It is no coincidence that the cross is called the sign of signs. Representing two intersecting lines, it has served as a primarily religious symbol in almost all cultures of the world since ancient times. Nowadays, the symbol of the cross is used by many movements, organizations and informal associations of people. Many of them are applied to the surface as a sign of belonging to a particular society or adherence to certain views.
Ancient crosses
Cross Ankh (crus ansata)
One of the main symbols of the ancient Egyptians is a cross with a handle. The circle on top represents eternity, the cross below it represents eternal life. Ankh also unites the masculine and feminine principles, the unification of the heavenly and earthly. In the hieroglyphs of the ancient Egyptians, this sign meant “life” and was part of the word “happiness.” By depicting this symbol, the Egyptians believed that it was the key that could open the gates of death. Nowadays, hippies have borrowed this symbol as a sign of peace and truth and use it in their symbolism.
Tau is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, so in biblical times this letter came to mean the end of the world. The Israelis depicted it above the entrance doors to the temple. The Cross of Tau served as the sign of Cain, a sign of salvation for the Israelites who stood at the door to protect their homes when the angel of Death passed through Egypt. The Cross of Tau is also known as the Cross of St. Anthony - one of the most revered Christian saints.
In Scandinavian mythology, Thor, the god of war and thunder, held a hammer in his hands that resembled a T-shaped cross, which symbolized hurricanes, rain and lightning.
In Tau America the cross expressed liberation from physical suffering and in both parts of the world it was a sign of resurrection. Those who attach great importance to symbols and signs believe that an amulet with the image of a Tau cross or an image made in the form of an airbrush helps to start a new life, is a companion to a series of successes and victories in life, gives joy and stability both spiritually and material world.
Cross with curved ends. one of the oldest and most controversial symbols of human civilization. The name comes from the Sanskrit words "su" ("good") and "asti" ("being") and means "prosperity", "happiness". Used as a wish for good luck. In ancient times, the swastika was a symbol of fertility and the revival of life, unity with nature. The four ends of the rotating cross are wind, rain, fire and lightning. Many peoples had two types of swastikas: male and female. In women's - "left", "straight" - the ends are turned against the direction of the sun. For men, the “right” one is in the direction of the sun.
Among the ancient Slavs, Kolovrat served as an analogue of the swastika as a symbol of the Sun, turning day into night and changing the seasons.
For the Japanese, the swastika symbolizes long life; in China, it represents immortality and infinity. The left swastika is also a sacred symbol of Buddhism, signifying perfection. The vertical part of the cross shows the connection between earth and sky, the horizontal part shows the yin-yang relationship.
In the 20th century, Nazi Germany adopted the symbol of the “right-wing” swastika. In Hitler's mind, it symbolized the “struggle for the triumph of the Aryan race.” With the help of this symbol, personifying luck and masculinity, Hitler wanted to establish world domination. To this we can only add that in India the “right” swastika, sometimes called “sauvastika,” means night and black magic, as well as the god Kali, the “black god” who brings death and destruction.
Nowadays, the swastika is firmly rooted in people's minds as a symbol of the Nazi movement.
Basic crosses of the Christian faith
In the Christian religion there are two types of crosses: Latin and Greek.
Greek cross (crux quadrata)
This form of the cross - all four ends are equal - was traditional for Byzantium. This is where the name came from - Greek. The four ends of the cross meant in pre-Christian Byzantium the four components of the world: air, earth, fire, water. With the advent of Christianity, this cross began to symbolize Christ. In Rus', the Greek cross was called “kite”. He was first brought to Rus' by Prince Vladimir for baptism in Korsun. In churches this cross, placed in a circle, can still be found today.
The Latin cross is a symbol of the Christian religion. The most famous name for this cross is “Crucifixion”, as it often depicts the crucified Christ. Other names: “Long”, “Dagger”, “Obelisk”.
The image of the Latin cross is one of the most common and universal tattoos. Although not everyone who gets such tattoos retains the true connotation of the meaning of the cross, which represents the Christian religion. For some, this image has its own meaning hidden.
