Triskele

Other names:

Triskelion (from the Greek word for “tripod”).

Origin:

An ancient symbol found among many groups of peoples in different countries and is displayed in many different ways.

Uses:

It is frequently used as a decoration, a heraldic symbol (in Sicily, the Isle of Man, etc.), and as the emblem of various organizations. In the first half of the twentieth century, it was the emblem of Nazis largely in Belgium, who claimed it to be Celtic in origin, as well as the emblem of the 27th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division, “Langemarck.” After World War II, it was used in one version of the emblem of the African Resistance Movement (ARM), a far-right, pro-apartheid, racist organization in South Africa. The ARM emblem resembled a three-armed swastika.

Use as a hate symbol:

Following ARM’s example, the triskele is used by white racists around the world to symbolize the alleged supremacy of the “white race.” It is most often used in place of a swastika on a flag resembling the Nazi German flag. It is included in the emblem of Blood & Honor, an international neo-Nazi network named after the motto and greeting of the Hitler Youth organization (it is abbreviated to B&H at times).

In Ukraine, it is used occasionally to demonstrate racist views, most often without any affiliation to a specific organization or structure.

Due to its popularity, people who do not understand its right-wing radical connotations may use the triskele mistakenly. It is a very common symbol. As such, to discern if it is being used as a hate symbol, it is important to examine the wider context in which it appears; to check for the presence of other hate symbols and, in particular, verify that the image in question is exactly as the one pictured above.