The Maltese cross has another meaning. The name "Hospitallers of St. John, the knights retained, as well as a black robe with an eight-pointed cross embroidered with white silk - a symbol of chastity and eight knightly virtues.

The symbol of the knights of the Order of Malta was a white eight-pointed cross, the eight ends of which denoted the eight knightly testaments. Now this cross is used by the sanitary brigades of St. John (England). The symbol comes from the coat of arms of the Italian city of Amalfi, the natives of which were the founders of the Jerusalem hospital, which gave rise to the order.

St. Peter's Cross - (also known as an inverted cross) an ordinary Latin cross (depicted in accordance with the Roman Catholic tradition), inverted 180 degrees. The cross is a universal symbol, originating from the most ancient times.

Crucifixion Cross - This form of the cross did not originate with Christianity. The power itself (left sleeve) holds the negative polarity only if and until it is qualified by the positive polarity of divine Love (right sleeve). This is the negative side of Life, where the positive fluctuation of the potential released from the Spirit enters the material manifestation.

Maltese cross (symbol)

The north arm of the cross represents the day side of existence, while the three lower arms represent the night side. The left arm of the Maltese Cross, being the negative arm of the Trinity in form, in itself symbolizes the negative side of Life, where the three lower arms are hung.

At the moment of completion of the complete unification of God and man, the effect of a solar explosion occurs, in which light emanates from a point in the center of the cross. God is in the Truth of All-in-all - not only in principle, but also in practical application! Specifically, to dot the "Yo" and this article was written.

Whether you ride them or build them doesn't really matter. When we start talking about this topic, we mean something more than just a historical look at the Iron and Maltese Crosses. The cross, although it was used and is used in other variations, was most widely used in military decorations.

The essential difference between them also depends on their meaning and place in history. However, before we begin to explore the use of this sign, it is necessary to consider the very concept of the cross. In Christianity, the cross is called to remind of the crucifixion of Christ, and by the fact that it is empty - of His resurrection. Many countries used the cross as the main military decoration and awarded it to those who faithfully served the state.

In 1530, Emperor Charles V placed Malta at the disposal of the Order, from then on called the Order of Malta. It is assumed that the eight ends of the cross represent the eight oaths that the knights of the Order took: 1. Be sincere and sincere 8. The history of the Iron Cross goes back to 1813, when the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III established it for the first time during the war for the liberation of Prussia from Napoleon's troops.

Some of them saddled motorcycles, dressed in black leather, wearing trophy swastikas and iron crosses on it.

By the end of the war, the number of degrees of the Iron Cross had increased to eight. Officially, fascist symbols were removed from the Iron Cross in 1957. But until now, for many, it is associated exclusively with negative emotions. Many of them have never been able to find themselves in a society that has become alien to them.

And now the Iron Cross has taken a new place in history. The colors of the Iron Cross ribbon have also been changed. And other letters (from different languages), given below, were also used by the first Christians as symbols of the cross. In all other cases, the cross is a neutral symbol, often perfectly symmetrical and regularly used in art. The Iron Cross, or Iron Cross, is probably the most famous German award. It was at that time that the Maltese Cross took on the form that is known today - a white cross with eight sharp endings.

The Maltese cross is a symbol that came to us from ancient times, but in this case a number of constructive explanations are needed, since today most people associate the Maltese cross exclusively with the activities of the knightly Order of the Hospitallers. The Order of St. John (Knights of Malta) did use the Maltese cross (the meaning and history of the sign in this context will be presented below), but this symbol originally belonged to Amalfi, an ancient Italian city that was founded around the 4th century AD.

The Maltese cross (the meaning of the symbol has remained unchanged for centuries) is still used as the official coat of arms of the city of Amalfi. But how is this ancient city connected with this symbol and what does the Maltese cross mean, what is the sacred subtext of the ancient sign? The fact is that the Hospitallers (they are also the Ioannites, and officially the Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta Sovereign Military Hospice Order of St. John) originate precisely from Amalfi. Natives of this Italian province stood at the origins of the founding of a chivalric-religious organization, which set itself the goal of protecting and helping pilgrims striving for the Holy Land.

Thus, the Maltese cross, whose significance in a religious context is quite obvious, became a symbol of the Hospitallers. At the same time, it is important to note that in this case the Maltese cross is a rather specific symbol, taking into account not only the shape, but also the color scheme of the image. The Maltese Cross of the Hospitallers is white, and the background on which it is depicted is black (or red). This is the canonical version and any other "version" cannot be called the Maltese Cross.

