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A cross with bent arms, withdrawn from Diné use.
Also known as: Whirling log symbol, Nilchi'i symbol, Diné whirling log, Bent-armed cross
The whirling log is a Diné healing symbol from a specific ceremonial story, and Navajo, Hopi, Apache and Tohono O'odham leaders formally renounced its use in 1940 because of its appropriation in Europe. The withdrawal is a documented decision, and the symbol is not in general use today.
Denotes a Diné (Navajo) symbol from the Nilchi'i ceremonial narrative, historically used in sandpainting and on woven and silver work.
Contexts: History
Was formally renounced in 1940 by Navajo, Hopi, Apache and Tohono O'odham representatives, who signed a statement withdrawing it because of its appropriation as a Nazi emblem in Europe.
The 1940 renunciation was a deliberate collective decision by the communities that owned the symbol. It is not in general Diné use today, and the catalogue holds a separate record for the Nazi appropriation. The two are distinct symbols and this record does not treat them as versions of one thing.
Contexts: History
Appears on pre-1940 Navajo textiles and silverwork held in museum collections, which is where it is now principally encountered.
Contexts: History
A cross of four equal arms each bending at a right angle at its end, drawn in sandpainting pigment or woven into a textile, often with figures at the arm ends.