- One is they put the cross on top of the circle (representing the sun god and moon goddess) to illustrate Christ as the supreme God.
- Another is they carved crosses from large standing stones that were originally Druid phallic symbols to disguise their original form.
What is the significance of the Cross in a circle?
The even-armed cross within a circle has been ascribed many meanings by many groups and cultures. One such meaning is that of the stages of the day: morning, noon, evening, midnight. Another possibility includes the meeting places of the divine energy, of self, nature, wisdom and divinity.
Are all crosses Christian crosses?
Not all crosses are Christian crosses. Look carefully before you purchase any accessories that has a cross design on it. This is especially important since most of us Christian love to wear cross jewelries on our bodies; example, cross pendant, earrings and bracelets as mentioned above.
What is the significance of the halo of the cross?
It was used as a symbol of the kingdom of Jerusalem A cross featuring a ring or nimbus. This type has several variants, including the cruciform halo and the Celtic cross. A cruciform halo is used to represent the persons of the Holy Trinity, especially Jesus, and it was used especially in medieval art.
What does the circle in the center of a druid cross mean?
The circle in the center typically represents the sun, an important item of worship in Druid religion . To preach the Gospel to the Druids, St. Patrick united the element of the sun with the cross of Christianity, showing how the true “Son/Sun” far outshines any god, deity, or spirit of another religion.
What does a cross with a circle mean?
A square cross interlocking with or surrounded by a circle is one of the most popular symbols used by individuals and organisations to represent white nationalism, white supremacy, Neo-Nazism, and white pride. In its Celtic cross form, it is used as the logo for white nationalist website Stormfront.
What is a cross with a circle called?
The ringed cross is a class of Christian cross symbols featuring a ring or nimbus. The concept exists in many variants and dates to early in the history of Christianity. One variant, the cruciform halo, is a special type of halo placed behind the head of Jesus in Christian art.
What makes a Celtic cross different from a regular cross?
A staple of Insular art, the Celtic cross is essentially a Latin cross with a nimbus surrounding the intersection of the arms and stem. Scholars have debated its exact origins, but it is related to earlier crosses featuring rings.
What does a cross with a circle on the bottom mean?
Ringed cross. A cross featuring a ring or nimbus. This type has several variants, including the cruciform halo and the Celtic cross. A cruciform halo is used to represent the persons of the Holy Trinity, especially Jesus, and it was used especially in medieval art.
Is it OK to wear an ankh?
In both jewelry and art, today the ankh is used as a representation of its original meaning life and also symbolizes ancient Egypt. It's a unisex symbol and can be worn by anyone.
What does Celtic cross in circle mean?
The center ring of the Celtic Cross is said to be evocative of the Celtic symbol for infinite love. With no beginning and no end, more precisely, it is a symbolism of god's endless love with many believing that it is also a depiction of the halo of Christ.
What's a ankh cross?
The Egyptian cross, also known as Ankh, was originally an Egyptian hieroglyph used to represent the word “life”. By extension, this cross became primarily a symbol of life.
What is a Greek cross called?
cross: the crux quadrata, or Greek cross, with four equal arms; the crux immissa, or Latin cross, whose base stem is longer than the other three arms; the crux commissa, in the form of the Greek letter tau, sometimes called St.
Why are crosses important to Christianity?
Christian crosses are used widely in churches, on top of church buildings, on bibles, in heraldry, in personal jewelry, on hilltops, and elsewhere as an attestation or other symbol of Christianity. Crosses are a prominent feature of Christian cemeteries, either carved on gravestones or as sculpted stelae. Because of this, planting small crosses is sometimes used in countries of Christian culture to mark the site of fatal accidents, or, such as the Zugspitze or Mount Royal, so as to be visible over the entire surrounding area. Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran depictions of the cross are often crucifixes, in order to emphasize that it is Jesus that is important, rather than the cross in isolation. Large crucifixes are a prominent feature of some Lutheran churches, e.g. as a rood. However, some other Protestant traditions depict the cross without the corpus, interpreting this form as an indication of belief in the resurrection rather than as representing the interval between the death and the resurrection of Jesus.