With the development of the Christian religion and its advancement to the West, crosses began to change. During the Crusades, soldiers wore distinctive insignia - crusader crosses - as symbols of the Christian faith and holy mission. Later, a warrior’s affiliation with a particular state could be determined by the color of the cross. Italy took the blue color, red – the French, white – the British.
Crosses as symbols of various societies and organizations
Maltese cross
The white eight-pointed cross, consisting of four spearheads connected to each other, became the emblem of the military Order of the Hospitallers*, which carried out the Crusades in the 11th-13th centuries. The Hospitaller headquarters later moved to Malta. This is where the name of the cross came from - Maltese. In modern Britain, the Maltese Cross is the symbol of St. John's Ambulance Brigade and is also depicted on orders conferring knighthood.
* Hospitallers were the monks who founded a hospital in Jerusalem. He received pilgrims who visited Christian shrines.
iron Cross
The Maltese Cross is often confused with the Iron Cross. The Iron Cross was established in Germany in 1813 as the highest military award. In shape it is similar to four paws, which is why this type of cross in heraldic science is called “pate” (“paw”) or “shape”.
The tradition of depicting the Iron Cross on German military equipment as an identification mark began with the First World War. In 1939, by decision of Hitler, the Iron Cross became a pan-German order, which was awarded to Wehrmacht and SS troops for completing three or more particularly difficult tasks.
Currently, Iron Cross is one of the official symbols of the biker movement. The bikers themselves claim that this symbol was adopted from American pilots who, after World War II, wore the awards of Nazi Germany as a sign of protest against the existing American government. Many bikers airbrush their motorcycles with the image of the Iron Cross, thereby emphasizing their belonging to the world of independence and freedom.
Masonic cross
Tau cross - a cross consisting of a vertical crossbar connected at the top end to the center of a horizontal crossbar, also known as the St. Anthony cross. The cross received this name in honor of the founder of Christian monasticism, Anthony the Great, who lived in the 4th century. Other names: gallows cross (due to the similarity of its shape with the design of the gallows of those times), Egyptian cross, crux comissa. The tau cross received its name from the Greek letter “tau” or “T”, which, in turn, takes its origin from the Phoenician “tav”, which has an X-shape.
In the Jewish tradition, the tau cross was applied by the Israelites to doorposts on the night of the first Jewish Passover in Egypt to protect their homes from the Angel of Death (Torah. Book of Exodus. 10th plague). And since the tau enters the ankh, being its lower part, this idea was probably borrowed from the Egyptian custom of marking doorposts with the ankh, as a life-protecting symbol of good fortune.
According to the Old Testament, Moses erected a brass serpent in the wilderness on the tau cross (Numbers 21:5-9). The “Staff of Moses” sculpture, located on Mount Nebo in Jordan, commemorates this event and is shaped like a tau symbol surrounded by a serpent.
The Tau cross also acts as a crucifixion cross. Most researchers believe that it was on such a cross that Jesus Christ was crucified, due to the fact that the tau cross was used for torture and killing in the southern and eastern parts of the Roman Empire. This is directly indicated by the so-called “Epistle of Barnabas” (early 2nd century), and later by Tertullian. The crucifixion in a 3rd century pagan caricature found during excavations of the Palatine Hill in Rome in 1857 is also shaped like the letter "T".
The Tau symbol is known as the cross of St. Anthony in Egypt (early 4th century) and the cross of Francis of Assisi (early 13th century), remaining today one of the attributes of the Franciscan order. Hieronymus Bosch depicts the St. Anthony's Cross on his altar triptych, The Temptation of St. Anthony.
