Orthodox pectoral cross. Christian cross - what it is like

Christian ideologists not only unceremoniously appropriated the cross, the sacred pagan sign of fire, but also turned it into a symbol of torment and suffering, grief and death, meek humility and patience, i.e. put into it a meaning absolutely opposite to the pagan one.

In ancient times, any decorations on the human body - from tattoos among the southern peoples to ornamental embroideries on fabric among the northern ones - served as magical amulets against evil spirits. This should also include all ancient “costume jewelry”: pendants, bracelets, brooches, rings, earrings, rings, necklaces, etc.

The aesthetic functions of these objects were undoubtedly secondary. It is no coincidence that among the numerous archaeological finds, it is women’s jewelry that predominates: a man, as a stronger and more resilient creature, needed such amulets much less.

One of the most common magical symbols, used by almost all peoples of our planet for many millennia, was the cross. Its veneration was initially directly associated with the “living” sacred fire, or more precisely, with the method of producing it: the friction of two sticks folded across (crosswise). Considering greatest significance, which in that distant era was given to “living” fire, it is not surprising that the tool for producing it became an object of widespread veneration, a kind of “gift of God.” It was from that time that the cross began to be used as a talisman, a talisman that protects against all kinds of disasters, diseases and witchcraft.

The worship of fire as a powerful element in ancient times took place among all the peoples of our earth. The fire warmed, provided hot food, scared away wild animals, and dispersed the darkness. On the other hand, he destroyed forests and entire settlements. In eyes primitive man fire was represented as a living creature, falling either into anger or into mercy. Hence the desire to “appease” the fire by making sacrifices and the strictest prohibitions to actions that could generate anger in him. Thus, almost everywhere it was forbidden to urinate and spit on the fire, step over it, throw sewage into it, touch it with a knife, and start quarrels and altercations in front of it. In many places it was forbidden to even extinguish fires, since it was too hot above the fire. in this case violence was committed, and he could take revenge on the offender.

Remnants of former fire worship in one form or another have been preserved in all world cultures. On the European continent, such remnants appeared: “fire festivals”, described in detail by the famous researcher of magic and religion D. Frazer. Torch processions, lighting bonfires on hills, rolling a burning wheel down mountains, purifying jumps over flames, burning straw effigies, using extinct firebrands as amulets, and driving cattle between bonfires have been recorded in literally every corner of Europe. Similar ritual actions were performed on the first Sunday of Lent, on the eve of Easter (Holy Saturday), on the first day of May (the lights of Beltane), on the eve of the summer solstice, on the eve of All Hallows' Day and on the eve of winter solstice. In addition, ritual lighting of bonfires was organized on days of disaster - epidemics, plague, loss of livestock, etc.

IN Ancient Rus' the fire was called Svarozhich, i.e. the son of Svarog - the god of heavenly fire, who personified the sky and the Universe. According to legends, Fire-Svarozhich was born from sparks struck by Svarog, who hit the Alatyr-stone with his hammer. Old Russian pagans treated fire with trepidation and reverence: in their sanctuaries they maintained an unquenchable fire, the preservation of which was monitored by special priests on pain of death. The bodies of the dead were consigned to fire, and their souls rose to Vyriy with the smoke of funeral pyres. A huge number of Russian beliefs, rituals, omens, superstitions, customs, conspiracies and spells were associated with fire. “Fire is the king, water is the queen, air is the master,” said a Russian proverb. Of course special meaning was given to “living” fire, i.e. fire produced by friction.

“The most ancient method of producing fire was among the Indians, Persians, Greeks, Germans and Lithuanian-Slavic tribes,” writes A.N. Afanasyev, - was the following: they took a stump from soft wood, made a hole in it and... inserting a hard branch there, entwined with dry herbs, rope or tow, and rotating it until a flame appeared from friction.”2 Other methods of producing “live fire” are also known: using a spindle rotated in the cracks of the stove column; when the rope rubs against a stick, etc. Vologda men removed the grates (poles) from the barn, chopped them into pieces and rubbed them against each other, until they caught fire. In the Novgorod province, they even used live fire to “wipe off” special device, known as a "pinwheel".

