Christian Cross. The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus, is the best-known symbol of Christianity.
It is related to the crucifix and to the more general family of cross symbols, the term cross itself being detached from the original specifically Christian meaning in modern English. The basic forms of the cross are the Latin cross with unequal arms and the Greek cross with equal arms, besides numerous variants, partly with confessional significance, such as the tau cross, the double-barred cross, triple-barred cross, cross-and-crosslets, and many heraldic variants, such as the cross potent, cross pattée, cross moline, cross fleury, etc.
For a few centuries the emblem of Christ was a headless T-shaped Tau cross rather than a Latin cross. Elworthy considered this to originate from pagan druids who made Tau crosses of oak trees stripped of their branches, with two large limbs fastened at the top to represent a man's arm; this was Thau, or god.
Further information: Instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, Early Christian descriptions of the execution cross, Crux simplex, and Tau cross John Pearson, Bishop of Chester wrote in his commentary on the Apostles' Creed that the Greek word stauros originally signified a straight standing Stake, Pale, or Palisador, but that, when other transverse or prominent parts were added in a perfect Cross, it retained still
It is related to the crucifix and to the more general family of cross symbols, the term cross itself being detached from the original specifically Christian meaning in modern English. The basic forms of the cross are the Latin cross with unequal arms and the Greek cross with equal arms, besides numerous variants, partly with confessional significance, such as the tau cross, the double-barred cross, triple-barred cross, cross-and-crosslets, and many heraldic variants, such as the cross potent, cross pattée, cross moline, cross fleury, etc.
For a few centuries the emblem of Christ was a headless T-shaped Tau cross rather than a Latin cross. Elworthy considered this to originate from pagan druids who made Tau crosses of oak trees stripped of their branches, with two large limbs fastened at the top to represent a man's arm; this was Thau, or god.
Further information: Instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, Early Christian descriptions of the execution cross, Crux simplex, and Tau cross John Pearson, Bishop of Chester wrote in his commentary on the Apostles' Creed that the Greek word stauros originally signified a straight standing Stake, Pale, or Palisador, but that, when other transverse or prominent parts were added in a perfect Cross, it retained still
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