Sigurd
11-14-2008, 01:04 AM
As some may know, I have been fascinated with how things seem to interlink, and how minor things hold the whole things together often enough.
Now, we all know different interpretation to one of our most holy symbols, the Fylfot. We also know about its use and misuse for all kinds of matters...which, despite turning out to be unfavourable in the end, actually, in all neutrality, further establish that it is a very potent sign...though, obviously I wish it had never been used for a different context than its religious one...
What I have also found interesting for quite some time is the numerology involved in our mythology and how it seems to interlink. There are certain numbers that recur throughout our entire mythology, and how they link to several myths and concepts, etc.
Now, I have had the the sacrilege, of trying to form some thoughts about the Fylfot/Swastika ... and bear in mind that they are some of my personal concepts about some of the more unclearer things of that symbol, and close scrutiny of these ideas, is not only allowed, but actively encouraged.
So what does the Swastika represent to me personally...well it certainly is a very holy sign and it represents all kinds of things.
Above all, however, to me, it embodies the concept of time. As established in the other topic - no need to re-iterate the exact wording of it, but feel free to read up on them again here. It basically establishes that time is not linear, not cyclical, but probably helical...something that we have all agreed upon before.
Either way, how does this concept link up to the swastika/fylfot Well, in my opinion it does quite well. On one hand, it seems to always be spinning in a circle, it will always be turning and seemingly reaching the same position. On the other hand, it is always moving and always moving on. It reaches the same position again, but it is the first full turn, the second full turn, the third full turn, etc. etc.
Another point I find quite important when considering this holy symbol is that it has four arms. The number Four is of course an important number in our mythology...you have four seasons (spring-summer-autumn-winter), and this links up well with the four mythological ages (gold-silver-copper-iron [correct me if I am wrong])...so it basically speaks of the partitions of time, if you will.
Then you have that esoteric "alternative", the Black Sun. It is often seen as a "Nazi occult" idea, but a journey into archeology and mythological interpretation quickly discredit that idea - in fact, one can find brooches in a similar concept, where one has many-armed Swastikas.
It certainly has an idea behind it - it has of arms twelve.
Twelve is of course also an important number: 12 days of difference between the sun year and the moon year. Twelve days of Yule. Twelve months. Twelve Aesir gathered in Lokasenna. Twelve is half of 24, which is also the number of runes in the Elder Futhark.
Now, what is more significant to me, though, is the fact, that 12 is a product of the number four (as just explained) and the number three (in fact, upon closer examination, there are three fylfots/swastikas inside the Black Sun), which is quite an interesting one...here are just a few concepts how the number three is a sign of completeness, taken from a thread at the Odinic Rite forum (and some more of personal observation):
- Life, Death, Rebirth
- Odin, Vili, Ve
- Odin, Hoenir, Lodur,
- Urd's Well, Mimir's Well, Hvergelmere,
- Sky, earth, sea
- Past, present future,
- Mother, father, child
- Faith, Folk, Family
- Three Aettir of the Futhark
- Youth, Adulthood, Age
- Earl, Jarl, Thrall
- Sword-death, sea-death, straw-death
And the list could go on...and seriously, how incomplete would any of these be with just one of them missing? Probably quite so...
Then of course you have that number nine, which is of course 3x3, showing an even higher level of completeness (thanks to Hengest OR for first coming up with that idea on other board!): Nine worlds grouped into 3x3 on Yggdrasil; The Valknut (three triangles interwoven - again, 3x3 = 9); Nine noble virtues, nine charges; nine aspects to the soul...and of course the idea that three and nine are the only numbers where all multiples of the number have a sum-across of 3, 9 or multiples thereof.
So you have this powerful number 3, which links the aspects of life to the 4, the seasons and ages; and you multiply them and you are at 12, whose significance we have already explained. IMO, this would make the Black Sun a potentially very potent symbol. Any twelve-armed swastika would eventually be a symbol encapsulating life quite definitely as to my observation...and sadly also allowing an extent of sadly just how powerful a sign has been used for purposes better not brought in direct connection with our faith.
The same could be said about the eight-armed swastika, eight being another important number in our mythology.
Another thing that is interesting is the turning direction. We have seen it turn both ways, but both the rounded and the straight-armed swastika/fylfot are most often depicted facing towards the right. It would in fact also make more sense to me, to be rolling clockwise:
- it mirrors the daily progression of the sun
- it has the impression of moving forward rather than backward.
- it faces towards the right, which is considered the nobler side: it is better to sit at the right side of the host; the right hand it is a measure of greeting a person, regardless of the way of usage of such a greeting; the dexter side of a shield is considered a purer, nobler side than the sinister side, etc. etc.
- the way that the clock turns is obviously the way that time will turn - be it as a matter of seasons or a matter of ages.
- The fact that it seems to be expanding rather than contracting also gives it a more positive impression to me, one of a growing helix of time rather than a shrinking one...hence it looks more powerful if it faces towards the right side - being centrifugal rather than centripital.
So in the end we have quite a complete, powerful, noble and holy sign, in most of its variations, and it should be cherished...for in the end it presents a positive sign, encapsulating beyond everything a concept of time, progression and power - making it IMO quite valid in a religions context. All that remains is to clear the misconceptions surrounding it...