Detailed description it is cited by the famous ethnographer S.V. Maksimov: “Two pillars are dug into the ground and secured at the top with a crossbar. In the middle of it lies a beam, the ends of which are inserted into the upper holes of the pillars in such a way that they can rotate freely without changing the point of support. Two handles are attached to the cross beam, one opposite the other, and strong ropes are tied to them. The whole world grabs the ropes and, amid general stubborn silence (which is an indispensable condition for the purity and accuracy of the ritual), they turn the beam until fire breaks out in the holes of the pillars. They light twigs from it and light the fire with them.”

Russian peasants resorted to the help of “living fire” during bestial deaths, epidemics (mora), for various diseases, as well as during great national holidays. In case of bestial death, animals were driven through the fire, a priest was invited, and censers and candles were lit from “living fire” in front of the icons in the church. From the latter, fire was carried to the huts and protected as reliable means against livestock diseases. It is noteworthy that the old fire was extinguished everywhere, and the entire village used only the “live fire” obtained. There is no doubt that during the ancient pagan rites of corpse burning, “living fire” was also initially used, which drove away the dark force and cleansed the souls of the deceased from everything sinful, evil, and unclean. The cleansing properties of fire, by the way, also underlie the Old Believer dogma of self-immolation or, as they themselves called it, “the second baptism of fire.”

The very act of producing “living fire” through friction was compared by the pagans with the process of sexual intercourse, which led to the birth of a new person. It is not surprising that both of these processes were considered sacred and were revered in every possible way by almost all the peoples of our planet. The fact that only men were always involved in producing “living fire” is apparently explained by the fact that the stick with which the friction was carried out personified the masculine principle, and it was the man who had to use it.

It is curious that until the 4th century AD. Christians not only did not treat the cross with respect, but even despised it as a pagan symbol. “As for crosses,” noted the Christian writer Felix Manutius, who lived in the 3rd century AD. - then we don’t respect them at all: We Christians don't need them; It’s you pagans, you for whom wooden idols are sacred, you revere wooden crosses.”

N.M. Galkovsky cites even more interesting evidence from Chudov’s list of “Tales on Idols,” compiled in the 14th century: “And this is another kind of malice among the peasants - they baptize bread with a knife, and they baptize beer with a cup or something else - and they do filthy things.” As we can see, the author of the medieval teaching resolutely opposed the cross-shaped sign on ritual buns and over a ladle of beer, considering it a pagan relic. “The author of the teaching obviously knew. - B.A. rightly notes. Rybakov, - that putting a cross on bread by that time was at least a thousand years old " trashy"tradition".

It is well known that the execution of especially dangerous criminals in Ancient Rome was not carried out on a cross in its modern form, but on a pillar with a crossbar at the top, which had the shape of the Greek letter “T” (“tau-cross”). Modern church ideologists also recognize this fact. It turns out that for 16 centuries the main symbol Christian religion is a cross that has nothing to do with martyrdom the most Christian “son of God.”

Until the 8th century, Christians did not depict Jesus Christ crucified on the cross: at that time this was considered a terrible blasphemy. However, later the cross turned into a symbol of the torment endured by Christ. From a modern point of view, the worship of an instrument of execution seems somewhat strange, if not absurd. You can’t help but ask a “heretical” question: what if Christ had been executed on the guillotine or on the same gallows? It’s hard to imagine small guillotines or gallows around the necks of today’s Christians...

And yet the fact remains: the main symbol of the Christian cult is precisely instrument of execution.

The cross is the oldest sacred sign, used by almost all peoples of our land at least a thousand years before the adoption of Christianity. Christian ideologists not only unceremoniously appropriated this sacred pagan sign of fire, but also turned it into a symbol of torment and suffering, grief and death, meek humility and patience, i.e. put into it a meaning absolutely opposite to the pagan one. The pagans saw in the cross a sign of strength, power, love of life, heavenly and earthly “living fire”. “The cross was carved from wood, stone, cast from copper, bronze, gold, and forged from iron. - writes I.K. Kuzmichev - painted on the forehead, body, clothes, and household utensils; they cut down boundary trees, pillars... they marked boundary posts, tombstones, stones with them; they crowned staves, wands, headdresses, and crowns with a cross; they were placed at crossroads, on passes, at springs; They marked the paths to burial places, for example, the road to the top of Sobutka, an ancient ritual cemetery of the Western Slavs. In a word, the cross was in all parts of the world the most ancient and most widespread sacred symbol of goodness, goodness, beauty and strength.”