Konrad Witz. Crucifixus. 1444
T-shaped cross "Antonievsky"
In the southern and eastern parts of the Roman Empire, a weapon was used to execute criminals, called since the time of Moses the “Egyptian” cross and resembling the letter “T” in European languages. “The Greek letter T,” wrote Count A. S. Uvarov, “is one of the forms of the cross used for crucifixions” (Christian Symbolism, M., 1908, p. 76)
“The number 300, expressed in Greek through the letter T, has also served since the time of the Apostles to designate the cross,” says the famous liturgist Archimandrite Gabriel. - This Greek letter T is found in the inscription of a 3rd century tomb discovered in the catacombs of St. Callistus. (...) Such an image of the letter T is found on one carnelian engraved in the 2nd century” (Manual of Liturgics, Tver, 1886, p. 344)
Saint Demetrius of Rostov talks about the same thing: “The Greek image, called “Tav”, with which the Angel of the Lord made "mark on the forehead"(Ezek. 9:4) The people of God in Jerusalem, to limit themselves from the impending murder, were seen in revelation by Saint Ezekiel the prophet. (...)
If we apply the title of Christ to this image above in this way, we will immediately see the four-pointed cross of Christ. Consequently, Ezekeel saw there the prototype of a four-pointed cross” (Rozysk, M., 1855, book 2, chapter 24, p. 458).
Tertullian states the same thing: “The Greek letter Tav and our Latin T constitute the real form of the cross, which, according to prophecy, will be depicted on our foreheads in the true Jerusalem.”
“If there is a letter T in Christian monograms, then this letter is located in such a way as to stand out more clearly in front of all the others, since T was considered not only a symbol, but even the very image of the cross. An example of such a monogram is on a sarcophagus of the 3rd century” (Gr. Uvarov, p. 81). According to Church Tradition, Saint Anthony the Great wore the Tau cross on his clothes. Or, for example, Saint Zeno, bishop of the city of Verona, placed a T-shaped cross on the roof of the basilica he built in 362.
Architectural work of Brother E:.
Among the innumerable variety of symbols used by Freemasonry, each one deserves to have a real full-length book written about it, so great is their significance and so ancient and full of the deepest meaning they are. Indeed, the enduring mystery of Masonic symbolism lies, in particular, in the fact that each individual symbol reminds the interpreter of a bizarre Chinese toy: a hollow sphere, inside of which, without separating it, the master creates a second one from the same piece of wood, a third one, and so on almost ad infinitum, that is, until it reaches the core of the tree. Another clear example for comparison is the Russian nesting doll, but here too, separating one doll after another, you eventually get to the smallest one, which can no longer be separated. In relation to the interpretation of the symbol, this smallest, one-piece nesting doll is the truth, but how can one not consider all those layers that we have removed from it to be the truth?
The symbolism of Freemasonry has survived centuries and civilizations, it came from the very depths of centuries (this will be confirmed below) and since then, every new generation, every new people to whom it came, gave it new meanings, saw new hidden meanings in it. Consequently, all the meanings of any symbol are true for us, which only inspires even greater respect for itself.
In this work we will concentrate on only one Masonic symbol, however, well known to the brothers and decorating the cufflinks of many. This symbol is triple Tau. Let's try to unveil several layers of interpretation caused by time, in order to at least to some extent join the secrets of Time and Royal Art.
So, the simplest and most unsophisticated, semi-if not completely profane interpretation of the symbol is to assert that this figure is nothing more than the Latin monogram “TH”, that is, “Templum Hierusalimae”. Indeed, the figure itself allows such a reading.
You can see the Latin "T" and "N" in it. It is quite possible that we owe this interpretation not to the Masonic brothers, but to members of the Dominican brotherhood from among the inquisitors who interrogated the brothers of the Templar Order, the Knights of the Temple, in stone bags after the defeat of the Order during the reign of Francis the Fair. Perhaps this interpretation was invented by them based on the principle of similarity with the name and history of the Order; perhaps it is true that it is true and was simply obtained by torture from one of the brothers. However, in any case, this is only the “top layer”, a superficial interpretation of the ancient symbol.
If you take a closer look at the Triple Tau, it is easy to distinguish three identical figures in it, that is, really three Greek letters Tau, connected by their bases. The symbolism of the letter Tau is rooted in such a deep and ancient history that the mind does not always agree to understand it. Suffice it to say that the Tau letters are carved on the backs of the ancient Indian deities of a civilization whose age scientists determine to be approximately the 5th millennium BC. Tau was one of the first modifications of the comprehensive symbol of the Cross known to Mankind, which, without any doubt, is worth writing about separately. Here it is enough to mention only that the symbol of the cross itself dates back to the most ancient times of mankind and is nothing more than a symbolic image of sticks for making fire, the first deity of people and a symbol of vital warmth and life as such.
In general, in world symbolism there are several varieties of the shape of the cross. This is a simple cross, and the so-called. Orthodox, and Maltese, and Teutonic (containing, by the way, four Tau). But most of all we are currently interested in such forms of the cross as the so-called. Tau cross and Crux Ansata i.e. Cross of Life.
Regarding the Tau cross, we can also remember that it was on it, and not on the classical version of the cross, that the Savior was crucified, for a popular execution in the Roman Empire, according to the testimony of most contemporaries, in particular historians, one of the most popular executions in the empire was namely a crucifix on a pillar with a crossbar. Thus, the Romans turned the ancient symbol of Life (more on which later) into its antipode, an instrument of execution. One can draw a parallel here with Dr. Guillotin and his “savior of humanity.”
But let's return to the history of the symbol. Here is what Manly P. Hall writes on this subject in his Encyclopedic Exposition of Masonic, Hermetic, Kabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolic Philosophy:
" <...>The oak tree is cut down at a certain height (usually several feet), and its upper part is placed on the lower part. The resulting figure was a symbol of the god Hu among the Druids. There is a suspicion that this symbol comes from the arrangement of the horns of a bull or ram, which the Egyptians noticed, and the vertical part was the animal’s muzzle. Sometimes such a cross is called a hammer-shaped cross. In one of the Kabbalistic Masonic legends, Hiram Abif received a hammer in the shape of Tau from his ancestor Tubal Cain. The Tau cross is preserved by modern Freemasons under the symbol of the T-square. This form appears to be the oldest.
The Tau cross was inscribed on the forehead of every participant in the Mysteries of Mithras.<...>The Hermetic Caduceus is a development of the Tau Cross idea.
<...>The second type of cross is represented by the same Tau cross, only topped with a circle or oval. This type was called by the ancients Crux Ansata. It was the key to the Mysteries of antiquity and was probably the source of the later story of St. Peter's golden key to Heaven. In the Egyptian Mysteries the candidate passed through all kinds of real and imaginary dangers, holding the Crux Ansata over his head in order to ward off the forces of evil.<...>The Tau cross is shaped like the seal of Venus, as noted by Richard P. Knight. He says: “A cross in this form is sometimes seen on coins; such coins were found in the temple of Serapis (Serapium), destroyed by order of the Emperor Theodosius and, according to Christian antiquaries, this symbolism meant the future life.”
Augustus le Plognon in his book "The Sacred Mysteries of the Maya and the Gauchs" notes that the Crux Ansata, which he calls the Key to the Nile and the Symbol of Symbols, either in full form or in the form of a simple Tau cross, adorned the chest of statues and bas-reliefs in Palenque, Copan and throughout Central America. He says that the cross has always been associated with water and that in Babylon it was a symbol of water deities, and among the Scandinavians it was a symbol of heaven and immortality, and among the Mayans it was a symbol of rejuvenation and liberation from physical suffering.
