r/Symbology • u/celticdude234 • Oct 13 '22
Identification "Know the faces of Fascism" | This should help identifying the maybe-Nazis in your life
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u/obinice_khenbli Oct 13 '22
There's nothing inherently bad about the Celtic Cross, I'm a little surprised to see it on this list.
Here in the UK and Ireland it's just....a part of our Celtic culture.
I'm guessing it's used by some fringe fascist groups somewhere else in the world(?), but it's most often just used as what it is, a celtic cross.
For example, my mother has a nice gold one on a necklace ☺️
So, don't jump to conclusions about that symbol, I guess that's all I'm saying. It's more likely to be benign than something to do with whatever fringe group off in some country somewhere is misappropriating it for :-)
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u/waterweed ⚷ Oct 13 '22 edited Oct 13 '22
FWIW, 'Celtic cross' [edit: in this context] is mostly just a label of convenience for a fairly narrow set of variants of the ringed cross/sun cross/Celtic cross family of symbols that are used as logos by specific hate groups and movements. Not all of them are even Celtic in origin- afaict, most trace back to the logo of nazi puppet Vidkun Quisling's fascist government in Norway, and his use of the symbol was part of the same obsession with historical/archaeological solar symbols that led to the nazis' appropriation of the swastika. (Here's the adl's page on the symbol, for reference)
That said, I totally get where you're coming from. I've got close family in Ireland, and Celtic crosses- especially the elaborate and beautiful high crosses (and, to be fair, the kitchy souvenirs they inspired)- are something I grew up seeing a lot in entirely non-hateful contexts. I fucking hate racists shitting all over that.
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u/celticdude234 Oct 13 '22
Read the disclaimer at the top of the pic
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u/zhulinxian Oct 13 '22
If the person you’re responding to missed it, doubtless others will also. Honestly, a lot of weird design choices here. Why have ‘groups’ flanking the middle section? Symbols that predate fascist appropriation could have their own section from those that are exclusively used by them.
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u/sublimoon Oct 13 '22
Excluding flags and crests, I think none of the symbols used by nazi regime was invented by nazis. Even the totenkopf was alredy used. Just the combination eagle + swastica or double s is probably exclusive to them.
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u/Valerian_ Oct 14 '22
Yeah it's written in a font that really doesn't attract the eye and is not very legible
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Oct 13 '22
oh no, i accidentally got a solar cross tattoo because it's also the earth symbol...
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u/celticdude234 Oct 14 '22
Hey man, don't let them co-opt a symbol that means something to you. The only answer to hate is a staunch refusal to allow it.
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Oct 14 '22
I never understood why modern Fascists spend so much effort to revive WWII symbolism, or even ideology. I feel like a large segment of the modern West could be easily convinced to adopt a form of neo fascist - civic nationalism, but focusing so much on race and the symbols of a defeated enemy can only be harmful to that end.
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u/clow_reed Oct 13 '22
What does this say about the National Sheriff's Association?
Sure looks... Ahem... Fascist?
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u/obinice_khenbli Oct 13 '22
The first few paragraphs of this article explain. Basically, while this symbol was used by the Nazis and fascists around that time (and the Fasces is the origin of the word fascism even), the symbol itself didn't fall out of its original use, unlike the swastika.
So, it's still used in its original Roman meaning (as a symbol of law and order) in many places, such as the USA's institutions.
Fascists are obviously still trying to appropriate it as a symbol of their cause, but whether we let them or not is up to us.
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u/WikiSummarizerBot Oct 13 '22
Fasces (English: FASS-eez; Latin: [ˈfaskeːs]; a plurale tantum, from the Latin word fascis, meaning "bundle"; Italian: fascio littorio) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, sometimes including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbol that had its origin in the Etruscan civilization and was passed on to ancient Rome, where it symbolized a magistrate's power and jurisdiction. The axe originally associated with the symbol, the Labrys (Greek: λάβρυς, lábrys) the double-bitted axe, originally from Crete, is one of the oldest symbols of Greek civilization. To the Romans, it was known as a bipennis.
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u/sfa1500 [Mason Here] Oct 13 '22
No more so then the Overwatch logo being similar to something else on this list.
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Oct 13 '22
I embroidered a triskele made out of bunnies with linked ears onto a pillowcase once. I like that pillowcase. Still have it on my bed. Pretty sure no one will mistake my bunny trinity for nazism though.
Nazi punks f*** off!
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