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Dictionary of Vexillology: C (Cross of Anjou – Cross of Victory)

On this page:

CROSS OF ANJOU
CROSS OF ATHLETICS
CROSS OF AVIS
CROSS OF BURGUNDY
CROSS OF CALATRAVA
CROSS OF CALVARY (or CROSS OF CRUCIFIXION)
CROSS OF EIGHT POINTS
CROSS OF JERUSALEM
CROSS OF LORRAINE
CROSS OF PISA
CROSS OF ST ANDREW
CROSS OF ST ANTHONY
CROSS OF ST GEORGE
CROSS OF ST JAMES
CROSS OF ST PATRICK
CROSS OF SANTIAGO
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF MALTA
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST JAMES
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF SANTO DOMINGO (or CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST DOMINIC)
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF CHRIST (CROSS OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST'S KNIGHTS or OF CHRIST)
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM
CROSS OF THE PORTUGUESE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
CROSS OF TOULOUSE
CROSS OF VICTORY

CROSS OF ANJOU

See cross of Lorraine and its following note.

Flag of Merzig, Germany

CROSS OF ATHLETICS

The term, and a colloquial translation of the German “Turnerkreuz”, which may be used to describe a cross formed from four capital letter F's and is thus voided – an athletics' or athletic cross (see also ‘cross 1)’, ‘cross-voided’, ‘voided’)
(The four F's stand for the German frisch, fromm, fröhlich, frei – fresh, pious, cheerful, free)

Flag of the Albis Steam Shipping Company 1897, Germany; Flag of the Darmstädter Turngemeinde 1844, Germany

CROSS OF AVIS

See ‘avis cross’.

Flag of Avis, Portugal; Putative Banner of Arms of the Avis Order, Portugal; Flag of Benavente, Portugal

CROSS OF BURGUNDY

See ‘ragged cross’.

Spanish Infantry Colour c1600

CROSS OF CALATRAVA

A symbol of the Spanish Order of Calatrava and a particularly Hispanic form of the cross fleury – an Iberian cross – see cross fleury (also avis cross).

Flag of Almagro, Spain; Flag of Aldea del Rey, Spain; Flag of the Order at Alcaudete, Spain

CROSS OF CALVARY (or CROSS OF CRUCIFIXION)

1) The alternative heraldic terms for a (normally but not exclusively) Latin cross that does not usually (although it may) extend to the edges of a shield, flag, panel or flag, but which is mounted on three steps – a cross of crucifixion, cross Calvary, Calvary cross or Calvary – see Latin cross.

Flag of Atalaia e Alto Estanqueiro-Jardia, Portugal; Flag of Abreiro, Portugal; Flag of Madalena, Portugal

CROSS OF EIGHT POINTS

1) See Maltese cross 2)

2) A cross which has eight outward facing points, but the sides of whose arms are parallel – see cross fourché.

Flag of Portel, Portugal; Flag of Pontével, Portugal; Flag of Mozhginsky District, Russia

CROSS OF JERUSALEM

1) A term occasionally used to describe a cross potent – see cross potent
2) See Jerusalem cross

Flag of the Scouts of San Jordi, France; Flag of the Kingdom of Jerusalem 1162–1191

CROSS OF LORRAINE

A cross in which two horizontal arms cross the vertical arm, and currently seen on the arms and alternative national flag of Hungary, the arms and national flag of Slovakia plus the arms and state flag of Lithuania – a cross patriarchal, patriarchal cross, archiepiscopal cross or cross of Anjou, a double or double-armed cross, Jagiellonian cross – but see ‘Vytis cross’ (also ‘armorial bearings’, ‘cross 2)’, ‘national flag 1)’ ‘one-and-a-half armed cross’, ‘orthodox cross’, papal cross’, ‘two-and-a-half armed cross’, ‘state flag 1)’).

From left: The Flag of Free France 1940–44; The National Arms and Flag of Slovakia

Please note that the terms cross of Lorraine, cross of Anjou, cross patriarchal and archiepiscopal cross are now considered interchangeable, however, in strict usage the crosses of Lorraine and Anjou (unlike the others) should both have horizontal arms of equal length. ^{see supplemental note}

Cross of Lorraine and of Anjou according to strict usage

CROSS OF PISA

A variation of the cross clechee, and (as far as can be discovered) unique to Pisa, which has a white (or argent), twelve-pointed cross with a roundel of the same colour placed at each of those points – compare with occitan cross (see also cross 2), cross clechée, roundel 2)).

Flag of Pisa, Italy

CROSS OF ST ANDREW

See ‘St Andrew’s Cross’

National Flag of Scotland

CROSS OF ST ANTHONY

In heraldry see cross tau (also acorn cross)

Flag of St. Antönien-Ascharina, Switzerland

CROSS OF ST GEORGE

See St George’s Cross

Flag of England

CROSS OF ST JAMES

See cross of Santiago

Flag and Arms of Algorfa, Spain

CROSS OF ST PATRICK

See ‘St Patrick’s Cross’

CROSS OF SANTIAGO

The sword-like cross of the Spanish/Portuguese Order of St James – a Latin cross fleury fitchy – see ‘cross fitchy’ and ‘cross fleury’.

Flag of Sobrescobio, Spain; Flag of Quinta do Conde, Portugal; Flag of Ferreira do Alentejo, Portugal

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF MALTA

See ‘Maltese cross’ and the note below.

Flag of the Grand Master of the Military Order of Malta

Please note that the flag of the Grand Master of the (Sovereign Military) Order of Malta (as illustrated above) carries a true Maltese cross, however, the flag of the Order shows a plain white cross throughout on red (as illustrated below), so the editors suggest a degree of caution before using this phrase – see ‘cross throughout’.

Flag of the Military Order of Malta

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST JAMES

See Cross of Santiago.

Flag and Arms of Santiago, Portugal

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF SANTO DOMINGO (or CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST DOMINIC)

See ‘Dominican cross’.

Flag of Aldeanueva de Santa Cruz, Spain

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF CHRIST (CROSS OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST'S KNIGHTS or OF CHRIST)

A red cross pattée surmounted by a white Greek Cross being the former symbol of the medieval Iberian Order of the Knights of Christ (Ordem dos Cavaleiros de Cristo) which now forms the air force roundel of Portugal, and is often seen on the sub-national flags of both Portugal and Spain – a Cross of the Order of Christ, a Cross of the Order of Christ's Knights or a Christ’s Knight’s Cross – but see note below (also ‘cross pattée’, ‘Greek Cross 2)’, ‘roundel 1)’, ‘surmounted by’, ‘voided’)

Flag of the Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, Portugal; Air Force Roundel, Portugal; Flag of Lourosa, Portugal

Notes
a) This not a voided cross, but is properly described in heraldic terms as a cross pattée Gules surmounted by a cross-couped Argent – as described and referenced above.
b) Later variants may be based upon a Latin rather that a Greek Cross as in the example shown below (see ‘Latin cross’).

Flag of São Paulo, Brazil

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR