Heraldic symbol
A
cross pattee
,
cross patty or Pate
, or
cross paty
, also known as a
cross formy
or
cross formee
(
French
:
croix pattee
,
German
:
Tatzenkreuz
) or
Templar cross
, is a type of
Christian cross
with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight line shape, to be broader at the perimeter. The form appears very early in medieval art, for example in a metalwork
treasure binding
given to
Monza Cathedral
by
Lombard
queen
Theodelinda
(died 628), and the 8th-century lower cover of the
Lindau Gospels
in the
Morgan Library
. An early English example from the start of the age of heraldry proper (i.e. about 1200) is found in the arms of
Baron Berkeley
.
Etymology
[
edit
]
The word
pattee
is a
French
adjective in the feminine form used in its full context as
la croix pattee
, meaning literally "
footed
cross
", from the noun
patte
, meaning literally
foot
, generally that of an
animal
.
[1]
The cross has four splayed feet, each akin to the foot, for example, of a
chalice
or
candelabrum
. In
German
it is called
Tatzenkreuz
from
Tatze
, foot, paw.
Planche
provides a dubious suggestion that the term comes from the Latin verb
pateo
, to lie open, be spread. He states it to be discernible on the
standard
of
King Stephen
(1135?1154).
[2]
Variants
[
edit
]
Several variants exist as follows:
A sample of variants of the cross pattee
Image
|
Description
|
|
With the edges of the arms concave throughout. Best known for its use as the
Iron Cross
, based on the
Leechkirche
[
de
]
of the
Teutonic Order
(
image
), used as a symbol of the German Empire that was present in its
War Ensign
and war materiel, including on
Luftstreitkrafte
aircraft until April 1918 when the
Balkenkreuz
was introduced.
|
|
A cross pattee with a sharp point added to the lower limb, as if for use in staking into the ground, but used to represent a sword in the
Cross of Saint James
(also known as "sword cross").
[3]
|
|
With less curvature, used on
Luftstreitkrafte
aircraft until April 1918, and the basis for the similar cross used by the armed forces of modern Germany, the
Bundeswehr
.
|
|
Bolnisi cross
, official national symbol of the republic of
Georgia
, used on flag, coat of arms and various official and unofficial organizations of this country.
|
|
With the ends of the arms convex and curved; sometimes called
cross alisee
(
French
:
croix pattee alesee arrondie
,
lit.
'rounded reamed
[4]
cross').
|
|
With triangular arms which come close to filling a square. One example is an artistic variant of the
cross pattee
components in the Sancroft arms, seen thrice in the ecclesiastical coat of arms of
William Sancroft
(1617-93),
Archbishop of Canterbury
in a mid-1740s stained glass at
St Lawrence's Church, Mereworth
.
|
[
dubious
–
discuss
]
|
With triangular arms that do not fill the square, used on flag, coat of arms and various medals, also known as the
Saint George's Cross
in Sweden and the
Cossack cross
in Ukraine.
|
|
With straight parallel lines at the centre, it still fits the general definition of "having branches that widen by curving at their ends",
[4]
and is considered
pattee
in
Rudolf Koch
's
The Book of Signs
[5]
(
German
:
Das Zeichenbuch
).
|
Use in crowns
[
edit
]
Many
crowns
worn by
monarchs
have jewelled crosses pattees mounted atop the band. Most crowns possess at least four such crosses, from which the
half arches
rise. Some crowns are designed so that the half-arches can be detached, allowing the
circlet
to be worn separately on occasion.
A cross
pattee
is particularly associated with crowns in Christian countries. It is often heavily jewelled, with diamonds and precious stones. The
Koh-i-Noor
diamond is set in a cross pattee on the
Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
. The British
Imperial State Crown
has a base of four crosses pattee alternating with four
fleurs-de-lis
. A cross
pattee
on the Imperial State Crown holds the
Black Prince's Ruby
. The cross pattee also features in many of the other British Crowns including the
St Edward's Crown
, used for coronations, and the
Imperial Crown of India
created for
George V
as
Emperor of India
to wear at the
Delhi Durbar of 1911
.
Use by Crusaders, Prussia, and Germany
[
edit
]
Teutonic Knights
[
edit
]
This cross is often associated with the
Crusades
. The heraldic cross pattee was sometimes used by the
Teutonic Knights
, a Crusader order, though their more usual emblem was a plain straight black cross on white field.
[
citation needed
]
.