What is a cross with a crossing point?
A Latin cross with the crossing point, starting initially as wide permanent and widening only at its end to the outside arms. It is not to be confused with the Maltese cross, also known as the St. John's cross. In heraldry, it is a common figure in coat of arms.
What is a Latin cross?
A Latin cross ("†") is included in the extended ASCII character set, and several variants have been added to Unicode, starting with the Latin cross in version 1.1. For others, see Religious and political symbols in Unicode .
What is the cross on the flag?
Its first documented use was as the ensign of the Republic of Genoa, whereafter it was used successively by the crusaders. A notable uses are on the Flag of England and the Georgian flag .
What is a bride's cross?
Bride's cross, also known as Brigid 's cross or Brighid's cross, these are usually woven of rushes, wheat stalks or similar. They can be Christian or Pagan symbols, depending on context.
What is the cross of Lorraine?
The Cross of Lorraine consists of one vertical and two horizontal bars. The two-barred cross consists of a vertical line crossed by two shorter horizontal bars. In most renditions, the horizontal bars are "graded" with the upper bar being the shorter, though variations with the bars of equal length are also seen.
What is the name of the cross that Jesus nailed to the cross?
Also called an archiepiscopal cross or a crux gemina. A double cross, with the two crossbars near the top. The upper one is shorter, representing the plaque nailed to Jesus' cross. Similar to the Cross of Lorraine, though in the original version of the latter, the bottom arm is lower.
What does the tree of life cross represent?
Tree of Life Cross. The Tree of Life cross is a simplified version of the Tree of Life, a symbol that represents many things, including ancestry, family, and of course, life. It essentially explains that everything in this world is connected, one way or another. It also represents growth, whether that be physical, mental, or spiritual.
What is the meaning of a wooden cross?
Wooden Cross. A wooden cross bears the same meaning as a Latin cross but with a closer connection to the actual crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This is because the Cross that Jesus was crucified on was made out of wood. The Cross itself is no different from a typical Latin cross, with its material being the only difference.
What is the meaning of the cross of Saint Aemilian of Cogolla?
Cross of Saint Aemilian of Cogolla. The Cross of Saint Aemilian of Cogolla is a cross that symbolizes the saint that it was named after. Saint Aemilian was a saint that lived between the fifth and sixth centuries in La Rioja, Spain.
What does the upside down cross mean?
Upside Down Cross (St. Peter) The Upside Down Cross is a unique cross that also has heavy ties to Christianity. The Cross symbolizes the martyrdom of Peter the Apostle, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Peter wished to be crucified upside-down, as he found himself unworthy of being crucified in the same manner as Jesus.
What does the Coptic cross symbolize?
“The Coptic Cross is a cross that symbolizes the Coptic Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church.”.
What is the Latin cross?
The Latin cross is by far the most famous one, which is also known as the crucifix. It symbolized the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and symbolized the belief of Christian religions across the world. In particular, it showcases the passion of Christ and his death on the Cross. The defining feature of this Cross is its more extended arm at the bottom.
What is the Jerusalem cross?
The Jerusalem Cross is a cross that features four small crosslets on each of the four quadrants of the main Cross. It symbolized Jerusalem’s coat of arms during the 1820s.
What does a Celtic cross represent?
An example of the Graded Cross commonly known as the Cross of Calvary. It has three steps at the bottom of the cross. These could represent the hill of Calvary or represent faith, hope and love.
What is the most common cross symbol in Christianity?
Known as the Latin cross or crux ordinaria, this is the most common cross symbol in Christianity. A favorite amongst Protestant Christians, this simple cross reminds of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is an example of a Celtic Cross.
How many arms does the Greek cross have?
The Greek Cross has four equal arms. It is one of the most ancient crosses. There are other kind of cross designs but I will need more extensive study and research to be able to add them here. If you know of any, I would appreciate if you contact me and tell me about it or comment below.
What is an example of a simple cross?
The above wooden cross is an example of a simple cross.
How many bars are there on a Christian cross?