Speaking about the association of this symbol with the waters of life, Count Goblet d'Alviella in his book "Migration of Symbols" draws attention to the fact that the ancient Egyptians used the Nilomer instrument, very reminiscent of the Crux Ansata, to measure the water level in the Nile. It was the connection with the Nile that served the reason that this symbolism began to be associated with life, because the fate of the harvest depended entirely on the filling of the Nile with water, which was a matter of life and death. In the papyrus there is an image of the Crux Ansata, located in the mouth of the Egyptian pharaoh during the forgiveness of enemies. the tomb of the pharaohs, which signified the immortality of the soul. The image of the cross is seen on many gods and goddesses, which probably signified their divine favor and life-giving power. The museum in Cairo contains an impressive collection of crosses of many shapes, sizes, designs, which proves that they. were a very common symbol in Ancient Egypt."
If we return to the image of the crucified Nazarene, then here we will find another fact that speaks in favor of the most ancient origin of the symbol we are considering. From time immemorial, humanity has worshiped fire and the sun as the source of fire and eternal, enduring warmth and light. Isn’t it symbolic that the Christian Savior was crucified on the most ancient symbol of fire and life? We believe that it is highly symbolic, and it could not have been otherwise, for Christianity, which emerged from the Essene sects, could not help but absorb the religious experience of generations that had disappeared from the face of the earth long before its appearance.
Further, it should be noted that in Greek mythology, more precisely in the esoteric Pythagorean teaching, the letter “Tau” [T] stood in strict opposition to the letter “Theta” [Θ], and this opposition was not purely literal, i.e. literal, but semantic, semantic. The letter Tau symbolized Life, while Theta symbolized death, the destruction of all things (more about this in M.P. Hall). This is the deep meaning of the Tau symbol and, therefore, the Triple Tau in Masonic mythology. The following is a statement of the views on this subject of Albert Pike, High Commander of the Council of the 33rd and Highest Degree of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the United States of America:
"The Triple Tau in the center of a circle or triangle denotes the Sacred Name and represents the Sacred Triad; the Creative, Preserving and Destroying Forces, as well as the three main lights of Freemasonry. If we add a cross in the shape of Tau, then you get the ancient Egyptian Triple Tau.
A column in the shape of a cross with a circle crowning it was used by the Egyptians to measure the height and intensity of the tide and predict the floods of the Nile. Tau and Triple Tau can be found in many ancient alphabets.
Associated with the Tau or Triple Tau, inscribed in two concentric circles, may be a double cube of perfection or a hewn stone. Crux Ansata can be found on sculptures of Khorsabad, on Nimrodian ivory figurines from the same time when it was under the rule of Assyrian rulers, on cylindrical crafts of the late Assyrian period.
Since the simple Tau represents one God, therefore, without any doubt, the Triple Tau, the origin of which can only be guessed at, was intended to reflect the trinity of the properties of the Deity, as well as the three Masonic columns: Wisdom, Strength and Beauty (Harmony).
The Prophet Ezekiel in the 4th verse of the 9th chapter says: “And the Lord said to him: go through the middle of the city, in the middle of Jerusalem, and make a sign [Tau] on the foreheads of the mourning people, who sigh over all the abominations that are being committed in its midst.” (Hereinafter, quotations are based on the Synodal translation. - Author's note.) This translation of this verse is given by the Latin Vulgate and, possibly, even more ancient texts of the Septuagint.<...>This is... the emblem of Life and Salvation. The Samaritan Tau and the Ethiopian Tawwi are undoubtedly the prototypes of the Greek Tau; and from the works of Tertullian, Origen and St. Jerome we learn that the Hebrew Tav was at first depicted in the form of a cross.
In ancient times, the Tau mark was applied to the body of those who were acquitted by judges during the trial, as a sign of innocence. Military leaders awarded this sign to those who returned unharmed from the battlefield, as a sign of their being under Divine protection.
Among the Druids it was also a sacred symbol. Having cut down some of the branches from the tree, they often left it in the shape of a Tau-shaped cross, protected it in every possible way afterwards and illuminated it with all sorts of ceremonies. On the trunk of the tree they deeply carved the word "Tau", by which they meant the Lord. On the right side of the cross they also carved the word "Hesuls", on the left - "Belen" or "Belenus", and in the middle, on the trunk - the word "Tharamis". This is how they depicted the Holy Trinity.
