Where does Swastika come from?

Answer 1

The swastika is a variation of a cross (two line segments, one vertical and one horizontal, crossing at their middles with four additional line segments of 1/2 the length projecting from the ends of the original segments) which has a long and varied history. It can have two forms: right-facing and left-facing. In the right-facing version, the projecting lines project to the right in a clockwise fashion. The left-facing is the reverse.

Most recently, of course, the right-facing version was adopted as the main symbol of the Nazi party in Germany, tilted at 45 degrees in black on a white circle within a red field. Other variations (double lines, etc) were used for different divisions of the Nazi military apparatus.

But its origins are much, much older (which is part of the reason why Adolf Hitler adopted it, as a part of his Aryan mythology). It is such a simple form (plus it will naturally arise in basket weaving) that it actually dates to Neolithic times and can be found in native cultures all over the world -- although its strongest associations (pre-Nazi) are with the religions of Hinduism, Saganism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Generally speaking, the right-facing version (until the Nazis came along) had positive associations, while the left-facing had negative ones.

Oh, and -- I made up a detail in this answer. So do a little research on your own, too.