Iron Cross
[
edit
]
In 1813, King
Frederick William III
of
Prussia
established the
Iron Cross
as a decoration for military valor, and it remained in use, in various forms, by Prussia and later
Germany
until 1945. A stylized version of the Iron Cross is used to date by the German army (
Bundeswehr
) as its symbol of nationality, and is found on vehicles, aircraft and publications.
Prussian and Imperial German
Landwehr
and
Landsturm
troops used a Cross Pattee cap badge to distinguish them from regular army troops. A stylized version of the Cross Pattee is used by the modern German military as its symbol of nationality, and is found on vehicles, aircraft and publications, with no border of any kind at the ends of each arm (as was the case with the
Balkenkreuz
used on German aircraft in 1918-1945).
Modern usage
[
edit
]
Belarus
[
edit
]
The cross pattee is adopted in several municipal coats of arms of
Belarus
.
Canada
[
edit
]
The cross pattee, a traditional Royal symbol in Canada,
[6]
has been incorporated into official
national symbols
,
provincial symbols
and the insignia of various
national armed forces
. The
Arms of Canada
, numerous provincial coat of arms and the badges of the Canadian Forces feature
St Edward's Crown
; that displays four cross pattee and four
fleur-de-lys
, supporting two dipped arches topped by a monde and another cross pattee.
[7]
Numerous
orders, decorations, and medals of Canada
are designed with a cross pattee, including the nation's highest civilian honour, the
Order of Merit
and the
Victoria Cross of Canada
the highest military honour that is derived from that of the British original
Victoria Cross
.
[8]
France
[
edit
]
The cross pattee can be found on coats of arms of various French communes.
Georgia
[
edit
]
The Bolnisi cross (
Georgian
:
???????? ?????
bolnisis ?vari
) is a cross symbol, taken from a 5th-century ornament at the Bolnisi Sioni church, which came to be used as one of the oldest national symbol of Georgia. It was used on the flags and coat of arms of the
Kingdom of Georgia
and the current Republic of Georgia, with its various organizations and administrative divisions.
Latvia
[
edit
]
Montenegro
[
edit
]
The Montenegrin cross-flag (
Krsta?-barjak
) has been used in
Montenegro
since medieval times to represent the
state
, and lately its
military divisions
. Use of this flag was first recorded in 1687.
[9]
[
better source needed
]
During the 1990s, it was used as a symbol of Montenegrin independence movement, most notably by the
Liberal Alliance of Montenegro
. Nowadays, Montenegro's Royal Capital City
Cetinje
uses
krsta?
flag as its flag. It is also used as an unofficial alternate
Montenegrin flag
, as well as by local trademarks and societies related to Montenegro.
Poland
[
edit
]
Portugal
[
edit
]
The
Portuguese heraldry
makes a very common use of three variants of the cross pattee, the standard form (also as a variant of the
Maltese cross
proper, associated with the
Knights Hospitaller
), the Alisee form (associated with the
Knights Templar
) and the Order of Christ cross (associated with this order of chivalry and also used as one of main the National symbols of Portugal). These crosses are often present on the arms of the municipalities located in former domains of these orders.
Russia
[
edit
]
The cross pattee is adopted by Russian Border Service, it is also found on coats of arms of some Russian regions.
The
cross alisee
version of the cross pattee, with rounded edges, has been used in Russia since the 19th century. This cross shape was used in the badges of the
Narodnoe Opolcheniye
, during the
Patriotic War of 1812
and the
Crimean War
as well as the
Aleksandrovskoe Military School
[
ru
]
.
[10]
Although it was not used for decorations before, in the modern-day
Russian Federation
, the
cross alisee
was adopted for the
Order of Courage
,
[11]
as well as for other emblems such as the logo of the
Wagner Group
.
[12]
Spain
[
edit
]
Sweden
[
edit
]
In
Sweden
, the term "
Saint George's Cross
" sometimes refers to the cross pattee used by
Swedish Freemasons
.
[13]
For example, the cross of the
Swedish Order of Freemasons
was defined by the
King of Sweden
in 1928 to be a "red St George's cross with triangular arms".
[14]
Ukraine
[
edit
]
In
Ukraine
, the "
cossack cross
" was used historically in banners by
cossacks
, installed on their graves, and nowadays part of emblems of a number of Ukrainian state bodies connected with security, including the
Armed Forces of Ukraine
.
