What does it mean?
(Puzzle 005)
Heraldic symbol?
Click image to enlarge
Here's another puzzle from our keen-eyed investigator in Sweden. The symbol has a Nordic/Celtic 'feel', but we don't know if it is local to that part of the world or used internationally. In fact, we have no idea at all who designed the symbol, for whom, its age, or anything else.
Hence this page. If you recognize this symbol, please pass on your thoughts through the box below.
This symbol is curious for three reasons:
Christians use the cross as a symbol because Jesus was crucified on one. A crucifixion cross is usually shown with four arms; three short arms and one long lower arm, as we see in the symbol above. This basic form is called a Latin Cross.
The Christian Crusaders adopted the cross symbol as identification mark. To fit on a shield, the lower arm was shortened so that all four arms were equal length. In heraldry, this is known as a Quadrate Cross, and the Greek Cross is an obvious example.
In the symbol above, we see a combination of both the Latin Cross and the Greek Cross. Not unusual, and often designed that way just for geometric convenience. (See the Compostelan Cross for another example.)
We do not know what this symbol is; consequently we don't know if the Latin/Greek combination has any particular meaning or not. If you know, please tell us.
The second item of note is the use of closed 'U' shapes. Many crosses have flayed ends (such as the Maltese Cross) but on this cross the ends are different; rather like church windows or perhaps shields. Our favourite explanation to date (12th June 2008) is from somebody who suggested they may be chalices. If so, do their contents represent grapes, which together with the chalices would make this some sort of Communion Cross? Do you have any alternative idea?
Finally, within each 'U' we see a wheel with eight spokes or flower petals. These are known in heraldry as double quatrefoil. Eight commonly means 'life' in various religions; for example there are eight petals in the Buddhist lotus sutra, and eight beatitudes1 in a Christian context. A baptismal font often has eight sides, so does each 'U' represent a font and is this a Baptism Cross? There are six 'flowers'. Is that significant? If you have an idea, please tell us.
Somebody has suggested this might be based in a 13th or 14th century Scottish design, perhaps a coat of arms, but we have no details about this. Have you seen this in heraldry anywhere?
Another suggestion is that it's a doodle by "someone sitting some place listening to some boring priest and decided to design his or her own version of a cross", little realising that their doodle would be flashed around the world countless times on a web page such as this, taking up people's time in trying to figure out what it means!
Please let us know what you think in the box below.
Enter your ideas in the boxes above, or email info@seiyaku.com if you prefer.
1 : Beatitude: One of the eight sayings at the beginning of Jesus' very first sermon - the Sermon on the Mount. In Latin each saying begins with beatus (blessed) and they are listed in Matthew 5:3-11.
