The swastika of Bali.

"Om Swasti Astu". With this mystical greeting, guests are welcomed to the island of Bali, a Hindu enclave in the Indonesian archipelago, home to volcanoes, reefs and pristine beaches, gamelan orchestras and temples protected by troops of monkeys. The visitor is offered everything from surf, nightlife, markets and Bintang beer.

Until recently Bali was nothing short of paradise, an island of grandeur and mysticism, and it would be a great shame if one act of barbarism was to deny the island that status again in the future. Beyond the pure tourist attractions however, the traveller with an interest in military history and militaria could not but be struck by the abundance of swastikas throughout the island. To the unknowing, the immediate reaction is to somehow try to relate the island's symbology with the Third Reich, or some resurgent neo-nazism movement, but unfortunately Hitler's adoption of the symbol has perhaps forever tarnished the swastika's ancient significance.

   A Chinese scholar reported visiting a Buddhist island now known as
   Bali in 670 AD, while other Chinese who visited the island during
   the 7th century called it Paoli ('rice island'). Amongst its
   inhabitants, the name Balidwipa has been identified in inscriptions
   and the earliest written records--in the 5th century, Indian script
   was being used in carved Hindu inscriptions and Sanskrit words still
   used in the Indonesian language today reflect the region's Indian
   heritage. From around the 10th century, Bali existed as one mighty
   kingdom which extended from eastern Java and included the modern
   islands of Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa, a glorious Hindu kingdom built
   upon a four caste ideology. Despite the overall spiritual leadership
   of the hereditary King of Bali, a number of separate princedoms
   existed at various times--based largely upon the physical properties
   of the island. One interesting aspect of Bali's geography is that
   its coastline possesses very few sea ports, one of the prime reasons
   it remained largely immune from Islamic or Christian dominance, and
   it is recognised as one of very few countries where Islam could not
   supplant the existing religion by military conquest.

Hotels, restaurants and businesses on Bali bear the name 'Swastika', while almost everywhere else on the island the swastika appears on statues, tiles, banners and temple friezes. The actual word 'swastika' is derived from Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, meaning 'well-being', partly reiterated in the Balinese greeting "Om Swasti Astu". The swastika itself, in various forms, has been a Hindu symbol for thousands of years--a sunwheel representing the continuous progression of life, death and reincarnation, optimistically interpreted as prosperity and good fortune. Not surprisingly then, the swastika has been used in Nepal during election ballots in hope of re-election--political regeneration.

It appears as a symbol of the Sun in old Japanese documents, and some references on heraldry refer to it as the 'sun charm'. In Buddhist theology, it carries a meaning of 'prosperity'. In Tibet, farmers place a swastika on their home doors to repel evil. The swastika signifies perpetuity, and is a reminder that mortal life, like the sun, will progress until it is extinguished, only to rise again in a never-ending cycle. It could not better represent the turbulent heritage of Bali, a paradoxical Hindu paradise nestled within the Indonesian archipelago Nusantara.

The swastika is not a symbol of evil, nor is it actually a Germanic symbol. It has been suggested that the swastika actually originated in the most primitive of cultures, where in the dawning days of agriculture people recognised that the Big Dipper constellation rotated around the North Star, forming the swastika pattern when charted every thirteen weeks (four times a year). Under this interpretation, the swastika's very first manifestation was to represent one 'cycle' (a year), with obvious links to fertility and regeneration.

The swastika was used widely in the earliest civilisations: artefacts found in the ancient ruins of Troy were adorned with swastikas. On another continent, it became a wall-established icon of the American Plains Indians as well as the Pueblo Indians, a 'sun-wheel' with agricultural significance. From here it became incorporated into late 19th and early 20th century American culture as a symbol of harmony, health and luck--on poker chips, Scout insignia, sporting team uniforms, fruit crates from California, postcards and even Coca-Cola promotional items--drawing on the Buddhist theme of 'prosperity' and a variation on the Sanskrit 'well-being'. Talismans and good-luck charms bearing the swastika seem to have peaked in their popularity during the depression of the 1930s, and a significant number of American tokens and cards from this era bear a swastika. It can even be seen on the Capitol building in Washington DC.

