Routed or Voided Cross

and introducing the Seiyaku Cross

This cross can be viewed either as just the outline - a Voided Cross, or as a solid White Cross.¹

Routed or Voided Cross

Voided Cross

Gamma Cross, often confused with Voided Cross

© Seventh Day Adventists

Sterling silver Passion Cross, which is slightly Pattée and rebated with a budded cross
(Click photo to enlarge)

For Christians, the Voided Cross reminds them that Christ rose from death on the cross to proclaim His victory over sin, death, and the Devil. So there is nothing 'void' about a Christian cross.

'Voided Cross' (French: Croix Vidée) is simply a heraldic term for when only the edge of the cross is traced. For example, a cross shape could be incised or carved in a rock or lump of wood. The background colour or the material around the incision shows the shape of the cross, as seen in the logo of the Seventh Day Adventists.

A Voided Cross can be any shape or form. It could be a cross charged with a smaller cross of the same design, but having the same colour as the background. Only the border of the larger cross is visible. (On this page, the cross shown top-left is a solid black cross overlaid with a slimmer white cross.)

Other terms include Rebated Cross, Recessed Cross, Sunken Cross, Fimbriated Cross (fringed; see also Flaming), Bordered Cross, Clechée Cross and Pierced Cross. (See also the Empty Cross.)

Coticed Cross

In heraldry, when the voided part of a cross is just a border within the cross, it is called a Coticed Cross (French: Coticée). Like most heraldic markings, the border has no particular Christian significance.

Seiyaku Cross

Another example is shown on the left. It's a design we've just made up (hence the name Seiyaku Cross). Despite what you might see, there is no cross there; just an arrangement of some black 1/4 circles, 1/2 circles, 3/4 circles and full circles.

Some common uses

Embossed Cross on wafer

A Holy Communion wafer often features an Incused Cross or Embossed Cross; another form of Voided Cross. They also decorate the front panel of church pulpits and at the ends of church pews, giving rise to the terms Pulpit Cross and Pew Cross.

Voided Cross on gravestone

Protruding Cross on gravestone

Protruding Crosses shaped as a St. Andrew's Cross and a Celtic Cross, baked on some Marks & Spencer Scottish shortbread biscuits. (There were a few more but ... Yummy!)

Voided Crosses are commonly seen on gravestones. It's much easier to carve a cross into a gravestone rather than carve the surrounding stone to create a Protruding Cross.

On this website we are using the same image for both the Voided Cross and the White Cross, although the Voided Cross usually has a heavier border. Whether a cross is termed 'voided' or 'white' depends less on the thickness of the lines, and more on the function or interpretation of the cross; as explained above.