(Redirected from Maltese Cross)
Maltese cross
The insignia of a Serving Brother of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
The Maltese Cross is featured on the badge of the
Bermuda Regiment, heir to the BVRC.
The 'Maltese cross' is identified as the symbol of an order of
Christian warriors known as the
Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta. It was originally the symbol of
Amalfi, a small Italian republic of the 11th century. The cross is eight-pointed and has the form of four "V"-shaped arms joined together at their bases, so that each arm has two points. Its design is based on crosses used since the
First Crusade.
The eight points are said to symbolise the
chivalric virtues:
★ Loyalty
★ Piety
★ Frankness
★ Bravery
★ Glory and honour
★ Contempt of death
★ Helpfulness towards the poor and the sick
★ Respect for the church
The Maltese cross remains the symbol of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta and other
Orders of St John, and
St. John Ambulance. In recent centuries it has come to be adopted as the insignia of numerous
orders of chivalry, and appears on the coat-of-arms of the
Mecklenburg-Strelitz district. In
Australia the Maltese Cross is part of the state emblem of
Queensland.
In the
United Kingdom, the Maltese Cross is the symbol used by Rifle Regiments, and has been incorporated into the badges of virtually all rifle units, including the amalgam,
The Royal Green Jackets. The first
postmark employed for the
cancellation of the then new
postage stamps in the
1840s was the shape of a Maltese cross and named accordingly. The Maltese cross also forms the basis for the design of the
Order of the Bath. The Maltese cross is also the symbol of Neath Rugby Football Club in Neath, Wales.
In
Sweden a Maltese Cross forms the basic form for all Royal Orders, such as
Order of Seraphim and the
Order of the Sword.
In
Australia the Maltese Cross forms the logo for South Australian Ambulance Service logos.
The Maltese cross flower (''
Lychnis chalcedonica'') is so named because its petals are similarly shaped, though its points are more rounded into "
heart"-like shapes. The
Geneva drive, a device that translates a continuous rotation into an intermittent rotary motion, is also sometimes called a "Maltese cross mechanism" after the shape of its main gear.
It is considered one of the
National symbols of
Malta and used to be depicted on the two
mils coin of the island prior to the removal of that denomination from circulation. It will be shown on the back of the one and two
Euro coins which Malta is expected to introduce in January
2008.
[1]
Similar crosses
Other
crosses with spreading limbs are often mistakenly called "Maltese", especially the
cross pattée. The
Nestorian cross also is very similar to both of these. The cross of
Saint Florian, used by firefighters and EMS personnel, is often confused with the Maltese cross; although it may have eight or more points, it also has large curved arcs between the points.
Maltese crosses have been adapted for use in the
cross of Saint Lazarus and as part of the
flag of Wallis and Futuna. It has been the official badge (combined with an ellipsoid in the center) of the
Delta Phi Fraternity since 1833. The official symbol of the
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity is the
cross pattée, though the organization's founder thought it was a Maltese cross when the organization was formed in 1865. A similar cross is also used by the
Veterans of Foreign Wars organization.
Finally, the Maltese cross should not be mistaken for the
George Cross,
awarded to Malta by
George VI of the United Kingdom in
1942, which is depicted on the
flag of Malta.
References
1. http://mfin.gov.mt/page.aspx?site=NECC&page=maltesecoins
External links
★
History of the Maltese cross
★
History of the firefighters cross
★
Simple method of sketching the cross neatly
★
The Maltese Cross: A Cherished Symbol - Article
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