![]() It is also frequently adorned by the fire department. The person wearing it may try to convey similar messages to the Knights. Nowadays, the symbolism of the Maltese Cross is com only used as an idea for a tattoo. We should also know that these knights had a peculiarity: on the battlefield, they were forced to fight fire. As we might expect, yes, they had a flag with a Maltese cross such as this one as a banner. John" evolved into a military order, calling themselves the "Knights of St. Over time, these monks also began helping the Knights of the and providing armed escorts to people traveling through non-Christian territories. According to some theologians and crusading scholars, the origin of the Maltese cross can be attributed to a group of monks who served in a hospice built to help travelers who came to visit the Holy Land. From its creation, this cross was therefore associated with Christian warriors and knights.Īlthough the Christian cross of the Order of the Knights Templar and that of Malta are different, they have a past, and therefore a meaning, in common. Its roots are actually found in the crosses of the Knights Templar, itself derived from the flag of the Republic of Amalfi (a merchant state located on the southwest coast of Italy). History and Origin of the Cross of MaltaĪlthough the use of the Maltese cross was popularized in the 16th century by the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, it actually dates back to the early 11th century. On the walls of the buildings, the rooms, the jewels: in a short time, the symbol of the Maltese cross was everywhere. In the course of their history, the Hospitallers have settled in Malta and brought their cross with them. Be that as it may, this Christian symbol is no longer limited today to the island of Malta: countries all over the world use it as a decoration to represent courage and honor. The creed offered by the Maltese Cross would therefore be, in a way, the ultimate goal towards which every fighter in Christendom should strive. Others will see there the eight obligations of the knight: honesty, faith, repentance, humility, justice, mercy, benevolence and resilience. Some say that the ends of the cross symbolize the multitude of the lands of origin of the knights who made up the order. Thus the flag of the Maltese cross shows it drawn in red on a white background. About its colors, it is usually represented in black and white, or in red and white. The symbol of the Maltese cross can be considered a more sophisticated version of the famous Greek cross, a model of the Christian cross with four branches of equal length. Its shape is therefore perfectly symmetrical, whether seen horizontally or vertically. These four forms, when put together, form a kind of eight-pointed flower. With its "V's" at the ends, the Maltese cross resembles a kind of star shape. ![]() We can find it, for example, as the logo of the national airline Air Malta, or as a cross on the Maltese Euro.įrom a purely aesthetic point of view, it consists of four arrowheads with the ends joined in one point. Since then, this model of the Catholic cross has been widely associated with Malta. It is this order that governed the Maltese islands between 15. This religious military order of the Middle Ages was the first order of knighthood to be created. We are talking about an ancient symbol that is most often associated with the Knights of the Order of Malta (also known as the Knights Hospitaller, or Knights of St. What is the Symbol of the Maltese Cross ?
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