I'd Like to Learn More About this Interesting Badek/Badik

A. G. Maisey · 12th August 2015, 11:15 PM

In the Indonesian context, and especially where we find the continuous, lattice-like, svastika motif, the correct name of the motif is 'banji'. It is a widespread and very common fill motif throughout all of the Indonesian Archipelago.

It is an extremely old motif and was present in many cultures spread across the world --- Scandinavia, Peru, China, India. In S.E. Asia it was first present in the Dongson culture, but was not very frequently used.

In Hindu culture it is the monogram of Wisnu and Siwa, in China it has a number of Buddhist associations. The crampons can turn either to the right or to the left, where they turn to the left it is called a sauvastika and is supposedly the first of 65 auspicious signs found in the footprint of The Buddha. There seems to be an association between the svastika and the Mystic Knot.

Iconographically it is associated with fire and the creation of fire, and also with the sun, and from this association, with Aryan and Vedic fire worship, the fire of course being tied to the sun. In the Zoroastrian system of belief it is representative of the sun. Some scholars claim the existence of this symbol dates from neolithic times.

You could write a book --- or maybe a whole library of books --- on the iconographic, cultural and social manifestations of this symbol.

It seems unlikely that it entered later Javanese/Balinese societies from Dongson origins, because of the time gap. It was certainly present in Hindu-Buddhist Jawa, but may have entered Jawa from China. Jawa is the key to its spread throughout the rest of the Archipelago, as Javanese culture was the dominant culture in Maritime S.E. Asia from around 1000CE.

12th August 2015, 11:15 PM	#9
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	In the Indonesian context, and especially where we find the continuous, lattice-like, svastika motif, the correct name of the motif is 'banji'. It is a widespread and very common fill motif throughout all of the Indonesian Archipelago. It is an extremely old motif and was present in many cultures spread across the world --- Scandinavia, Peru, China, India. In S.E. Asia it was first present in the Dongson culture, but was not very frequently used. In Hindu culture it is the monogram of Wisnu and Siwa, in China it has a number of Buddhist associations. The crampons can turn either to the right or to the left, where they turn to the left it is called a sauvastika and is supposedly the first of 65 auspicious signs found in the footprint of The Buddha. There seems to be an association between the svastika and the Mystic Knot. Iconographically it is associated with fire and the creation of fire, and also with the sun, and from this association, with Aryan and Vedic fire worship, the fire of course being tied to the sun. In the Zoroastrian system of belief it is representative of the sun. Some scholars claim the existence of this symbol dates from neolithic times. You could write a book --- or maybe a whole library of books --- on the iconographic, cultural and social manifestations of this symbol. It seems unlikely that it entered later Javanese/Balinese societies from Dongson origins, because of the time gap. It was certainly present in Hindu-Buddhist Jawa, but may have entered Jawa from China. Jawa is the key to its spread throughout the rest of the Archipelago, as Javanese culture was the dominant culture in Maritime S.E. Asia from around 1000CE.