Without a doubt, the Hindus, Egyptians and Arabs had the highest respect for the sign of the cross thousands of years before the coming of Christ. Everywhere it was a sacred symbol. The Hindus and Celtic Druids often built their temples in the shape of a cross, as the ruins that survive to this day clearly demonstrate, notably the Celtic temple at Classernisse on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Twelve stones are arranged in a circle. On each side: eastern, western and southern - three. In the center was an image of the Deity, and on the north side was a corridor of nineteen stones with another stone at the entrance. The Sky Pagoda at Benares is built in the shape of a cross, as is the underground Druid grotto at New Grange in Ireland.
The statue of Osiris in Rome holds in his hand the same symbol. The statue of Isis from Ceres too, not to mention the catacombs of the Initiates, built with the same figure in the plan and a pyramid above the sanctuary at the intersection.
These crosses were carved on the stones of the Temple of Serapis in Alexandria; Tau-shaped crosses can often be found on the statues of Alabastion and Esna in Egypt. On Egyptian coins, a cross inside a circle was a symbol of the god Nef.
The Crux Ansata was also the distinctive emblem of Osiris, and his scepter ended in such a cross. It was also one of the attributes of Hermes and was revered as a Sacred Hieroglyph, possessing magical power and absolute virtue, which could protect like an amulet.
The Sacred Tau is found in the hands of mummy-like figures between the front paws of the sphinxes in the famous Avenue of the Sphinxes leading from Luxor to Karnak. With the help of the Tau-shaped cross the Kabbalists denoted the number 10, the Perfect number denoting Heaven and the Pythagorean Tetractys, or the unpronounceable name of the Deity. A tau-shaped cross can also be found on the stones in front of the gate of the temple of Amunoth III at Thebes, who reigned around the same time as the Israelites' conquest of Canaan; Egyptian priests wore it at all sacred celebrations.
Tertullian, who, as is known, took initiation in his time, writes that this sign was applied to the forehead of everyone who took part in the sacred mysteries of Mithras.
Since Tau in itself means Life, and if a circle, a symbol of eternity, is added to it, then their combination means Eternal Life.
At the coronations of ancient monarchs, Tau, as a symbol of life and the key to the mysteries, was applied to their lips.
In the Indian Mysteries, a Tau-shaped cross, called there "Tiluk", was applied to the body of the candidate as a sign that he had renounced the world for the sake of the sacrament of the Mysteries.
On the King's Table, found at Nimrod, are inscribed the names of the thirteen Great Gods (among whom are mentioned Jav and Bel); but the capital letter at the beginning of each name is surmounted by a Tau-shaped cross formed by two cuneiform characters.
This cross is depicted on an ancient Phoenician medallion discovered among the ruins of Cynthia, and on the oldest of the ancient Buddhist obelisks near Fern in Ross-shire, on the Buddhist Round Towers in Ireland and on a magnificent obelisk of the same time at Forres in Scotland.
The facade of the temple at Kalabcha in Nubia depicts three dignitaries, each holding a Crux Ansata.
Like the underground Mithraic temple at New Grange in Scotland, the pagodas of Benares and Mathura are designed in the form of a Tau-shaped cross. Majestic Buddhist crosses were erected and still remain in Clonmacnoise, Fingles, Kilcullen in Ireland. Wherever Buddhist monuments are discovered, in India, Ceylon or Ireland, everywhere we see the sign of a Tau-shaped cross, since there is a belief that the Buddha (or the first of the bodhisattvas) was crucified on such a cross.
All the planets known to the Ancients were recognized by the Mystic Cross in combination with solar and lunar symbols: Saturn was indicated by a cross above a crescent; Jupiter - a cross under a crescent; Mars - a cross resting on a circle; Venus - a cross under a circle; Mercury is a cross, above which is a circle, and above it is a crescent."
(Albert Pike "Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasons" Charleston, 5641. Translation by the author.)