In the Indo-European tradition, the cross often acted as a model of a person or an anthropomorphic deity with outstretched arms. It was also perceived as a world tree with its main coordinates and a seven-member system of cosmological orientation. It is curious that in most languages that distinguish grammatical gender, the names of the cross are masculine. In some cultures, the cross is directly correlated with the phallus. The cross, as a sign of abolition, destruction, death, began to be used exclusively thanks to Christian innovations.

A classic Russian cross is considered to be a cross with three transverse crossbars, the lower of which - the foot - is tilted to the right of the person looking at it. In the Russian tradition, this oblique crossbar has several interpretations, two of which are the most famous: the raised end indicates the road to heaven, the lowered end - to hell; the first indicates a prudent thief, the second indicates an unrepentant one.

On church domes the raised end of the oblique crossbar always points north, acting as a compass needle.

It is curious that starting from the 12th century, the Western Church introduced the custom of placing the feet of Christ on the crucifixion one on top of the other and nailing them with one nail, while Russian Orthodoxy has always adhered to the tradition of Byzantium, in the monuments of which Christ was depicted crucified with four nails, one in each hand and foot .

Church ideologists and even compilers etymological dictionaries claim that the word “peasant” comes from the word “Christian”, and the word “cross” comes from the proper name - Christ (German: Christ, Krist). As we see, here we are talking about “borrowing”, this time from the Germanic language. When faced with such interpretations, one involuntarily asks the question: to what degree of ignorance must one reach in order to assert such things?!

We are all familiar with the word " flint"in the meaning of a hard stone-mineral for striking fire, used in modern lighters.

In the old days, before the advent of sulfur matches, fire was struck with flint using tinder.

The second name of the flint was “ armchair" or "kresevo". The word “cut” meant striking sparks from flint. It is curious that the word “baptize” was formed from the same root, meaning to resurrect or revive ( strike the spark of life): “The brave regiment of Igor should not be baptized (that is, not resurrected)” (“The Lay of Igor’s Regiment”).

Hence the proverbs; “Kill the stubborn one, but he climbs into his grave,” “He will not be on the cross (i.e., he will not come to life),” etc. Hence “kresenya” is the ancient name for the seventh day of the week (now Sunday) and “kresenya” (kresnik) is the pagan designation for the month of June.

All the above words come from the Old Russian “kres” - fire. Indeed, the artificial sacrificial fire-cross obtained by carving in the eyes of our distant ancestors seemed to be resurrected anew, revived, reborn, which is why it was treated with such respect.

It is not difficult to guess that the ancient Russian words “kres” (fire) and “cross” (the device with which it was produced) are in the closest etymological relationship and, in their steppes and their archaic nature, far surpass any Christian interpretations.

Abundantly decorating clothes with crosses, Russian embroiderers did not at all think about glorifying the symbol Christian faith and even more so - the instruments of Jesus’ execution: in their minds, he remained the ancient pagan sign of fire and the Sun.

The assertion of churchmen and atheist etymologists about the origin of the word “peasant” from the word “Christian” is also untenable: and in this case we are dealing with an elementary juggling of concepts.

What speaks against this version, first of all, is that “peasants” in Rus' at all times were called exclusively cultivators and never representatives of the nobility, although both of them adhered to the same Christian faith.

There is no doubt about the etymological, lexical and semantic relationship of the layers “cress”, “cross” and “peasant”. Like the “ognishchanin” (farmer), the “peasant” was closely associated with fire—the “cross”—and, naturally, with the tool for producing it—the cross. It is possible that this was due to the fire (slash) farming system used at that time, in which peasants had to burn out and uproot forest areas for arable land. The forest cut down and burned in this way was called “ognishche”, hence “ognishchanin”, i.e. tiller.

IN AND. Dahl in his dictionary quite rightly identifies the words “ peasants" And " firemen”, since their semantic meaning is absolutely the same and goes back to the same word - “fire-cross”.