In 1530, the Hospitallers were "renamed" the Order of Malta, which was recognized by Italy as a sovereign state. At the same time, it should be noted that by the time the Order of Malta appeared (by the way, the oldest religious and knightly formation in Europe), the flag and coat of arms of the organization no longer included the Maltese Cross. Just like the Republic of Malta itself, it chose other symbols as state signs. In other words, as such, the Maltese cross (the meaning of the symbol was probably not always directly related to religion) is fair to refer only to the tradition of the Order of the Hospitallers. This is if we turn to history, because today this symbol is also used, in particular - it can be seen on the coat of arms of the aforementioned city of Amalfi, as well as on the uniform of St. John's Brigades (Armed Forces of the United Kingdom).

Now let's move on to semantics, and this issue is of particular importance at this stage, because today a Maltese cross tattoo or a Maltese cross pendant is not something out of the ordinary. But is it fair to use them in this context? Moreover, most people who use these symbols in everyday life are unlikely to actually imagine what the Maltese cross means, what is the original tradition of this esoteric emblem.

First, consider the "version", which belongs directly to the Order of the Hospitallers. In accordance with the tradition of the order, the eight extremities of the cross represent the eight knightly virtues - truth, faith, justice, mercy, sincerity, patience, sinlessness and humility. It is also worth noting that initially the order included representatives of eight European regions - England, France, Provence, Auvergne, Castile (with Portugal), Aragon, Bavaria and Italy. At the same time, the four "rays" of the Maltese cross are a symbol of the four common Christian virtues (justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude). White color (as already mentioned, the Maltese cross is always white) represents purity of spirit, purity of intentions.

Sometimes the Maltese Cross (we will consider the meaning of the symbol in the esoteric plan below) is also called the Cross of John of Jerusalem, but its other name, the St. color spectrum. At the same time, it is fair to note that the Maltese Cross is directly related to the Russian state. By decree of Paul I, for some time it was part of the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. True, this decree was never signed, and Alexander I, who replaced Paul, immediately returned the coat of arms to its original form. At the same time, Paul is not difficult to understand, because he was a member of the Order of Malta. Moreover, there is a version that the ruler of Russia occupied a rather high position in the order and some relics, ancient order artifacts were transferred to him for storage. How true the story of the artifacts is is a difficult question, but Paul I really was a member of the Order of Malta, this fact is beyond doubt.

Modern esotericism considers the Maltese cross in isolation from Christian doctrine, which, as we have seen, is quite fair, because the symbol did not originally belong to any spiritual and knightly orders, it was used for many centuries (and possibly millennia) before the appearance of such organizations. In this sense, the meaning of the Maltese Cross can be based on the unity of the four primary elements - Fire, Water, Air and Earth. And the “forked” rays of the cross can indicate the duality of the essence of the manifestation of any of the natural elements, because, for example, the same Water can both give life (nourishing plants, animals and people) and take it away (during floods or storms). Duality, which includes the aspect of destruction and the aspect of creation, is characteristic of many cults of antiquity, so there is really nothing surprising in such an interpretation.

In addition, in numerology, the number 8 is the number of “double base”, this is the penultimate step, this is a stop one step before absolute harmony. And in this context, the meaning of the Maltese cross can be considered somewhat differently. It is quite possible that the point of intersection of its four rays represents the person himself, his will, which becomes the very “last step” on the path of spiritual development. One way or another, but this noble symbol left an indelible mark on human history. However, since its true semantics can still only be determined to a relative extent, it is worth saying that getting a Maltese cross tattoo is still stupid. But jewelry (a ring with a similar image or a Maltese cross pendant) is another matter, because in this case we are talking only about decoration, and not about an esoteric emblem. The Maltese cross looks majestic, it inspires respect and even reverence. Probably, there is still some hidden power in him, which we have yet to learn about.

Many of us who ride choppers have repeatedly faced misunderstandings of others. Those same passers-by, and sometimes our family, who saw black crosses on frames, wings, stars. It is sad to realize that not only those around us do not know history well, but we ourselves are often confused in definitions, calling the image of the Iron Cross Maltese and vice versa. Especially to...

• Mikhail October 9, 2008
• 26800
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Many of us who ride choppers have repeatedly faced misunderstandings of others. Those same passers-by, and sometimes our family, who saw black crosses on frames, wings, stars. It is sad to realize that not only those around us do not know history well, but we ourselves are often confused in definitions, calling the image of the Iron Cross Maltese and vice versa. Specifically, to dot the "Yo" and this article was written.

Forget everything you've heard before, the Iron Cross today means you're part of the chopper world. Whether you ride them or build them doesn't really matter. When we start talking about this topic, we mean something more than just a historical look at the Iron and Maltese Crosses.

Religion has played a huge role in wars and conflicts since ancient times, from the Crusades to Vietnam and Iraq. It is not surprising that religious symbols were often used in military decorations of all countries of the world. But it should be noted that only the highest and most noble of the awards contained such symbols. The cross, although it was used and is used in other variations, was most widely used in military decorations.