Thus, we have looked at some of the interpretations of the oldest Masonic symbol, the Triple Tau. Naturally, our research did not cover even one tenth of the total volume of possible research, but we still hope that it has to some extent brought the brothers closer to realizing the meaning of this ancient symbol and awakened in them a desire to better understand the symbolic basis of the Brotherhood and penetrate into the very depths Masonic symbolism, in order to achieve that degree of perfection that meets the tasks of the Freemasons in their centuries-old construction of the Temple of Truth
Tau cross
Saint Anthony's Cross
The Tau Cross is so named because of its resemblance to the Greek letter "T" (tau). It symbolizes life, the key to sovereignty, the phallus. In Ancient Egypt it was a sign of fertility and life. In biblical times, it was a symbol of protection. The Scandinavians have Thor's hammer. In Christian churches - the cross of St. Anthony (founder of Christian monasticism, 4th century). From the beginning of the 13th century - the emblem of Francis of Assisi. In heraldry this is the Almighty Cross. Also known as the "gibbet cross" because of its resemblance to a gallows, as it was made in ancient times.
Ankh (Egyptian cross)
Ankh - the key to the gates of death
The Ankh is the most significant symbol among the ancient Egyptians, also known as the “handled cross.” This cross combines two symbols: a circle (as a symbol of eternity) and a tau cross suspended from it (as a symbol of life); together they mean immortality, eternal life. The Ankh also represents “the life that will come,” “the time that will come,” hidden wisdom, the key to the secrets of life and knowledge, and the key that opens the gates of death. Perhaps it symbolizes the Tree of Life, as well as the sun rising above the horizon.
Maltese cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross is also called eight-pointed. It symbolizes the four great gods of Assyria: Ra, Anu, Belus and Hea. Emblem of the Knights of the Order of Malta. The white cross of this form on a black background was from the very beginning the emblem of the military and religious order of the Hospitallers (Johannites), who moved their headquarters to Malta (in 1529) - hence the name.
In philately, the Maltese cross was the first postmark, which was used to cancel postal items from 1840 to 1844.
Patriarchal cross
Patriarchal cross
The Patriarchal Cross is used by archbishops and cardinals. It is also called the Catholic cardinal's cross and the double-bar cross. The top crossbar represents a titulus (a board for writing a name), introduced by order of Pontius Pilate. Called the archbishop's cross, it is often found on the coats of arms of archbishops.
This cross is widespread in Greece and is sometimes called the Angevin or Lorraine cross. It is sometimes mistakenly called the Cross of Lorran.
Papal Cross
Papal Cross
The papal cross with three horizontal bars is also known as the triple cross. Used in processions in which the pope participates. The three crossed lines symbolize power and the Tree of Life.
Russian cross
Russian cross (cross of St. Lazarus)
This eight-pointed cross is the cross of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is also called the Eastern cross or the cross of St. Lazarus. Symbol of the Orthodox Church in the Eastern Mediterranean, eastern Europe and Russia.
The upper of the three crossbars is the titulus, where the name was written, as in the patriarchal cross, the lower crossbar is beveled.
Created after the letter of the Greek alphabet Tau, the cross has many names. In ancient Egypt there was a similar hieroglyph “Life”, in Jewish writing it is the sign of Cain or the last 22 letter of the alphabet, in Christianity it is called the St. Anthony’s Cross after one of the founders of monasticism. In world religions, as in mythology, many events are associated with this symbol: it is used in the occult sciences, which is discussed in detail in books on theosophy, and serves as a geometric designation of space in secret societies.
Historical facts, research
In honor of the deity of German-Scandinavian mythology, the symbol was called the Hammer of Thor, or the attribute of the god of thunder. In ancient Egyptian culture there is an Ankh hieroglyph, shaped like a tau cross. It was used to attract good luck to one's home by displaying the symbol above the entrance to the room. The ancient Jews also used it widely, not only as part of their writing, but also as a talisman. According to some sources, it is called the Old Testament cross, which comes from significant events of that time. According to legend, Moses “lifted up the serpent in the wilderness” by placing a copper staff in the shape of the letter T on the mountain.
