St. Peter's Cross
- an emblem of Christian humility
an inverted cross sometimes known as Satan's Cross
Peter is believed to have been crucified upside down at his own request, as he did not feel worthy to die the same way as Jesus. Therefore many Christian sects use this cross as a symbol of humility.
St. Peter's Cross, an inverted cross sometimes known as Satan's Cross
St. Peter's Cross
Peter is believed to have been crucified upside down at his own request, as he did not feel worthy to die the same way as Jesus. Therefore many Christian sects use this cross as a symbol of humility.
He was an early missionary in Asia Minor and the Roman Empire and founded the Church of Rome with Paul, Emperor Nero saw this new church as a threat, and began a campaign to eradicate these troublemakers. Peter was imprisoned, tortured and finally crucified. Such was his faith, it is believed, he remarkably succeeded in persuading his sadistic captors to change from the normal way of executing prisoners. His brother, Andrew, also was crucified, and he too requested that a cross different to Christ's Latin Cross be used. Therefore we have another cross form, the 'X' shaped St. Andrew's Cross.
In 1920, Archbishop Joachim of Nizhny Novgorod was also crucified upside down, on the Royal Doors of the Cathedral in Sevastopol, a Black Sea port of southern Ukraine.
Thor's Hammer
Sometimes this cross is called Satan's Cross because it points downward to Hell. But this is a misnomer; Satan was never crucified on a cross, rather he fell to his death1. This inverted cross is sometimes used by Satanists to mock the Latin Cross and its meaning. (In any case, Hell isn't physically 'down' any more than Heaven is 'up'.)
For some, the upside down cross is a Pagan image because it resembles the Icelandic and Nordic hammer of Thor.
(St. Peter is also often remembered through the Celtic Cross.)
1 Lucifer's fall from Heaven: Isaiah 14:12-17, Ezekiel 28:11-19, Daniel 8:10, Luke 10:17-24, 2 Peter 2:4, Revelation 12:7-13
