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The Svastika 53
the banks of the upper part of the Irrawady river. Until
a very few years ago, their existence was unknown to
Europeans. On enquiry, we were informed that it is
tolerably certain that the Shans came from the extreme
North of Rajputana or from the Southern part of Central
Asia about 800 years ago. The origin of the Kachins
is said to be unknown, they have a slightly Mongolian
type of features. Both these peoples are acquainted with
the loom ;
from
traders, Chinese, Indian, and others, who s-o
up the country in the so-called cargo boats, they purchase
hanks of cotton of various colours in large quantities and
weave their own dress materials. The Kachins employ a
great mixture of colours, but as a rule red predominates.
It is a startling circumstance to find these latter, together with
other designs, introducing the symbol of the Svastika in their
garments and articles of daily use. The Shan's dress is
dark blue, with a very small admixture of other colours as
stripes or bordering.
Another form of the Svastika known as the
Fylfot, Gammadion or crux gammata was also
in use in England in the so-called cinque cento
period, it resembles two serpents entwined.
In the treasury of the Cathedral at Valencia in Spain
are two splendidly embroidered altar frontals, said to have
formerly belonged to the old Church of St Paul in London,
and to have been sold into Spain by King Henry the VI II.
On one of them, which depicts our Blessed Lord going to
his crucifixion, a soldier of the Roman army or of one of
their auxiliaries is holding a standard on Avhich is a fylfot.
A Svastika with a Latin inscription upon it was found