What is the history of the nautical star?

(5) On February 19, 2011 at 2:36 pm Ruby Riot [3] said:

Our studio is in the understanding that Nautical stars guide you home again and back to your loved ones

As for:

"In other words: "Sure the Hindus and Buddhists have used this symbol practically forever, and in the 1930s and 1940s there were millions more of them than there were Nazis around... but Nazis are white. Hindus and Buddhists are 'brown' and 'yellow', so THEIR interpretation doesn't count! Instead, a couple of decades of white use completely invalidates their thousands of years of use (which continues to this day). We WHITES will TELL YOU what your symbols mean!"

It is bad enough you are calling Buddhists and Hindus 'brown and yellow' which I take real offence to! Please, I know you are trying to be helpful but your terminology is something else.

The swastika is actually universal and can be found all over the globe, in the UK and America, in architecture and in ancient buildings, mosaics... you get my drift. Native American Indians used the symbol as did Greeks, Romans, Egyptians. South Americans in Brazil used it as did the Aztecs and Mayans and Inkas. So to say it only belongs to Hindus or Buddhists is actually incorrect.

(4) On March 12, 2008 at 3:27 pm Coastie123 [3] said:

Ill agree the unfortuanately this has become a trend, but as a sailor i will agree it has a true meaning to navigations, superstitions, and symbology.

I.E. Red and Green symbolize port and starboard beam, used in navigation as well as the stars on charts used in navigation (lights at sea in the distance look like stars)

superstiotion is that they help guide your way home, and symbology has been said they each one represents a certain amount of nautical miles at sea

it however doesnt mean that your in a hip rock band or a really good skater

(3) On March 19, 2007 at 3:58 am Sailorkyle [61] said:

The Nautical Stars tattoo originated from sailors. The tattoos were placed on either side of the chest, but not in the way of the sparrow(s) which signified sailing 5000 nm. The nautical stars are their to guide you on your way while at sea. The reason for this is because it takes two stars to get a cellestial bearing. All the other meanings came after the fact, which is O.K., but it is not the real reason for the nautical stars.

(2) On January 6, 2007 at 5:45 pm 24.33.241.16 said:

Someone posted:

"... Just like the swactica, the cross, and even the middle finger. They were all started somehow, sometime, no one knows for sure. ..."

I don't know what a "swactica" is.

But I think you meant "the swastika, the cross, and middle finger" ... and "no one knows for sure".

"no one knows for sure" ??? Ok, well maybe *you* don't know. But sounds like your parents shoulda bought encyclopedias back when you were little.

Swastika: Buddhist symbol of the sun and reincarnation. Representing both a spinning wheel (reincarnation), and the sun's radiance (the "arms" are like rays). Buddhists adopted it from Hindus, who held pretty much the same meaning for it. (Buddha was born and raised a Hindu, like Jesus of Nazareth was born and raised Jewish). Adopted later by the Nazi party of Germany and Austria as a mystic symbol without much reference to its Buddhist origins. (Like the Kaballah, these days, it was "trendy" in Germany back then to speak of "ancient eastern mysticism". Why did Nazis like mysticism? It added an aura of "cool" and "spookiness" to their movement. That's why you see so many pictures of rallys by torchlight, etc, rather than using electric lighting. The leaders of the party wanted to embue their movement with a feeling of invincibility by magic.

Of course, during this Nazi period (and for thousands of years before) there were MANY more Hindus using the swastika as a symbol of luck/thesun/reincarnation. Even at the height of Nazism, there were manyfold more Buddhists and Hindus using the symbology for their own (original) purposes. In that regard, the shunning of the swastika has become a racist effort to sublimate thousands of years of Hindu (and centuries of Buddhist) culture.

In other words: "Sure the Hindus and Buddhists have used this symbol practically forever, and in the 1930s and 1940s there were millions more of them than there were Nazis around... but Nazis are white. Hindus and Buddhists are 'brown' and 'yellow', so THEIR interpretation doesn't count! Instead, a couple of decades of white use completely invalidates their thousands of years of use (which continues to this day). We WHITES will TELL YOU what your symbols mean!"

Cross: Symbol of crucifixion. Taken from the literall crossed poles which were used to hang people in crucifixion. They're an historical fact. Why were the poles crossed in that fashion to begin with? Practical reasons. The Romans most likely found it easier to attach the arms of the convicted prisoner that way. By tying the arms thusly, the body could be better hanged for public display. The whole idea of using poles was probably derived as a "classier way" of putting heads on pikes at the gates of a city, or edge of a territory. It basically says "We're in charge, there's law and order here, and if you mess up, this is what will happen to you" Kind of the way that TV's show "COPS" works today.

(1) On May 28, 2006 at 6:37 pm 4.224.186.144 said:

The nautical star was used back in the days of sailing as a was of direction, also, and the sides have a meaning. Like i have one with music notes and what it stands for is that music is the way, so there ya go.

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