Now, we all know different interpretation to one of our most holy symbols, the Fylfot. We also know about its use and misuse for all kinds of matters...which, despite turning out to be unfavourable in the end, actually, in all neutrality, further establish that it is a very potent sign...though, obviously I wish it had never been used for a different context than its religious one...
What I have also found interesting for quite some time is the numerology involved in our mythology and how it seems to interlink. There are certain numbers that recur throughout our entire mythology, and how they link to several myths and concepts, etc.
Now, I have had the the sacrilege, of trying to form some thoughts about the Fylfot/Swastika ... and bear in mind that they are some of my personal concepts about some of the more unclearer things of that symbol, and close scrutiny of these ideas, is not only allowed, but actively encouraged.
So what does the Swastika represent to me personally...well it certainly is a very holy sign and it represents all kinds of things.
Above all, however, to me, it embodies the concept of time. As established in the other topic - no need to re-iterate the exact wording of it, but feel free to read up on them again here. It basically establishes that time is not linear, not cyclical, but probably helical...something that we have all agreed upon before.
Either way, how does this concept link up to the swastika/fylfot Well, in my opinion it does quite well. On one hand, it seems to always be spinning in a circle, it will always be turning and seemingly reaching the same position. On the other hand, it is always moving and always moving on. It reaches the same position again, but it is the first full turn, the second full turn, the third full turn, etc. etc.
Another point I find quite important when considering this holy symbol is that it has four arms. The number Four is of course an important number in our mythology...you have four seasons (spring-summer-autumn-winter), and this links up well with the four mythological ages (gold-silver-copper-iron [correct me if I am wrong])...so it basically speaks of the partitions of time, if you will.
Then you have that esoteric "alternative", the Black Sun. It is often seen as a "Nazi occult" idea, but a journey into archeology and mythological interpretation quickly discredit that idea - in fact, one can find brooches in a similar concept, where one has many-armed Swastikas.
It certainly has an idea behind it - it has of arms twelve.
Twelve is of course also an important number: 12 days of difference between the sun year and the moon year. Twelve days of Yule. Twelve months. Twelve Aesir gathered in Lokasenna. Twelve is half of 24, which is also the number of runes in the Elder Futhark.
Now, what is more significant to me, though, is the fact, that 12 is a product of the number four (as just explained) and the number three (in fact, upon closer examination, there are three fylfots/swastikas inside the Black Sun), which is quite an interesting one...here are just a few concepts how the number three is a sign of completeness, taken from a thread at the Odinic Rite forum (and some more of personal observation):
- Life, Death, Rebirth
- Odin, Vili, Ve
- Odin, Hoenir, Lodur,
- Urd's Well, Mimir's Well, Hvergelmere,
- Sky, earth, sea
- Past, present future,
- Mother, father, child
- Faith, Folk, Family
- Three Aettir of the Futhark
- Youth, Adulthood, Age
- Earl, Jarl, Thrall
- Sword-death, sea-death, straw-death
And the list could go on...and seriously, how incomplete would any of these be with just one of them missing? Probably quite so...
Then of course you have that number nine, which is of course 3x3, showing an even higher level of completeness (thanks to Hengest OR for first coming up with that idea on other board!): Nine worlds grouped into 3x3 on Yggdrasil; The Valknut (three triangles interwoven - again, 3x3 = 9); Nine noble virtues, nine charges; nine aspects to the soul...and of course the idea that three and nine are the only numbers where all multiples of the number have a sum-across of 3, 9 or multiples thereof.
So you have this powerful number 3, which links the aspects of life to the 4, the seasons and ages; and you multiply them and you are at 12, whose significance we have already explained. IMO, this would make the Black Sun a potentially very potent symbol. Any twelve-armed swastika would eventually be a symbol encapsulating life quite definitely as to my observation...and sadly also allowing an extent of sadly just how powerful a sign has been used for purposes better not brought in direct connection with our faith.
The same could be said about the eight-armed swastika, eight being another important number in our mythology.
Another thing that is interesting is the turning direction. We have seen it turn both ways, but both the rounded and the straight-armed swastika/fylfot are most often depicted facing towards the right. It would in fact also make more sense to me, to be rolling clockwise:
- it mirrors the daily progression of the sun
- it has the impression of moving forward rather than backward.
- it faces towards the right, which is considered the nobler side: it is better to sit at the right side of the host; the right hand it is a measure of greeting a person, regardless of the way of usage of such a greeting; the dexter side of a shield is considered a purer, nobler side than the sinister side, etc. etc.
- the way that the clock turns is obviously the way that time will turn - be it as a matter of seasons or a matter of ages.
- The fact that it seems to be expanding rather than contracting also gives it a more positive impression to me, one of a growing helix of time rather than a shrinking one...hence it looks more powerful if it faces towards the right side - being centrifugal rather than centripital.
So in the end we have quite a complete, powerful, noble and holy sign, in most of its variations, and it should be cherished...for in the end it presents a positive sign, encapsulating beyond everything a concept of time, progression and power - making it IMO quite valid in a religions context. All that remains is to clear the misconceptions surrounding it...