Eternity sign and Armenian Kerkhach

The well-known swastika or eternity sign according to according to Sanskrit etymology, originated from the words su and asti, which means “to be good” in translation. The eternity sign had different names for different people. However, in the 19th century, the name “swastika” became widespread. The eternity sign is a cross, which ends bend either to the right or to the left. Later, of course, it underwent some changes and received different means of expression.

In Armenia, this sign has different names: Arevakhach, Vahagnakhach, Battle cross and Kerkhach. In the Armenian epic the “Battle cross”, which the heroes tied to their hands before the war against the enemy, is also an example of the swastika, since this Aryan symbol has been the guardian of Armenian warriors for centuries.

Kerkhach and its symbol

According to one popular belief, the horizontal line forms the basis of the Kerkhach and symbolizes the material world, and the vertical line symbolizes the spiritual and cosmic world. This sign depicts the intersection of the spiritual and material worlds. It is also believed that the right-facing swastika symbolizes life and eternity, and the left-faced swastika is a symbol of death. As a result, in both cases we get eternal rotation. In one case, it is a rotation from life to death, and in other case – from death to life. In ancient Armenian beliefs, a turn to the right meant good luck, and a turn to the left meant bad luck.

Kerkhach is a symbol of eternity for Armenians and has been accompanying them since ancient times. In the Armenian culture, this symbol is associated with the worship of the sun, thunder and fire. Sun worship is especially significant.

The shape of Kerkhach creates an impression of a constant movement, which symbolized the movement of the sun. One of the most common types of Armenian Kerkhach is Arevakhach (Sun Cross). Usually Arevakhach consists of eight branches, which symbolize eight gods of Armenian mythology – Aramazd, Anahit, Astghik, Vahagn, Mihr, Nane, Tir, Vanatur.

However, there are also examples of Arevakhach with 12 branches that symbolize 12 zodiac signs, which regulate earthly and cosmic changes.

Stages of development of Kerkhach

The oldest prototypes of Kerkhach are found on numerous petroglyphs of the Geghama Mountains and the Syunik plateau.

Being one of the most common patterns of the Bronze Age it was depicted on many pottery, bronze belts and jewelry.

Later, in the middle ages, this symbol became widely used in architecture, miniature painting and carpet weaving. After the adoption of Christianity, this sign became a symbol of the eternity of heavenly life.

Some studies show that Kerkhach was especially used by Armenian warriors, as many images of Kerkhach were found on the tombs of the leaders, on weapons and clothes found during excavations. Starting from the fifth century, it was widely used on gravestones, and later on khachkars. Since Kerkhach was one of the most important parts of the khachkar, it was widely used in church construction. Therefore, the eternity sign can be seen on many church monuments.

This famous symbol was also an important component of Armenian vishap carpets. They depict the eternity sign, which is surrounded by dragons from different sides.

Kerkhach and fascism

Many people today consider swastika or kerkhach a symbol of evil, associating it with fascism and nationalism. However, Kerkhach was a symbol of the Aryans, and the Aryans did not know what murder was. They had several laws: the Aryan had no right to kill the enemy, if he was on the horse and the enemy was not; if he had a weapon, but the enemy did not. In 1930, the Germans proclaimed themselves followers of the Aryan tribes and adopted one of the cosmic symbols of the Aryans as their symbol.

According to Nazi ideology, the Germans were considered members of the Aryan race and had the right to rule over the lower races. The soldiers of the fascist army wore this symbol on their arm, depicted it on their armored vehicles and aircraft. Some researchers claim that the Nazi swastika is left-facing, which is considered a symbol of evil and death. But there are opinions that the swastika was right-facing. However, this sign could in no way be associated with Nazi ideology.

Eternity sign in Unicode

Since 1987, the Armenian Arevakhach has been included in the collection of computer symbols. It is often used instead of “*” to separate text paragraphs. In 2010, the National Institute of Standards of Armenia applied to the Unicode Consortium with a proposal to register the Armenian eternity sign, presenting its description and justification.

The justification was accepted without any objection, and in 2012, the symbol was officially registered by the Unicode Consortium and became part of the ISO/IEC 1046 standard.

No matter how different the interpretation of the swastika and Kerkhach may be, almost all scientists associate it with the Aryan tribes and perceive it as an Aryan symbol. In the Armenian culture, this symbol has received many manifestations. In addition, the Armenian people are one of the few, who to this day use Kerkhach as a symbol of national identity.

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