diff --git a/Lib/python/pymacros.swg b/Lib/python/pymacros.swg
index 4fd0d1f90..4b7fb6f8b 100644
--- a/Lib/python/pymacros.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/pymacros.swg
@@ -1 +1,13 @@
 %include <typemaps/swigmacros.swg>
+
+
+/* 
+   adding backward compatibility macros
+   please move to the macros names defined in
+
+      Lib/typemaps/swigmacros.swg
+*/
+
+#define SWIG_arg(x...)     %arg(x)
+#define SWIG_Mangle(x...)  %mangle(x)
+