Swastika (Germanic Iron Age)

The swastika design is known from artefacts of many cultures since the Neolithic. It appears often on artefacts from the Germanic Iron Age, which includes the Migration period to Viking Age in Scandinavia, including the Vendel era in Sweden. It can be seen as early as the 3rd century in Elder Futhark inscriptions and as late as the 9th century on Viking Age image stones.

Examples include a 2nd-century funerary urn of the Przeworsk culture from Poland, the 3rd century Værløse Fibula from Zealand, Denmark, the Gothic spearhead from Brest-Litovsk, Belarus, and the 9th century Snoldelev Stone from Ramsø, Denmark. The swastika is drawn either left-facing or right-facing, sometimes with "feet" attached to its four legs.

The symbol is closely related to the triskele, a symbol of three-fold rotational symmetry, which occurs on artefacts from the same time. When the swastika is thought of as a four-fold rotational symmetrical version of the triskele, it is sometimes called tetraskele.

The swastika symbol in the Germanic Iron Age has been linked to sacred meanings, associated with either Odin or Thor. The older Indoeuropean tradition links the four-fold swastika with solar deities.

Bracteates

Many small, thin gold pieces called bracteates have the swastika symbol on them. These pieces often have old runes on them too. Most of these bracteates are of a type called "C." They show a human head above an animal, which many think represents the Germanic god Woden/Odin. The swastika is usually next to the head. Most of these swastikas face left (卍), but some face right (卐). The way the swastika faces matches the direction the runes are written, which is from right to left.

Some examples where the swastika is part of the writing include: DR BR12 Darum 4 (lïïaþzet lae : t卐ozrï); DR BR38 Bolbro 1 and DR BR40 Allesø (both zlut : eaþl lauz 卐 owa); DR BR41 Vedby (...] lauz 卐 owa); DR BR53 Maglemose 2 (卍(l)kaz). In these writings, the swastika might represent a word related to shine or light.

Anglo-Saxon England

The early Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo, England, had many items with the swastika symbol on them. These items are now kept at the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The swastika was also found on a sword and belt at Bifrons in Bekesbourne, Kent, in a grave from around the 6th century.

Interpretation

Hilda Ellis Davidson suggested that the swastika symbol might have been linked to Thor, the god of thunder. It could represent his hammer, Mjolnir. Many examples of the swastika have been found in Anglo-Saxon graves from the pagan period, especially on cremation urns from East Anglia. Some of these swastikas were made with great care, showing they may have been important symbols for funerals. The runic inscription on the Sæbø sword, dating to around AD 800, is also seen as evidence connecting the swastika to Thor in Norse paganism.