Fusils Cross
Here's a little yarn about a common design for an heraldic coat of arms
Fusils Cross
also known as Lozengy or Mascle Cross
Fusils Cross
Fusils Cross
Mascle Cross
This cross is typically seen with four or five elongated lozenges, which look like diamonds, arrow heads or perhaps spear heads.
As a Christian cross, when there are five lozenges, they represent the five wounds that pierced Jesus on the cross. These wounds were made by nails in His hands and feet1 and the spearing of His side2.
As a heraldic cross, the lozenges represent neither diamonds, arrow heads nor spear heads (see Diamond Cross and Arrow Cross). When used in coats of arms, the lozenge is called fusil and there are two origins of this word:
- An old French word for 'fuse'. A fuse was used to ignite the gunpowder of a musket and the steel tinderbox was called a fuisil. Flintlock muskets became known as fusils and the soldiers armed with such muskets were called fusiliers.
- Another old French word is fuscan, which means 'spindle'.
Spindle charged with yarn
This latter definition is used for the Fusils Cross, and represents four or five spindles loaded with yarn. The original Fusil Cross is believed to be from the coat of arms used by the Lord of Spindleston near Belford, Durham3, in the northeast of England. The hamlet of Spindleston (Spindleton or Spindlestone) was named from the wooden spindles made there.
When the lozenges are void, i.e. just the outline, it is called a Mascle Cross (alternative spelling Masclee or Mascly).
1 : John 20:25
2 : John 19:34
3 : Spindleston was transferred to Northumberland in 1844
See also Red Crystal
