Originally Posted by
fireworkslover
Too bad this design has such a bad connotation now. An old Catholic church in my town had this symbol on the exterior until last year, when they removed them.
Yes, this ancient design is also one of many symbols in the tile Cathedral floor in Wheeling, WV, and, as many others have posted, a Nazi icon only less than a hundred years.. I have some blocks in blue and white from my DM's collection in swastika, weathervane and pinwheel that predate the Nazis, if not rising German nationalism. Please don't let the evil connotations overwhelm your pleasure. One of the names for the pattern is "Sign of the Four Winds." It is also found with the blades reversed.
Archaeologists have found the symbol in medieval England, ancient India, China, Egypt and Troy from 3000 years ago and before. I think there was an American Division using this good luck symbol during WW I.