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The history of the appearance of the cross in Orthodoxy is very interesting. This ancient symbol was revered even before the emergence of Christianity and had sacred significance. What does the Orthodox cross with crossbars mean, what is its mystical and religious meaning? Let's turn to historical sources to learn about all types of crosses and their differences.

The symbol of the cross is used in many world beliefs. Only 2000 years ago it became a symbol of Christianity and acquired the meaning of a talisman. IN ancient world we encounter the symbol of the Egyptian cross with a loop, expressing the divine principle and the principle of life. Carl Gustav Jung dates the emergence of the symbolism of the cross in general to primitive times, when people made fire with the help of two crossed sticks.

Early images of the cross can be found in a wide variety of forms: T, X, + or t. If the cross was depicted as equilateral, it symbolized the 4 cardinal directions, 4 natural elements or the 4 Heavens of Zoroaster. Later, the cross began to be compared with the four seasons of the year. However, all the meanings and types of crosses were in one way or another correlated with life, death and rebirth.

The mystical meaning of the cross has at all times been associated with cosmic forces and their flows.

In the Middle Ages, the cross became firmly associated with the death and resurrection of Christ and acquired Christian significance. The equilateral cross began to express the idea of divine presence, power and strength. It was joined by an inverted cross as a symbol of denial of divine authority and adherence to Satanism.

Cross of Saint Lazarus

IN Orthodox tradition a cross can be depicted in different ways: from two lines crossed to a complex combination of several crossbars with additional symbols. All types Orthodox crosses carry a single meaning and significance - salvation. The eight-pointed cross, which is also common in the countries of the eastern Mediterranean and of Eastern Europe. This eight-pointed symbol has a special name - the cross of St. Lazarus. This symbol often depicts the crucified Christ.

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross is depicted with two transverse bars at the top (the top is shorter than the bottom) and the third is inclined. This crossbar carries the meaning of a footstool: the Savior’s feet rest on it. The slope of the foot is always depicted the same way - the right side is higher than the left. This has a certain symbolism: the right foot of Christ rests on right side, which is higher than the left one. According to Jesus, at the Last Judgment the righteous will stand right hand from him, and sinners are on the left. That is, the right end of the crossbar symbolizes the path to heaven, and the left - the path to hell.

The small crossbar (upper) symbolizes the tablet above the head of Christ, which was nailed by Pontius Pilate. It was written in three languages: Nazarite, king of the Jews. This is the meaning of a cross with three bars in the Orthodox tradition.

Calvary Cross

There is another image of an eight-pointed Orthodox cross in the monastic tradition - the schematic cross of Golgotha. He is depicted above the symbol of Golgotha, where the crucifixion took place. The symbol of Golgotha is depicted with steps, and under them there is a skull and crossbones. On both sides of the cross, other attributes of the crucifixion can be depicted - a cane, a spear and a sponge. All these attributes have a deep mystical meaning.

For example, a skull and crossbones symbolize our first parents, on whom the sacrificial blood of the Savior flowed and washed away from sins. In this way, the connection of generations is carried out - from Adam and Eve to the time of Christ. It also symbolizes connection Old Testament with New.

The spear, cane and sponge are another symbol of the Calvary tragedy. The Roman warrior Longinus pierced the Savior's ribs with a spear, from which blood and water flowed. This symbolizes the birth of the Church of Christ, like the birth of Eve from the rib of Adam.

Seven-pointed cross

This symbol has two crossbars - an upper one and a lower one. The foot has a deep mystical meaning in Christianity, as it connects both testaments - the Old and the New. The footstool is mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 60:13), the psalmist in Psalm No. 99, and you can also read about it in the book of Exodus (see: Exodus 30:28). The seven-pointed cross can be seen on the domes of Orthodox churches.

Seven-pointed Orthodox cross - image:

Six-pointed cross

What does a six-pointed cross mean? In this symbol, the lower inclined crossbar symbolizes the following: the raised end has the meaning of liberation through repentance, and the lowered end means unrepentant sin. This form of the cross was common in ancient times.