Of all the military crosses, the most infamous is the German Iron Cross. Because of all the negativity that Adolf Hitler left behind, a shadow also fell on the Iron Cross, which used to personify courage and heroism. And it will take more than one decade for this glorious award to once again become associated with the best qualities of a person.

The Iron Cross is often confused with the Maltese Cross. The shape of each of them actually came from a cross, in heraldry called "Patte" (in French - paw). With all this, the Iron Cross retains the shape of the cross "Patte", and the Maltese Cross has a deep cut in the shape of the Latin letter "V" on each "arm".

The essential difference between them also depends on their meaning and place in history.

Maltese cross

The Maltese Cross is without a doubt a historical symbol. However, before we begin to explore the use of this sign, it is necessary to consider the very concept of the cross.

In Christianity, the cross is called to remind of the crucifixion of Christ, and by the fact that it is empty - of His resurrection. In all other cases, the cross is a neutral symbol, often perfectly symmetrical and regularly used in art. Many countries used the cross as the main military decoration and awarded it to those who faithfully served the state.

The Maltese cross was used by the Knights of the island of Malta, and served to identify the knights themselves and distinguish them from their enemies. The Order of the Knights of Malta, also known as the Knights of Saint John or the Order of the Hospitallers, was a religious stratum of society founded around 1070. The main task of the Order was to help and protect the pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. Constantly participating in campaigns, battles and skirmishes, in 1136 the Knights of Malta completely moved from the religious stratum of society to the military. In 1530, Emperor Charles V placed Malta at the disposal of the Order, from then on called the Order of Malta. It was at that time that the Maltese Cross acquired the form that is known today - a white cross with eight sharp endings.

It is assumed that the eight ends of the cross represent the eight oaths that the knights of the Order took:

1. live the truth
2. Live with faith
3. Repent of sins
4. Prove humility
5. Respect justice
6. be merciful
7. Be sincere and sincere
8. withstand cruelty

And although many countries and organizations around the world use crosses that are similar, and often are copies of the form of the Maltese, one cannot close one's eyes to the fact that it has its own specific role in history and should not be confused with the rest.

Iron Cross

The Iron Cross, or Iron Cross, is probably the most famous German award. The history of the Iron Cross goes back to 1813, when the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III established it for the first time during the war for the liberation of Prussia from Napoleon's troops. It was an order for a certain military company, so it was established twice more: in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, and in 1914 during the First World War. Despite the defeat of Germany in the First World War, the Iron Cross remained a symbol of the military prowess of the German army in the years between the wars. The Iron Cross symbolizes the courage of the old Prussian warriors, the great victories of the Bismarck era and the bravery of the German soldiers of the First World War.

In the first hours after the outbreak of World War II, Adolf Hitler added his political symbols to the Iron Cross. The Iron Cross immediately became the largest and most recognizable military award of the Third Reich. The Iron Cross, which retained its shape as it was created by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, first became a German award (before that it was an exclusively Prussian award), and then acquired a distinctive feature of the Nazi army - a swastika in the center and the year of approval on the lower "hand" cross (1939).

By the way, the swastika was originally (swasti, greeting, good luck) - a cross with curved ends ("rotating"), directed either clockwise (this is the movement of the earth around the sun) or counterclockwise, was a symbol of the movement of life, the Sun, light and well-being.

The colors of the Iron Cross ribbon have also been changed. Black, white, brick red - this is how the tape began to look. The wide red stripe was supposed to evoke the blood that Germany shed in the First World War.

On September 1, 1939, 4 classes of the Iron Cross were established: 2nd class, 1st class, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. By the end of the war, the number of degrees of the Iron Cross had increased to eight.

Officially, fascist symbols were removed from the Iron Cross in 1957. But until now, for many, it is associated exclusively with negative emotions.

In the late forties and early fifties, the crowds of young people who returned to the US after World War II were extremely disappointed with what they found at home. Puritan morals, commercial spirit and the general ostentatious hypocrisy of ordinary Americans somehow did not fit in with the concept of the great American dream, which was defended by former soldiers. Many of them have never been able to find themselves in a society that has become alien to them. Some of them saddled motorcycles, dressed in black leather, wearing trophy swastikas and iron crosses on it. Soon they began to unite in motorcycle clubs, living according to the old, front-line principles they understood. And now the Iron Cross has taken a new place in history. It has become one of the main symbols of customizers around the world. First, ironically inclined motorcyclists - and those who create choppers, and those who just love to ride them. And then the younger brothers - the builders of custom bikes.

The Iron Cross today represents belonging to the world of choppers, to the world of independence and freedom.

It is not customary to wear an Orthodox cross for show; the word pectoral cross even appears in its name. Therefore, if the cross is not a simple decoration for you, but a symbol of faith, you will never wear it over your clothes. For decoration, it is better to wear a second cross - the Maltese one.

