St. John's Cross

Sterling silver Passion Cross, which is slightly Pattée and rebated with a budded cross
(Click photo to enlarge)

The Cross Pattée (Patty) or Cross Formée (Formy) is the heraldic name of a common cross style, especially in 'medieval' art. The term 'pattée' simply means the cross has splayed arm ends. The arms may be straight or concave but in essence, they are narrow at the centre, and broader at the perimeter. The name 'pattée' comes from the French for 'paw'.

There are several variations of the design. When the arms meet at a point in the centre, they produce a cross comprised of four triangles; the triangle represents an arrow in heraldry, or the Holy Trinity in a Christian context.

The arms also resemble the vanes of a windmill. Bread is a staple food for life and an early manufacturing process of bread traditionally includes the rotating sails of a windmill. This rotation can symbolise the spiritual regeneration brought about by the Crucifixion of Jesus on the cross.

A further interpretation is that the arms represent rays of light. See the Glory Cross.

The Pattée Cross may be styled with straight or curved arms, straight or curved edges, concave or convex.

Bolnisi Cross
(Click image to enlarge)

One of the earliest examples of cross with concave arms and ends is the Bolnisi Cross, which is featured in the 14^th-century flag of the Republic of Georgia. This cross (Georgian: bolnur katskhuri) is from a 5^th-century frieze at the Georgian Orthodox basilica Bolnisi Sioni (Zion) Cathedral in Bolnisi, Georgia's oldest extant church building.

An example of a cross with concave arms and convex ends is the Consecration Cross

Any of the above styles may also feature a notch at the arm ends...

...or any kind of adornment, such as the square in this Glory Cross.

When any of these crosses is used in a religious context, however tenuous, the style is referred to as a St. John's Cross or Maltese Cross.

Confusingly, the Celtic Cross, Consecration Cross and Hans's Cross are also sometimes referred to as St. John's Cross. (See also St. John the Evangelist's Cross and St. John the Baptist's Cross).

In addition to the windmill analogy mentioned above, this is sometimes called the Regeneration Cross because it has eight points. Eight symbolises regeneration for many religious ideas. It is the holistic number in Buddhism for the number of steps to end suffering.

The number 8, like the lemniscate symbol for infinity , is a never-ending line. Tracing the shape of the 8 differs from the circle, square, triangle etc. in that the line crosses itself in the centre. This crossing symbolises death. But the line does not stop there; it carries on into a new life, just as the Christian cross symbolises new life. The eight therefore represents life, death, and rebirth.

In Christianity, because Christ rose from grave eight days after entering Jerusalem, the number is associated with the rebirth of Christ and also baptism; the spiritual rebirth of a person. These eight points on the cross also represent the eight beatitudes¹.

Not surprisingly, the St John Ambulance logo incorporates the cross used by the Knights Hospitaller, the Cross of Saint John.

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One interpretation of the 'sharp' pointed cross is of four fishtails. The fish symbol was adopted by the early Christian church and the design has long been used as a Hospitaller Cross and Crusader Cross. From this we have the basis of numerous military crosses, including:

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D-r-r-rag racing off in a different direction; brave, risk-taking, dare-devilish behaviour has led to variations the St. John's Cross becoming popular with fans of hot-rods, rockabilly and the general rock'n'roll scene. Various names, one of the popular being Biker's Cross.

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The Maltese Cross can be seen on the provincial Ukrainian flags of Poltava Oblast, Rivne Oblast and Vinnytsia Oblast, where this cross is known as the Cossack Cross, a Ukrainian medal of honour. In czarist Russia, Slavs living mainly in the southern part of Russia formed an elite corps of cavalrymen. The name retains its brave, adventurous and somewhat guerrilla fighting image.

National flag of Malta

The Maltese Cross has many similarities with the George Cross, also known as the Greek Cross. The civil ensign of Malta is a white Maltese Cross on a red ground, but the present day national flag of Malta (shown on the right) bears a George Cross rather than a Maltese Cross.

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Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

The Maltese Cross appears in the logo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (see also Lutheran Cross).