Cross with crescent

On the domes of churches you can see a cross with a crescent at the bottom. What does this church cross mean, does it have any connection with Islam? The crescent was a symbol of the Byzantine state, from where it came to us Orthodox faith. There are several different versions of the origin of this symbol.

The crescent symbolizes the manger in which the Savior was born in Bethlehem.
The crescent symbolizes the cup in which the body of the Savior resided.
The crescent symbolizes the sail under which the ship of the church sails to the kingdom of God.

It is not known which version is correct. All we know is that the crescent was a symbol of the Byzantine state, and after its fall it became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire.

The difference between an Orthodox cross and a Catholic one

With the acquisition of the faith of their ancestors, many newly-made Christians do not know the main differences between the Catholic cross and the Orthodox one. Let's designate them:

On Orthodox cross There is always more than one crossbar.
In Catholic eight-pointed cross all crossbars are parallel to each other, and in the Orthodox one the bottom one is oblique.
The Savior's face on the Orthodox cross does not express agony.
The Savior’s legs on the Orthodox cross are closed; on the Catholic cross they are depicted one above the other.

Attracts Special attention image of Christ on the Catholic and Orthodox cross. In Orthodox we see the Savior, who gave humanity the path to eternal life. The Catholic cross depicts dead man, endured terrible torment.

If you know these differences, you can easily determine whether the symbol of the Christian cross belongs to a particular church.

Despite the variety of forms and symbolism of the cross, its strength lies not in the number of ends or the crucifixion depicted on them, but in repentance and faith in salvation. Any cross carries life-giving power.

Here I would like to recall an incident that occurred more than four centuries ago. Spanish ships under the command of Christopher Columbus, who was looking for the shortest route from Europe to Asia, crossed Atlantic Ocean and approached the shores of a land unknown to Europeans. The sailors did not know what kind of country lay before them; they did not know that on that day they became the discoverers of the largest continent, which later received the name America.

They went ashore and got acquainted with the life and way of life of the local tribes, the existence of which the Europeans did not even suspect. The customs, religious beliefs and rituals of the Indians - everything surprised the Spanish sailors. But, perhaps, what amazed the Spaniards most of all was that one of the native tribes worshiped... the cross as a sacred sign. It seemed incomprehensible. After all, the Indians had not even heard the name of Jesus Christ, knew nothing about the Christian religion, and at the same time revered the cross, which is a symbol of the Christian faith!

How could it happen that this sign, which, as the clergy claims, is unique to Christianity, became known to the native tribes?

The explanation is simple. The cross is not a Christian invention at all. He was revered different peoples antiquity many years before the Christian religion arose. This is confirmed by numerous excavations that were carried out in different countries peace. The image of the cross was found on objects discovered during excavations in Babylon and Persia, in India and Egypt, in China and Mexico.

In museums in many countries around the world you can see stone figurines of ancient pagan gods who were revered by our distant ancestors. Some of these figurines have a cross-shaped sign carved into them. This sign can be found in the images Egyptian god Osiris, Indian - Buddha, Chinese - Tamo, greek god Cupid's love. The image of the cross was found on the walls of ancient temples in Mexico and Tibet, on the graves of natives in New Zealand, on ancient Jewish and Egyptian coins. All this irrefutably proves that the veneration of the cross dates back to ancient times.

Science gives a completely reasonable answer to this question. IN religious beliefs many primitive peoples the cross was a sacred symbol of fire. And fire played an extremely important role in the life of our distant ancestors.

The life of primitive people was full of hardships and deprivations. Man was helpless in the fight against nature, in the fight against cold, hunger, and disease. Therefore, one can imagine what a great significance the discovery of fire had in human life. Fire warmed people during cold weather and protected them from predatory animals. Thanks to him, people learned to cook and fry food. With its help, metal processing became possible in the future. But, having learned to use fire, people at first did not yet know how to make it. At first they used fire that occurred naturally, for example in forest fires that broke out from a lightning strike. They kept the fire going for many months, carefully stored it, protected it. After all, if it faded away, it was a real disaster for primitive people.

Only many years later did man learn to make fire himself. The first tools with which people began to get fire were two pieces of wood. They were placed on top of each other and began to rub. After much effort, the bars heated up and began to smolder. It is quite understandable that people began to look at two pieces of wood folded in a cross as a shrine. This tool for making fire began to be revered as sacred.