This cross also originally shaves its origin from Christianity. Each beam of the cross was divided in two, and as a result, the cross became eight-pointed. It was created on the basis of the coat of arms of the Italian city of Amalfi. It was from this city that the founders of the knightly order of the Hospitallers came out.

The Maltese cross fell in love with many monarchs and aristocrats, so it was included in various coats of arms, became the prototype for orders. For some time, this cross even adorned the full emblem of the Russian Empire, this was during the time of Paul I. The Maltese cross has been preserved since Pavlovian times in the emblems of the suburbs of St. Petersburg - Pavlovsk and Gatchina.

Now this cross, as a symbol, is used by sanitary brigades, various communities and organizations, and there are also orders. In addition to the award and symbolic value, the Maltese cross can be used as an ornament. The most stylish jewelry comes from Chanel, but other brands are not far behind, offering their own options.

Chanel

I chose the most interesting vintage jewelry in the shape of the Maltese cross. Similar products can be found on online auctions, for example, on ebay. This jewelry will be a great addition to a stylish look.

Time and jewelers tirelessly worked on the Maltese Cross, so it changed, acquired different details and elements. Some decorations may seem like a completely different kind of cross, but this is a Maltese cross. For example, the cross in the photo below is made by Tiffany from 18 carat gold.

Tiffany

In some cases, the Maltese Cross looks identical to the iron cross of Nazi Germany (Iron Cross). Although these crosses are different. The Maltese version should have a V-shaped cutout in each beam, thus, 8 beams are obtained, but not everyone makes these cutouts, while they call the decoration Maltese.

The ideology and activities of Nazi Germany left a negative imprint on this cross, which was originally a symbol of faith, valor and heroism. Therefore, when choosing a piece of jewelry similar to the Iron Cross, be prepared to give a lecture on history so that you are not accused of all mortal sins.

In conclusion, it is important to remember, which was created in the image of the Maltese Cross by Emperor Alexander I. This order was awarded to the lower ranks of the army and navy for exploits and valor in wartime. More recently, modern Cossacks were happy to wear St. George's crosses, but recently a new decree on uniforms, insignia and awards was issued for them.

Now we can wear any crosses - and pendants. At the same time, one should not forget about the history of the origin of these symbols, so as not to offend the feelings of believers. And in general, it is important for all of us to know history better ...

The tusk of a musk deer, a fanged deer that lives in Siberia, the Himalayas and Korea, is as unusual as its owner, similar to a mixture of fallow deer and walrus, but at the same time it has the strongest protective power from the evil eye and damage, and also protects the traveler going to long way.

What awaits you in the near future:

Find out what awaits you in the near future with the help of runes.

Maltese cross - a symbol-amulet

The cross, consisting of eight sharp rays, is usually called the Maltese one - this is due to the Order of the Hospitallers, whose members decorated their mantles and armor with similar stars. In fact, the sacred symbol, known to the ancient Babylonians, was simply usurped by European knights.

• They declared that each of the rays represents one of the virtues inherent in the followers of St. John (from mercy to temperance).

The Maltese cross is a symbol of valor, faith, the struggle for justice and sinlessness. The last quality is also indicated by its color - exclusively white, applied over a red or black background. That is why tattoos with an eight-pointed star are not real amulets - when transferring a pattern to human skin, it is impossible to provide the correct color scheme, as well as a verified shape. Another thing is pendants or rings made of metal coated with enamel of the desired shade.

Maltese cross - meaning (interpretation features)

The so-called Maltese cross became known in the world long before the formation of the Order of the Hospitallers. Its numerical symbolism is especially significant. The four main branches, diverging from a single center, represent the four main elements. Each of the branches at the end is divided in two - this indicates the duality of everything that makes up the meaning, the basis of the Universe. Indeed, the same Fire is creation and destruction “in one bottle”, it warms, but it can also destroy. The earth gives life to all things and receives our ashes after death.

• It turns out that the meaning of the symbol "Maltese cross" is the foundation of the foundations, the essence of the universe, the confrontation and the combination of opposites. The eternal circle of life or the solar circle.

It is clear that such a talisman cannot be a simple decoration, a precious trinket - too many powerful forces are intertwined at its base. It is believed that such an amulet gives its owner a reserve supply of strength, the will to win, fearlessness and confidence.

Maltese cross - a symbol-amulet for warriors and sages

The eight-pointed star shines on the coats of arms of many modern states. Sometimes this is associated with Catholicism, although the real essence of the symbol is still different. Thanks to the Hospitallers, the Maltese cross became the personification of military prowess; its features can be seen in the contours of the most honorable state awards. But the sacred meaning is again hidden much deeper.