The use of the sign as an amulet protecting everyday life is imprinted in the Jewish tradition of marking the door frame with a tau cross on the eve of Passover. Thus, the residents proclaimed their desires for the return of the mission, maintaining a calm and dignified life in the monastery. In ancient Greece, this sign was also part of the alphabet; it was often applied to the chest area by participants in Dionysian ceremonial acts to emphasize their belonging to the force of life. In Kabbalah, a mystical movement of a religious nature, Tau was deciphered as “sky” and had its own numerical definition “400”.
Christianity used the symbol in a slightly different sense. It was called the cross of St. Anthony - a symbol of the origin of all things. Based on the texts of the Bible, the Angel of the Apocalypse, to designate people selected by God, painted the sign of the cross on their foreheads. In the Middle Ages, when the concept of the “seven liberal arts” was born, the T-shaped square was adopted as a sacred symbol of Geometry. Of course, the symbol owes its great popularity among religious movements to the biblical scriptures. The Crucifixion of Christ became one of the many forms of the tau cross, the image of which was used by great masters of painting in their creations.
What is hidden behind the symbolic designation of Thor's hammer
The shape of the tau cross, a photo of which is often found on esoteric resources, resembles the letter T - it is a horizontal line that rests on a vertical one. In this case, the symmetry of the sides is maintained. For each type of religion it has its own meaning. For Egyptians it is a symbol of good luck and life. The ancient Jews had a symbol of the expected Messiah and a mystical sign of “heaven” in Kabbalah. In one of the ancient religions, Mithraism, built on the worship of the Indo-Iranian god of friendship and sunlight, the sign was one of the necessary objects of the mysteries. For students of Pythagorean teaching, this is geometric tetraxis, and the famous symbol Caduceus can be one of the shapes of the cross.
Many high-ranking religious figures used the symbol as part of the emblem of their family. In Christianity to this day it is called the seal of Cain, meaning by this the coming of a new era. Experts agree on one thing: this is a powerful symbol that influences not only the life of the owner, but also his circle of close associates. The fact that the sign belongs to artifacts of ancient times only emphasizes this feature. Therefore, in the process of using a sign, it is necessary to correctly characterize the combination of meaning and idea of application.
The sign is understood as the rebirth of energy as a component of an endless life cycle. Tau is also a male phallic symbol. For the wearer of the inverted version, this means turning to one’s inner self, rebirth in spirit. Based on Scandinavian mythology, the hammer and the anvil are the connecting link for the formation of life, therefore Thor’s hammer is a primordially masculine sign, reflecting the strength and unity of the spirit. The main symbolic designation of the tau cross is to understand the natural processes of the union of spirit and body, the divine and human principles. This is the key of the ruler, which gives him the strength to achieve his goals.
Tau cross in the understanding of a talisman or talisman
Regarding the procedure for creating a talisman or ritual symbol, there are several recommendations:
- The choice of material is the basis for everything. White or yellow metal and noble varieties of wood are suitable.
- The badge is best worn around the neck so that it is visible to everyone. In fact, it is not only a symbol of life, but also an attribute of power.
- When creating, it is necessary to take into account the correct symmetrical shapes: a horizontal line must be divided by a vertical line into two equal sections, just like in the letter T.
- The Egyptian hieroglyph Ankh is a symbol of eternal life and fertility, as it is headed by a circle. Thanks to the ancient Jews, the Tau cross, whose meaning is to protect one’s home, carried the power of religion through the centuries. For Christianity, the letter Tau has become the basis of the religion and is associated in the minds of followers as the cross of St. Anthony, the patron saint of monks.
To achieve the maximum effect from wearing it, it is best to personally make a symbol from scrap materials. If this is not possible, purchasing a talisman in a store will not be difficult, because the assortment includes any type of sign: from iron pendants to coins with the image of Tau.
