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THE TETRASKELION/SWASTIKA IN IRON AGE
CELTIC CULTURE
The Tetraskelion, Grammadion or, most commonly in modern usage, Swastika (from Sanskrit
svastika-, s-meaning good, well andstiit is), composed of an equilateral cross with its
arms bent at 90 degree angles and variants thereof), is a common geometric symbol in all
Indo-European cultures from the Neolithic onwards.
https://balkancelts.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/detail-of-the-tetraskelion-swastika-decorative-elements-on-horse-bits-in-the-celtic-chariot-burial-from-wetwang-east-yorkshire-england.jpg7/25/2019 The Tetraskelion Swastika
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Etruscan pendant with swastika symbols, from Bolsena, Italy (700-650 BC) (Louvre
Museum)
Detail of decoration on a Celtic chariot discovered at Bi Skla Cave (Moravia), Czech
Republic. (Reconstruction by the Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna/6th c. BC)
In Iron Age Celtic art the symbol appears, either alone or in the artistic
composition, on a large number of artifacts from across Europe, such as the
wonderful openwork bronze disc from a Celtic chariot burial at Bourcq in the
Champagne-Ardenne region, or a bronze helmet of the Berru type decorated with
tetraskelion/swastika symbols discovered in another Celtic chariot burial at LaGorge-Meillet(Marne), both in France:
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The Bourcq Di sc (5thc. BC)
Detail of swastika decoration on the La Gorge-Meil let helmet (4thc. BC)
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The swastika has traditionally been interpreted as a symbol of the sun moving in
the sky, which over time came to represent values such as prosperity, life and
good luck (Dalviella 1911:324-329; Farina 1997, 1998; Freed and Freed, 1980:68-75;
Jacobsthal 1938; Wilson 1896:757-1,011).This interpretation has been confirmed by
archaeological evidence, which indicates the tetraskelion/swastika, at least
initially, had a solar or astral meaning with an important religious significance
(Farina 1998).
Ceramic vessel decorated with swastika motifs, from the Celtiberian city of Numantia
(Soria), Spain (2-1 c. BC)
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Of interest in this context are the Swastika Stones such as that from Ilkley Moor
(Yorkshire) England, which bears a remarkable similarity to the so-called "Camunian
Roses" from the Valcamonica region of northern Italy, particularly that from Carpene near
Sellero (Jacobsthal 1938). The latter are dated to various stages of the Iron Age and, as has
been pointed out (Farina 1998), the swastika becomes very common in the VillanovanCulture (9
th-8
th century BC), and from here spreads over the whole Italian peninsula,
reaching the north-western areas between the 7th
and 6th
century BC. It is documented in
Liguria, and in the Golasecca culture is found engraved on a cup from Castelletto Ticino
(Gol. IIA; early 6th
c. BC) (loc cit).
The Swastika Stone at Carpene near Sellero, northern Italy
Swastika Stone fromIlkley Moor (Yorkshire), England
The stone has a double out l ine of a swast ika with ten cups f i t t ing within the f ive curved arms (bottom
left). The r ight hand carving is a Victor ian imitat ion. The close simi lar i ty between the Eng l ish and Ital ian
examples have led to theor ies that the two are connected, i .e. that Cel t ic troops from the Lingo nes tr ibe,
stat ioned in Yorkshire dur ing Rom an occupat ion , carved the Engl ish example (The Lingones were a
Gaulish tribe, but some migrated across the Alps into northern Italy in ca. 400 BC). However, i t shou ld be noted
that Celt ic art i facts with swast ika decorat ion have been recorded in this p art of England from m uch
earl ier period s.
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Detail of swastika decoration on a horse bit - from a Celtic chariot burial discovered at Wetwang
(East Yorkshire), England (Ca. 200 BC; See Jay et al. 2012)
One of the most significant Celtic artifacts with swastika decoration was discovered
in the River Thames, near Battersea in London, in 1857. The sheetbronze covering of
a woodenshield,decorated inLa Tne style(now generally dated to the 2-1 c. BC, Green1996), is embossed with 27 swastikas in bronze and red enamel.
.
Detail of decoration on the Battersea Shield
http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=
831341&partId=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronzehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shieldhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_T%C3%A8ne_stylehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_T%C3%A8ne_stylehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_T%C3%A8ne_stylehttp://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=831341&partId=1http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=831341&partId=1http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=831341&partId=1http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=831341&partId=1http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=831341&partId=1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_T%C3%A8ne_stylehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shieldhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze7/25/2019 The Tetraskelion Swastika
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25/8/2015
On the Celtic Triskele see also:
https://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culture
LITERATURE CITED
D Alviella G., Cross, in Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. IV, Edinburgh, 1911
(reprint 1959)
Freed S.A. and R.S (1980), Origin of the Swastika, in Natural History,N1, 1980, p. 68-75
Green M. (1996) Celtic Art, Reading the Messages, The Everyman Art Library, 1996
Jay M., Haselgrove C., Hamilton D., Hill J.D., Dent J. (2012) Chariots and Context: New
Radiocarbon Dates From Wetwang and the Chronology of Iron Age Brooches in East
Yorkshire. In: Oxford Journal of Archaeology, Volume 31, Issue 2. p. 161-189, May
2012
Farina P. (1997) The Camunnian Rose, Valcamonica Rock Art. In: TRACCE ONL. RA
BULL. 7:
http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1366
Farina P. (1998) The motif of the Camunian Rose. In:,TRACCE ONL. RA BULL. 10:
http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1782
Mac Gonagle (2015): On the Triskele in Iron Age Celtic Culture:
https://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-
_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culture
Wilson T. (1896) The swastika, the earliest known symbol, and its migrations; with
observations on the migration of certain industries in prehistoric times. From: Report of the
U.S. National Museum for 1894, Washington, 1896, pp. 757-1011.
https://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttps://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttps://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttp://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?cat=37http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?cat=37http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1366http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1366http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?cat=47http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1782http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1782https://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttps://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttps://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttps://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttps://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttp://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1782http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?cat=47http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=1366http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?cat=37http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?cat=37https://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culturehttps://www.academia.edu/11899946/An_Tr%C3%ADbh%C3%ADs_Mh%C3%B2r_-_On_The_Triskelion_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_Culture