Who uses this cross?
(Puzzle 008)
Here's a puzzling symbol. No prize for the correct answer - except the satisfaction of getting it right. Designed for all you daVinci Code wannabes and general sleuths.
What does this represent?
At first sight, this cross looks simply a voided patty.
'Patty' is the term used to describe a cross with arms which are narrow in the centre and broad at the ends (see Pattée Cross). When only the edges of the arms are traced, it is termed 'voided'. A Voided Cross is usually shown with a border completely surrounding the cross, but in this case, the arms ends are open.
Open-ended arms are not especially rare. An example is the logo for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, shown on the right.
Gamma Cross
If the lower arm was shorter, so that all four arms have equal length (quadrate), then it could be interpreted as an arrangement of four 'L' shapes, forming a Gamma Cross.
So much for heraldry. But what does this cross mean?
Well, in a Christian context, the meaning of the cross is well understood. And there is little doubt that the cross featured on this page is Christian. A Voided Cross reminds us that Christ rose from death on the cross to proclaim His victory over sin, death, and the Devil (see Voided Cross.)
Describing this cross is easy. What is eluding us is the origin of this particular design. The image was spotted in the obituary column of a Swedish newspaper, which leads us to speculate the design may be the symbol of a Nordic church or society.
Flag of De Haan, Belgium (Click image to enlarge)
A kind email from Christopher in the UK points out that a quadrate (with equal length arms) version of this cross is found in the emblem of De Haan, a hamlet on the Belgian coast, which for a short time was the home of Albert Einstein. (See http://www.dehaan.be/) The red/white/green bands of this flag represent the three former municipalities which merged to form De Haan in 1976. All three municipalities had a Templar Cross in their coats of arms, and the red cross in the centre of the flag is representative of all three. The cross is officially described as a 'voided pommety', that is, there are small eight discs at the arms ends (see Pommee Cross) rather than the triangular tips of the Mystery Cross we introduce above.
If you know which organisation uses this symbol, please tell us (using the box below). If possible, please also tell us the website of that organisation.
Ryan Gracie, after beating Ikuhisa Minowaman in May 2004 (split decision result)
Another example was spotted on the other side of the world by somebody in Brazil. It's a tattoo on the back of Ryan Gracie, a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter from Rio de Janeiro who tragically died in 2007.
Another fan later told us the tattoo was done by Mojo in Sao Paulo. He wrote:
Ryan had a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and was a member of the Gracie family, who are well known in the world of Jiu-Jitsu. Catholicism is the main religion in Brazil (about 75%) but Ryan is not known to have been a devout Catholic. Neither is the cross known to have any link with Jiu-Jitsu.
Jiu-Jitsu is a distant relative of Jujutsu, an ancient Japanese martial art intertwined not so much with Buddhism or Shintoism, but more of a philosophy. Rather than attacking and opponent, the Jujutsu practitioner yields to an opponent's force and manipulates it to control the attacker's balance. The successful Jujutsu warrior has a clear mind (zanshin), enabling him to be constantly alert (mushin) for opportunities, which is particularly difficult when a carotid artery hold disrupts the blood supply to the brain!
Some Jujutsu philosophy, however, could be usefully adopted by Christian evangelists. It is not necessary to beat people on the head with a Bible. Opponents often expose their weaknesses and can see the truth for themselves. The evangelist can take advantage of such situations and guide the seeker to salvation. Carotid artery holds are not required.
If you have any ideas about the origin of this symbol, please tell us (using the box below).