Subsequently, people began to revere the sign depicting this instrument. They saw that fire protected them from wild animals, protected them from the cold, and began to believe that the cross, which was used to represent a tool for producing fire, was also capable of protecting them from adversity, from evil forces. This sign began to be painted on clothes, weapons, various utensils, and household items. It was placed in ancient temples, placed on statues of gods, on the graves of people. So the cross began to be revered by different peoples who had different beliefs, lived in different ends our land.

In the Christian religion, the cross is a sacred symbol, since Jesus Christ was allegedly crucified on the cross. In fact, Christians borrowed the veneration of the cross from contemporary pagan religions. They began to consider the cross as their sacred symbol only from the 4th century.

The first Christians did not honor the cross. Moreover, they despised him, looked at him as a pagan symbol, “the mark of the beast.” It was only at the end of the 4th century that churchmen made up a story that Christ appeared in a dream to the Roman Emperor Constantine and ordered him to inscribe an image of a cross on military banners. At the same time, another legend was composed - about how the mother of Emperor Constantine Helen made a pilgrimage to Palestine, found the tomb of Christ there and dug up a wooden cross in the ground on which Christ was supposedly crucified. In honor of this event, a special holiday was established - the erection of the Holy Cross. The cross has become a sacred symbol of the Christian religion.

Both of these legends are, of course, fictitious from beginning to end. Elena could not see the “life-giving” cross, no matter how much she wanted. The fact is that the Romans never used the cross as an instrument of execution. The execution of criminals was carried out in the Roman state on a pillar with a crossbar - in the form of the letter “T”. Moreover, if Elena had really managed to find the cross on which Christ was crucified, then, obviously, all Christian believers would have revered just such a cross as a sacred symbol. But in reality, among Christians you can find crosses of the most various forms: four-pointed, six-pointed, eight-pointed. There is an eleven-pointed and even eighteen-pointed cross. So which one of them was Christ crucified on? Of course, not a single church minister can answer this question, because all their stories about the execution of Jesus Christ, about the discovery of the cross on which Christ was allegedly crucified, are just fiction.

Having officially recognized the cross as a symbol of their religion, Christian church turned it into a symbol of suffering and submission. Referring to the Gospel stories about how Christ, in atonement for human sins, meekly carried the shameful cross on Mount Golgotha, and then was crucified on it, the clergy inspires believers that all their suffering on earth is, in fact, the cross of Christ, which rests on the shoulders of every Christian. And people who believe in God must patiently bear this cross for the sake of salvation in the “other world.” It is not difficult to see that these statements by churchmen have a specific goal - to make people believe in the need for slavish submission to “fate”, to weaken the will of the working people, to force them to come to terms with their situation, to distract them from the struggle for the reconstruction of society, for their happiness on earth.

Thus, having passed through many millennia of human history, an ordinary tool for making fire, which was used by our distant ancestors, became an instrument of spiritual enslavement of believers.

Over the two thousand years of its existence, Christianity has spread across all continents of the Earth, among many peoples with their own cultural traditions and characteristics. It is therefore not surprising that one of the most recognizable characters in the world, the Christian cross has such a variety of shapes, sizes and uses.

In today's material we will try to talk about what types of crosses there are. In particular, you will find out: whether there are “Orthodox” and “Catholic” crosses, whether a Christian can treat a cross with contempt, whether crosses are in the shape of an anchor, why we also venerate a cross in the shape of the letter “X” and much more interesting things.

Cross in the church

First, let's remember why the cross is important to us. The veneration of the cross of the Lord is associated with the atoning sacrifice of the God-man Jesus Christ. Honoring the cross Orthodox Christian pays veneration to God Himself, who became incarnate and suffered on this ancient Roman instrument of execution for our sins. Without the cross and death there would be no redemption, resurrection and ascension, there would be no establishment of the Church in the world and no opportunity to follow the path of salvation for every person.

Since the cross is so revered by believers, they try to see it as often as possible in their lives. Most often, a cross can be seen in a temple: on its domes, on sacred utensils and vestments of clergy, on the chests of priests in the form of special pectoral crosses, in the architecture of the temple, which is often built in the shape of a cross.

