Author Topic: The Honourable Finnish Swastika - a history (Read 377 times)

Grendel · « **on:** February 23, 2007, 03:30:30 PM »

Anti-Semitism used to be widespread in Europe. As the Nazis took over in 1932 in Germany, the systematic persecution of Jews commenced, and after the outbreak of war, systematic genocide. The Holocaust and the occupation of European countries by the Wehrmacht resulted in making the tilted swastika ? the insignia of antisemitists since the end of the 1800s - the symbol of evil. The Nazi Swastika also tainted the Finnish Level Swastika, originating from the year 1918.

These two insignias share the shape but the symbolic content is completely different. They share no background. An uninformed person cannot tell them from apart: he does not know that the German symbol, tainted as evil is not the same as the Finnish, untainted and honourable swastika, and he abhors both. The Swastika is an ancient sign of luck originating from Asia, widespread in the world. Even today it is recognized as the insignia of the Falun Gong. The Swastika is included in the Finnish ornamentics for ages. By an extraordinary chance it was adopted to symbolic use at the same time but independently in Germany and in Finland.

Full article about the history of Finnish swastika by WW2 bomber pilot Aarno Ellilä:

http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/articles/honorable_swastika/

Viking · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2007, 08:11:26 PM »

The Nazis used level swastikas as well, particularly in the 1930s, but I don't think they ever used a blue swastika.

Bodhi · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2007, 08:56:58 PM »

Do the Finnish still use their swastika at all?

kamilyun · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2007, 09:11:38 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Bodhi
Do the Finnish still use their swastika at all?

Was wondering the same thing. Almost at the end of the article:

President Halonen receiving on 4.10.2005 a new FiAF ensign, the Air War College ensign after the bishop’s blessing.

Bodhi · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2007, 09:42:50 PM »

thanks kamilyun, I did not see that.

I have no problems with it. People are to fixed on symbols as it is. Look at all the BS legislation in Germany and Europe around the Swastika Germany used. It is rediculous. Many people during the war rallied to the German Swastika around issues of national pride. That does not make them killers or genocidal. I wish we as humans could get past the symbols of an issue and look at the underlying causes and work to prevent those as opposed to labeling or worse, outright censorship.

Grendel · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2007, 10:13:45 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Bodhi
Do the Finnish still use their swastika at all?

All the squadron flags still have the swastika, the Presidential Flag of Finland still has the swastika and so on. So yes.

eskimo2 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2007, 10:59:42 AM »

Nazi Germany also ruined that moustache:

Regular · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2007, 06:16:39 PM »

It still looks gay.