A consensus of the opinions of antiquarians is that the Swastika had no
foothold among the Egyptians. Prof. Max Müller is of this opinion, as is
also Count Goblet d'Alviella.[162]
Waring[163] says:
The only sign approaching the fylfot in Egyptian hieroglyphics that we
have met is shown in fig. 3, pl. 41, where it forms one of the
hieroglyphs of Isis, but is not very similar to our fylfot.
Mr. Greg says:[164] "In Egypt the fylfot does not occur." Many other
authors say the same. Yet many specimens of the Swastika have been found
in Egypt (figs. 130 to 136). Professor Goodyear[165] says:
The earliest dated Swastikas are of the third millenium B. C., and
occur on the foreign Cyprian and Carian (?) pottery fragments of the
time of the twelfth dynasty (in Egypt), discovered by Mr. Flinders
Petrie in 1889. (Kahun, Gurob, and Hawara, pl. 27, Nos. 162 and 173.)
[Illustration: Fig. 130. GREEK VASE SHOWING DEER, GEESE, AND SWASTIKAS.
Naukratis, Ancient Egypt. Sixth and fifth centuries, B. C. Petrie, Third
Memoir, Egypt Exploration Fund, part 1, pl. 4, fig. 3, and Goodyear,
"Grammar of the Lotus," pl. 60, fig. 2.]
[Illustration: Fig. 130_a_. DETAIL OF VASE SHOWN IN THE PRECEDING FIGURE.]
_Naukratis._--Figs. 130 to 135, made after illustrations in Mr. W.
Flinders Petrie's Third Memoir of the Egypt Exploration Fund (Pt. 1),
found by him in Naukratis, all show unmistakable Swastikas. It should be
explained that these are said to be Greek vases which have been imported
into Egypt. So that, while found in Egypt and so classed geographically,
they are not Egyptian, but Greek.
_Coptos (Achmim-Panopolis)._--Within the past few years great
discoveries have been made in Upper Egypt, in Sakkarah, Fayum, and Achmim,
the last of which was the ancient city of Panopolis. The inhabitants of
Coptos and the surrounding or neighboring cities were Christian Greeks,
who migrated from their country during the first centuries of our era and
settled in this land of Egypt. Strabo mentions these people and their
ability as weavers and embroiderers. Discoveries have been made of their
cemeteries, winding sheets, and grave clothes. These clothes have been
subjected to analytic investigation, and it is the conclusion of M.
Gerspach, the administrator of the national manufactory of the Gobelin
tapestry, Paris,[166] that they were woven in the same way as the
Gobelins, and that, except being smaller, they did not differ essentially
from them. He adds:
These Egyptian tapestries and those of the Gobelins are the result of
work which is identical except in some secondary details, so that I
have been able, without difficulty, to reproduce these Coptic
tapestries in the Gobelin manufactory.
[Illustration: Fig. 131. POTTERY FRAGMENTS WITH TWO MEANDER SWASTIKAS.
Naukratis, Ancient Egypt. Petrie, Third Memoir of the Egyptian Exploration
Fund, part 1, pl. 5, figs. 15, 24.]
[Illustration: Fig. 132. FRAGMENT OF GREEK VASE WITH LION AND THREE
MEANDER SWASTIKAS. Naukratis, Ancient Egypt. Petrie, Sixth Memoir of the
Egypt Exploration Fund, part 2, fig. 7, and Goodyear, "Grammar of the
Lotus," pl. 30, fig. 2.]
On one of these Coptic cloths, made of linen, reproduced in "Die
Gräber- und Textilfunde von Achmim-Panopolis," by R. Forrer, occurs a
normal Swastika embroidered or woven, tapestry fashion, with woolen thread
(fig. 136). It belongs to the first epoch, which includes portions of the
first and second centuries A. D. There were on these cloths an enormous
amount of decoration, representing many figures, both natural and
geometric. Among them was the Swastika variously applied and in different
sizes, sometimes inserted in borders, and sometimes adorning the corners
of the tunics and togas as a large medallion, as shown in the figure.[167]
[Illustration: Fig. 133. FRAGMENT OF GREEK VASE DECORATED WITH FIGURES OF
SACRED ANIMALS AND SWASTIKAS, ASSOCIATED WITH GREEK FRET. Naukratis,
Ancient Egypt. Petrie, Sixth Memoir of the Egypt Exploration Fund, part 2,
pl. 6, fig. 1.]
[Illustration: Fig. 134. FRAGMENT OF GREEK VASE WITH FIGURES OF ANIMALS,
TWO MEANDER SWASTIKAS, AND GREEK FRET. Naukratis, Ancient Egypt. Petrie,
Sixth Memoir of the Egypt Exploration Fund, part 2, pl. 8, fig. 1, and
Goodyear, "Grammar of the Lotus," pl. 30, fig. 10.]
[Illustration: Fig. 135. GREEK VASE WITH DEER, AND MEANDER AND FIGURE-8
SWASTIKAS. Naukratis, Ancient Egypt. Petrie, Sixth Memoir of the Egypt
Exploration Fund, part 2, pl. 5, fig. 1.]
[Illustration: Fig. 136. GREEK TAPESTRY. Coptos, Egypt. First and second
centuries, A. D. Forrer, "Die Gräber- und Textilfunde von
Achmin-Panopolis."]