Some element of the Hindu symbolism was incorporated into the swastika by Hitler for his resurgent ambitions, the rebirth/regeneration of the Reich and his own 'reincarnation' after political exile. The SS (Schutzstaffel) had already been in existence for eight years when a distinctive dagger was introduced, based on a 16th century German hunting dagger. Candidates for the SS were selected for their mental and physical adeptness and were constantly assessed during an eighteen month probationary period to observe how well they lived up to the standards of faith, honour and unconditional obedience. The SS dagger was given a special status and was considered a symbol of office. During this early period of the 1930s, successful candidates were awarded their daggers during the SS Anwarter, or 'Candidate Ceremony' at the Feldherrnhalle Memorial in Munich, as each member qualified to become an SS Mann The annual ritual was charged with mysticism, intended to reflect the traditions of the Teutonic Knights, who many claim used the swastika themselves. These new 'knights' where to be the reincarnation of their predecessors. Similarly, the design of other daggers drew on the form of the sword of the Teutonic Knights, and in all cases the swastika was included.

But the swastika had already been in use throughout Europe well before Hitler selected the design of Starnberg dentist Dr Friedrich Krohn for use as the NSDAP emblem. Known to the Germans as the Hakenkreuz ('hooked cross'), it certainly was used by the various right-wing Freikorps units which arose after the end of WW1 as well as other racially-oriented organisations, which most likely contributed to its use as a unifying symbol by Hitler. But this symbol was itself drawn from a ancient pagan sign for the German Thunder God Donner (Thor), representing his returning hammer.

The swastika was used in Finland from 1918 in relation to the Finnish War of Liberation from Russia. The swastika appears within the arms of the Order of the Cross of Liberty, instituted in 1918, and behind the white rose in the central disc of the Star of the Order. It also featured on the chain collar of the Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose when it was instituted in 1919; it was not until 1963 that these swastikas on the Order of the White Rose neck chain were replaced by stylised spruce branches.

Similarly in Latvia, the swastika was a symbol of thunder, fire and fertility, and was adopted as a symbol of nationalistic revolution and the ambition of rebirth free from oppression. The prime military honour of Latvia is the Order of Lacplesis, established in November 1919 to reward bravery in the face of the enemy. Lacplesis, the legendary bearslayer hero, is the traditional representation of strength and bravery, and the heroic spirit of the nation. The insignia of the order is a cross enamelled in the national colours of white and red, with the arms shaped in the distinctive form of a swastika. The Latvian War of National Liberation Medal was awarded for service in the war against the Russian Bolshevik Army and the German Landeswehr and mercenaries, 1918-20. It features the motto Par Tevzemi ('For the Fatherland') and the three stars of Latvia, prominent in all Latvian heraldry (representing the three ancient territories of Letgale, Zemgale and Kurzeme), and is suspended from a maroon ribbon with a central white stripe, the national colours of Latvia (this flag is recorded as early as 1280). Of interest, the central symbol of the medal is a warrior's arm, bearing a sword with a swastika central on the crossguard.

In Bali, the swastika which freely adorns religious icons and commercial enterprises alike, continues as a representation of the never-ending cycle of life, and the continual struggle of good and evil. This is an aspect experienced in all facets of life, from the spread of disease to seasons unfavourable for rice-growing, to the devastation caused by volcanic activity. On Bali since the days of antiquity, it has also been reflected in the military arena.

The earliest recorded Balinese history tells of a succession of royal dynasties, culminating in the invasion of Bali in 1343 by General Gadjah Mada from the powerful east Javanese empire Majapahit. Commodore Cornelis de Houtman is recognised as the first westerner to discover Bali--whilst leading a Dutch military expedition in February 1597. The leaders of the individual princedoms continued to rule independently, although recognising the Dewa Agung of the princedom of Klungkung as King of Bali. But the Dewa Agung himself was himself at war with the Sultan of Mataram in East Java and launched 20,000 Balinese troops from Coutean (Kuta) to liberate eastern Java, historically part of the Balinese Empire. European traders visited during the late 16th century, attempting to access the lucrative spice trade, until the Dutch established the East Indies Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC) in 1602. By the mid-17th century, internecine fighting amongst the individual princedoms had become the norm. For a brief period following the collapse of the VOC and the Napoleonic Wars, the British took over all Dutch holdings in the East Indies, but an attempted invasion of Buleleng in the north of Bali by General Nightingale was easily repelled as the various princedoms stood united.