Cross behind the church fence

In addition, it is common for a believer to expand his spiritual space to the entire surrounding life. A Christian sanctifies all its elements, first of all, with the sign of the cross.

Therefore, in cemeteries there are crosses over the graves, as a reminder of the future resurrection, on the roads there are worship crosses, sanctifying the path, on the bodies of Christians themselves there are crosses on the body, reminding a person of his high calling to follow the path of the Lord.

Also, the shape of a cross among Christians can often be seen in home iconostases, on rings and other household items.

Pectoral cross

The pectoral cross is a special story. It can be made from a wide variety of materials and have all kinds of sizes and decorations, retaining only its shape.

In Russia, they are accustomed to seeing a pectoral cross in the form of a separate object hanging on a chain or rope on the chest of a believer, but in other cultures there were other traditions. The cross could not be made of anything at all, but applied to the body in the form of a tattoo, so that a Christian could not accidentally lose it and so that it could not be taken away. This is exactly how the Celtic Christians wore the pectoral cross.

It is also interesting that sometimes the Savior is not depicted on the cross, but an icon of the Mother of God or one of the saints is placed on the field of the cross, or even the cross is turned into something like a miniature iconostasis.

About the “Orthodox” and “Catholic” crosses and contempt for the latter

In some modern popular science articles, one can find the statement that an eight-pointed cross with a short upper and oblique short lower additional crossbars is considered “Orthodox”, and a four-pointed cross elongated at the bottom is “Catholic” and the Orthodox supposedly belong or in the past belonged to it with contempt.

This is a statement that does not stand up to criticism. As you know, the Lord was crucified on a four-pointed cross, which, for the above reasons, was revered by the Church as a shrine long before the Catholics fell away from Christian unity, which occurred in the 11th century. How could Christians despise the symbol of their salvation?

In addition, at all times, four-pointed crosses were widely used in churches, and even now on the chest Orthodox clergy You can find several possible forms of the cross - eight-pointed, four-pointed and figured with decorations. Would they really wear some kind of “non-Orthodox cross”? Of course not.

Eight-pointed cross

The eight-pointed cross is most often used in the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches. This form recalls some additional details of the Savior’s death.

An additional short upper crossbar denotes the titlo - the tablet on which Pilate inscribed the guilt of Christ: “Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews.” In some images of the crucifixion, the words are abbreviated to form "INCI" - in Russian or "INRI" - in Latin.

The short oblique lower crossbar, usually depicted with the right edge raised up and the left edge down (relative to the image of the crucified Lord), denotes the so-called “righteous standard” and reminds us of the two thieves crucified on the sides of Christ and their posthumous fate. The right one repented before death and inherited the Kingdom of Heaven, while the left one blasphemed the Savior and ended up in hell.

St. Andrew's Cross

Christians venerate not only a straight cross, but also an oblique four-pointed cross, depicted in the form of the letter “X”. Tradition tells that it was on a cross of this shape that one of the twelve disciples of the Savior, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, was crucified.

The “St. Andrew’s cross” is especially popular in Russia and the Black Sea countries, since it was around the Black Sea that the missionary path of the Apostle Andrew passed. In Russia, the St. Andrew's cross is depicted on the flag of the navy. In addition, the St. Andrew's cross is especially revered by the Scots, who also depicted it on their national flag and believe that the Apostle Andrew preached in their country.

T-cross

This cross was most common in Egypt and other provinces of the Roman Empire in North Africa. Crosses with a horizontal beam superimposed on a vertical post, or with a crossbar nailed just below the top edge of the post, were used to crucify criminals in these places.

Also, the “T-shaped cross” is called the “cross of St. Anthony” in honor of the Venerable Anthony the Great, who lived in the 4th century, one of the founders of monasticism in Egypt, who traveled with a cross of this shape.

Archbishop's and Papal crosses

IN Catholic Church, in addition to the traditional four-pointed cross, crosses with second and third crossbars above the main one are used, reflecting the hierarchical position of the bearer.