Christian crosses are everywhere. Each has two bars intersecting one another perpendicularly. Some of these symbols have more than one cross in its design.
What does the circle in the center of the cross mean?
Many have translated the meaning of the circle to symbolize eternity (since a circle has no beginning and end), showing the eternal nature of God. The Celtic cross also has very strong roots in Irish nationalism. The circle in the center of the cross has also been known to represent a Celtic shield.
What does the Celtic cross represent?
No matter which Celtic cross you think of, they typically have the same symbolism. The circle in the center typically represents the sun, an important item of worship in Druid religion .
Why Does the Celtic Cross Matter?
Why does it matter that we learn about the symbolism of the Celtic cross? First, it helps us to understand the heritage of our brothers and sisters of the faith who live and come from Ireland. We can see how this cross has played a major role throughout their history.
What type of cross has a longer stem?
The second type are Celtic High Crosses, that have a slightly longer “stem” (a longer vertical beam on the cross). Instead of adorning graves, they adorn churches or important holy places. These will typically have a pyramid base at the bottom.
What is a Celtic cross?
As mentioned above, a Celtic cross is like a cross but with a circle in the middle. Most likely of Irish origin, there are actually two types of Celtic crosses that we have to distinguish: The first type is the Celtic Memorial cross. These serve as headstones, especially fashionable in the 1850s during a revival of Gaelic traditions.
How many strands are there in a Celtic cross?
One of the most popular symbols associated with the Celtic cross is the Celtic knot, composed of seven strands, with each strand representing something important in Celtic culture.
When was the Celtic cross popular?
No matter which Saint first introduced it, the Celtic cross had a popular history throughout the middle ages, featuring several ornately crafted crosses, and had a revival in the 1800s. Many gravestones featured the cross during that time. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Pureradiancephoto.
What does the circle symbolize?
Some say the circle stands for the Roman sun-god Invictus, thus giving the name of Celtic Sun Cross. Others say it represents the halo of Jesus Christ. Others simply see it as a holdover from its pagan roots as a sun symbol. I spoke once with a Franciscan Friar while visiting St. Brigid’s Well in Kildare, Ireland. We had a fascinating conversation about the various pagan pieces intertwined with Celtic Christianity. He was of the opinion that without those essential elements, Celtic Christianity would be a poorer spiritual path than it was. He was quite glad of those aspects, as it helped him keep in touch with the earth. A similar but more elaborate cross from the 7th century, called St. Mura’s Cross, can be found in Fahan, Ireland.
Where are the Celtic crosses?
Celtic Crosses dot hundreds of cemeteries across Ireland and Scotland, as well as Wales, England, Europe, and beyond. Few symbols are as recognizable as the Celtic Cross as the embodiment of Celtic Christianity. It is popularly believed that St. Patrick introduced the Celtic Cross in Ireland, during his conversion of the kings from paganism ...
What is the Presbyterian cross?
The current form of Presbyterian cross is also a Celtic Cross, with flared ends of each of the arms.
What is the knot on the top of a high cross?
The top of the carving is a Maltese cross with the triple knot of St. Brigit underneath, representing the Holy Trinity. High Crosses were popular in the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries in Ireland, and were often built to memorialize famous people or places.
What does the sun wheel mean?
Another possibility includes the meeting places of the divine energy, of self, nature, wisdom and divinity. Of course, obvious relations such as east, north, south and west; or earth, air, water and fire can also be derived from the shape. Even the Native Americans used this as a symbol for their Medicine Wheel. The sun wheel has also been called Odin’s Cross, a symbol in Norse Mythology.
What is the name of the cross in Ireland?
A famous cross at Clonmacnoise, Ireland is called the Cross of the Scriptures, or King Flann’s Cross. It is decorated with images from the bible, such as the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Guarding of the Tomb.
Is the Celtic cross a Christian symbol?
While the Celtic Cross is certainly a Christian symbol, it has its roots in ancient pagan beliefs at the same time. The stone circle at Calanais, on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, is formed in a rough circle, with an even-armed cross within it. This is believed to be a sun symbol to the creators of the stone circle, ...