Military
[
edit
]
Volhynia
[
edit
]
-
Coat of arms of the Volhynian Duchy (Principality)
-
Coat of arms of Volhynia with the Muscovite
Monomakh's Cap
-
-
Coat of arms of the Russian Volhynian Vice-royaly (Namestnichestvo)
-
-
Volhynian Voivodeship in Poland (1920-1939)
-
Coat of arms of
Rivne Oblast
-
Coat of arms of
Zhytomyr Oblast
Eastern Podolia
[
edit
]
Poltava (Myrhorod [Cossack] Cross)
[
edit
]
United Kingdom
[
edit
]
University of Durham
[
edit
]
United States
[
edit
]
Other uses
[
edit
]
The cross pattee is also placed before the name of the bishop who issues a Catholic
imprimatur
, and is occasionally found as a map symbol indicating the location of a Christian site.
It appears in the insignia of:
- The
Victoria Cross
- The
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
- The
Bundeswehr Cross of Honour for Valour
- The
Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr
- The
Order of St. George
- The
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
- The
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky
- The
Order of the Dannebrog
- The
Portuguese Football Federation
- F.C. Pacos de Ferreira
, a Portuguese football club
- C.F. Os Belenenses
, a
Lisboeta
football club
- Casa Pia A.C.
, a Portuguese sports association
- Mira Mar SC
, a Portuguese football club
- CR Vasco da Gama
, a Brazilian sports club
- Vasco da Gama (South Africa)
, a South African sports club
- Flag of Asturias
, a Spanish Principality
- Toulouse FC
, a French football club
- The Sir Knight, Geneva Glen Camp's Highest rank in the orders
- The
Knights of Columbus
, designed in 1883, and called a "cross formee"
- Independent Truck Company
, a manufacturer of skating equipment (in the
alisee
form, with the ends of the arms in the shape of arcs of an enclosing circle)
- The Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps
- Schneider Cams, a speed equipment manufacturer
- Neath RFC
, a Welsh rugby club
- The Eaton House Group of Schools
- FC Volyn Lutsk
, a Ukrainian football club
- Black Label Society
, a heavy metal band
- Flag of the Hispanic People
- The
Fifth Corps
, a unit of the Union
Army of the Potomac
during the
American Civil War
from 1862?1865.
Firefighters
, especially in the United States, commonly use a version with triangular arms for patches and medals, though the cross pattee and the cross of
St. Florian
are both commonly mistaken for the
Maltese cross
. The cross pattee is used on the
Marksmanship Badge
in the
United States Army
, and
United States Marine Corps
.
Encoding
[
edit
]
In
Unicode
, a Cross pattee character is encoded under the name "
Maltese Cross
" in the
Dingbats
range at code point U+2720 (
?
).
The character "X" is rendered as a cross pattee in the Microsoft
Wingdings
font.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Larousse Dictionnaire de la Langue Francaise
Lexis, Paris, 1993, p.1356
- ^
Planche, J.R.
The Pursuivant of Arms; or Heraldry Founded upon Facts
. London, 1859, p.29
- ^
Davies, Nikolas; Jokiniemi, Erkki (2012).
Dictionary of Architecture and Building Construction
. Routledge. p. 104.
ISBN
9781136410253
.
- ^
a
b
"PATTE : Definition de PATTE"
.
Centre National de Ressources Textualles et Lexicales
. 2012.
Archived
from the original on 2023-08-11
. Retrieved
2023-08-11
.
- ^
Koch, Rudolf
(1955).
The book of signs
. New York: Dover Publications.
ISBN
9780486201627
.
OCLC
509534
.
- ^
Healey, T. (1977). The Symbolism of the Cross in Sacred and Secular Art. Leonardo, 10(4), 289-294. doi:10.2307/1573764
- ^
"Arms & Badges - Royal Arms of Canada, A Brief History"
.
www.heraldry.ca
.
- ^
Defence, National (November 2, 2018).
"Canadian Medals Chart"
.
aem
.
- ^
Cetinje, Official website (English).
"Symbols"
. Retrieved
18 April
2014
.
- ^
Derevyanko, Kolesnikov.
"Awards: Rewarded With A Battle Order",
Bratishka
, Feb 2002
- ^
Goncharov, 2010,
Award System of the Russian Federation
- ^
Samoilov, 2021,
"Military Expert Explains the Symbolism of the Trench Cross",
Politnavigator
- ^
Nationalencyklopedin
,
"Georgskors"
, retrieved 12 August 2010. Swedish.
- ^
Norrgard, Leif (2009-02-18),
"Frimurarkorset ? symbol med dunkelt ursprung"
,
Frimuraren
(in Swedish), no. 1,
Swedish Order of Freemasons
, pp. 31?32, 1651-35766,
archived
from the original on 2016-08-18
, retrieved
3 February
2015
.
External links
[
edit
]