Crux Commissa
We all know what a cross looks like, and yet when asked to describe one, the only valid answer is, "Which one?"
This page outlines a little bit about a cross which was quite possibly of the style used to crucify Jesus, and therefore revered by many Christians who refer to it as a Tau Cross. The heraldic name is Crux Commissa.
Crux Commissa
Image of a bull superimposed on the constellation of Taurus (Click image to enlarge)
The Greek for 'bull' is tauros and with a bit of imagination, you can see a bull's horns and snout in the 'T' shape; hence the astrological sign ♉ for 'Taurus the bull'.
The Crux Commissa is a 'T' shaped cross; commissa meaning 'joined' or 'attached'. In Christendom, the name given to this cross is usually Tau, named after the similarly shaped Greek letter.
It is quite possible this form of cross was used to crucify Jesus. Matthew 27:37 says:
The head of a victim crucified on a Crux Commissa would invariably drop forward below the shoulder line and any writing at the very top of the upright post would have been visible.
The more widely known names are the Tau Cross (St. Anthony's Cross) and the Forked Cross (Y-shaped Cross).
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