Following the defeat of Napoleon and the return of all Dutch colonial possessions, Dutch envoys visited Bali in 1818 and a trading post was again established at Kuta Beach. The Royal Netherlands Indies Army (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger, KNIL) commenced recruiting Balinese soldiers from December 1826. In 1906, the Dutch launched their fifth military expedition to Bali as the individual princedoms continued to resist Dutch domination, landing a KNIL infantry brigade on Sanur Beach on the east coast on 14 September 1906. Only after the King succumbed did the last princedom capitulate to Dutch control, in January 1909, and for the first time all of Bali came under the authority of the Netherlands Indies Government, though this had taken a century to achieve. And even then, the former princedoms were granted self-rule, under the rule of 'native authorities', survivors of the royal dynasties who were once again styled 'Raja'. On 18 February 1942, the vanguard of the Japanese 48th Division landed at the very same beach at Sanur at which the Dutch had landed in 1906, quickly seizing Denpasar airfield and taking control of the island. Sanur Beach was again the scene of invasion on 2 March 1946, as over 2,000 KNIL troops landed to reclaim their pre-war territory. The struggle between good and evil, and the continuation of life after devastation, is something the Balinese are well used to.

To perpetrate an act of terrorism on Bali was a strategic mistake. Perhaps anywhere else, such an act of barbarism would represent death in its most brutal form. On Hindu Bali, with a cleansing ceremony to disperse the evil, the Sunwheel will ensure that the progression of life, death and rebirth will continue. The history of Bali is one of warring States, centuries of ebb and flow in prestige and power, but never with one princedom attaining dominance over all others. Equally, despite their successes elsewhere in the Netherlands East Indies, Bali was never truly subjugated by the Dutch. Christendom uses the Cross to represent the resurrection. The black and white chequered cloth so prominently seen throughout Bali, as with Balinese/Hindu art, literature and drama, represents the continual struggle between good and evil. The Swastika sunwheel is the guarantee that life will go on beyond periods of adversity and death. The Cross and the Sunwheel are both symbols of hope and perpetuity, and the eventual triumph over evil. (2)

Latvian swastika, 1920. The swastika symbol appears on these medals and insignia of a Latvian veteran of the 1914-20 conflicts. The Latvian War of National Liberation Medal, 1918-20 features a warrior's arm holding a sword, bearing a swastika on the crossguard. A similar sword with swastika appears on a silver award badge, and the arms of this regimental breast badge from the 1914-19 War also form a stylised reverse-swastika.

(1) Paul Rosenzweig is a collector and non professional military historian, and has contributed to Sabretache and other publications regularly over the last twenty years. He is a member of the Military Historical Society of Australia, the Naval Historical Society of Australia, and the Historical Society of the Northern Territory. He has had three books published, most recently the regimental history of the North West Mobile Force, Ever Vigilant (http://www.booksandcollectibles.com.au/authors/norforce.htm).

(2) References:

* Hieronymussen, P (1970) Orders, Medals and Decorations of Britain and Europe. Blandford Press, London.

* Oey, E, Ed (1994) Bali. Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd, Singapore.

* Simanis, V V, Ed (1984) Latvia. The Book Latvia, Inc, USA.

* Vickers, A (1989) Bali. A Paradise Created. Periplus Editions Ltd, Hong Kong.

* http://www.intelinet.org/swastika/swastika_intro.htm

* http://history 1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/aa120699a.htm

* http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa086.shtml

* http://bali-tours.hypermart.net/hotels/swastika/

* http://www.intelinet.org/swastika/swasti01.htm