A cross with two bars signifies the rank of cardinal or archbishop. This cross is sometimes also called the “patriarchal” or “Lorraine”. The cross with three bars corresponds to the papal dignity and emphasizes high position Roman Pontiff in the Catholic Church.

Lalibela Cross

In Ethiopia, church symbolism uses a four-pointed cross surrounded by a complex pattern, which is called the “Lalibela cross” in honor of the holy Negus (king) of Ethiopia Gebre Meskel Lalibela, who ruled in the 11th century. Negus Lalibela was known for his deep and sincere faith, the help of the Church and the generous creation of alms.

Anchor cross

On the domes of some churches in Russia you can find a cross that stands on a crescent-shaped base. Some mistakenly explain such symbolism as wars in which Russia won Ottoman Empire. Allegedly, “the Christian cross tramples the Muslim crescent.”

This shape is actually called the Anchor Cross. The fact is that already in the very first centuries of the existence of Christianity, when Islam had not even arisen, the Church was called the “ship of salvation”, which delivers a person to the safe haven of the Heavenly Kingdom. The cross was depicted as a reliable anchor on which this ship could wait out the storm of human passions. The image of a cross in the form of an anchor can be found in the ancient Roman catacombs where the first Christians hid.

Celtic cross

Before converting to Christianity, the Celts worshiped various elements, including the eternal luminary - the sun. According to legend, when Saint Patrick enlightened Ireland, he combined the symbol of the cross with the earlier pagan symbol of the sun to show the eternity and importance for each convert of the Savior's sacrifice.

Chrism - a hint of the cross

During the first three centuries, the cross, and especially the Crucifixion, were not depicted openly. The rulers of the Roman Empire began a hunt for Christians and they had to identify each other using not too obvious secret signs.

One of the hidden symbols of Christianity closest to the cross in meaning was “chrism” - a monogram of the name of the Savior, usually made up of the first two letters of the word “Christ”, “X” and “R”.

Sometimes symbols of eternity were added to the “chrism” - the letters “alpha” and “omega” or, as an option, it was made in the form of an St. Andrew’s cross crossed out by a transverse line, that is, in the form of the letters “I” and “X” and could be read as "Jesus Christ".

There are many other varieties of the Christian cross, which are widely used, for example, in the international award system or in heraldry - on the coats of arms and flags of cities and countries.

Andrey Szegeda

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Cross/ … Morphemic-spelling dictionary

Husband. roofs, two strips or two bars, one across the other; two lines crossing one another. The cross can be: straight, oblique (Andreevsky), equal-ended, long, etc. The cross is a symbol of Christianity. According to the difference in confessions, the cross is venerated... ... Dictionary Dahl

Noun, m., used. often Morphology: (no) what? cross, what? cross, (I see) what? cross, what? cross, about what? about the cross; pl. What? crosses, (no) what? crosses, what? crosses, (I see) what? crosses, what? crosses, about what? about crosses 1. The cross is an object... ... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary

A; m. 1. An object in the form of a vertical rod crossed at the upper end by a crossbar at a right angle (or with two crossbars, the upper, straight, and the lower, beveled), as a symbol of belonging to the Christian faith (according to ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

CROSS, cross, man. 1. An object of Christian cult, which is a long vertical rod crossed at the upper end by a crossbar (according to the Gospel tradition, Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross made of two logs). Pectoral cross... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Cross- The cross that appears in a dream should be taken as a warning about an approaching misfortune into which others will involve you. If in a dream you kissed the cross, then you will accept this misfortune with due fortitude. Young woman,… … Large universal dream book

CROSS, ah, husband. 1. A figure of two lines intersecting at right angles. Draw k. Cross your arms (crossed on your chest). 2. A symbol of Christian cult, an object in the form of a narrow long bar with a crossbar at a right angle (or with two... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Books

Cross, Vyacheslav Degtev. The works of Vyacheslav Degtev, a winner of many literary awards, a master of storytelling, recognized as one of the leaders of Russian modern post-realism, are of growing interest. WITH…
Cross, Andrey Kornilov. He is a crime boss who is much more honest than the sold-out defenders of the law. He is Vlad Kedrov, nicknamed CROSS. The hunt is on for him - dirty and merciless. His loved ones are being threatened. His…