany and Poland. In 2007 Germany

proposed a ban of public use of swastikas throughout the European Union. This upset

many Hindus, since the swastika for them still is a very important religious symbol. Millions

of people use the symbol on a daily basis when practicing their faith. What started

out as anxiaty agains nazism, turned into a fight for religious freedom. The German

proposal was essentially euro centric with little regard of the greater picture. The

massive reaction stopped the ban, and European Hindus were still free to display their religious

symbol. Although, still not without reactions from people who confuse it with the swastika

of the nazis. Dispite the Hindu swastika representing positive aspects of human existence, like

prosperity, luck and good fortune, the intuitive perception of the symbol in western minds

may never be completely healed. I hope you engjoyed this episode of history hamster.

Remember to subscribe for more videos on history in the future. I would also like to recommmend

my 10 facts about Chichen Itza and the ancient Maya, and my video on Socialism. Follow me

on Twitter and Facebook for more history and updates on future videos. And as alway: Stay

rodent, people. Stay rodent.