Cross pattée

The word pattée is a French adjective in the feminine form used in its full context as la croix pattée, meaning literally "footed cross", from the noun patte, meaning literally foot, generally that of an animal.Larousse Dictionnaire de la Langue Francaise Lexis, Paris, 1993, p.1356 The cross has four splayed feet, each akin to the foot, for example, of a chalice or candelabrum. In German it is called Tatzenkreuz from Tatze, foot, paw. Planché provides a dubious suggestion that the term comes from the Latin verb pateo, to lie open, be spread. He states it to be discernible on the standard of King Stephen (1135–1154).Planché, J.R. [https://books.google.com/books?id=SFcBAAAAQAAJ The Pursuivant of Arms; or Heraldry Founded upon Facts]. London, 1859, p.29

Several variants exist as follows:

Many crowns worn by monarchs have jewelled crosses pattées mounted atop the band. Most crowns possess at least four such crosses, from which the half arches rise. Some crowns are designed so that the half-arches can be detached, allowing the circlet to be worn separately on occasion.

A cross pattée is particularly associated with crowns in Christian countries. It is often heavily jewelled, with diamonds and precious stones. The Koh-i-Noor diamond is set in a cross pattée on the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The British Imperial State Crown has a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis. A cross pattée on the Imperial State Crown holds the Black Prince's Ruby. The cross pattée also features in many of the other British Crowns including the St Edward's Crown, used for coronations, and the Imperial Crown of India created for George V as Emperor of India to wear at the Delhi Durbar of 1911.

This cross is often associated with the Crusades. The heraldic cross pattée was sometimes used by the Teutonic Knights, a Crusader order, though their more usual emblem was a plain straight black cross on white field.{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}}.

File:Crux Ordis Teutonicorum.svg|Emblem of the Teutonic Order

In 1813, King Frederick William III of Prussia established the Iron Cross as a decoration for military valor, and it remained in use, in various forms, by Prussia and later Germany until 1945. A stylized version of the Iron Cross is used to date by the German military (Bundeswehr) as its symbol of nationality, and is found on vehicles, aircraft and publications.

Prussian and Imperial German Landwehr and Landsturm troops used a Cross Pattée cap badge to distinguish them from regular army troops. A stylized version of the Cross Pattée is used by the modern German military as its symbol of nationality, and is found on vehicles, aircraft and publications, with no border of any kind at the ends of each arm (as was the case with the Balkenkreuz used on German aircraft in 1918-1945).

File:EK II 1914.jpg|German Iron Cross, World War I

File:Bundeswehr Kreuz.svg|Modern Bundeswehr emblem

The cross pattée is adopted in several municipal coats of arms of Belarus.

File:Coat of Arms of Kličaŭ, Belarus.svg|Coat of arms of Klichaw

File:Coat of Arms of Kruhłaje, Belarus.png|Coat of arms of Kruhlaye

File:Coat of Arms of Kryčaŭ, Belarus.svg|Coat of arms of Krychaw

File:Coat of Arms of Vorsza, Belarus.svg|Coat of arms of Orsha

The cross pattée, a traditional Royal symbol in Canada,Healey, T. (1977). The Symbolism of the Cross in Sacred and Secular Art. Leonardo, 10(4), 289-294. doi:10.2307/1573764 has been incorporated into official national symbols, provincial symbols and the insignia of various national armed forces. The Arms of Canada, numerous provincial coat of arms and the badges of the Canadian Forces feature St Edward's Crown; that displays four cross pattée and four fleur-de-lys, supporting two dipped arches topped by a monde and another cross pattée.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldry.ca/content/arms_badges_royal_arms.php|title=Arms & Badges - Royal Arms of Canada, A Brief History|website=www.heraldry.ca}} Numerous orders, decorations, and medals of Canada are designed with a cross pattée, including the nation's highest civilian honour, the Order of Merit and the Victoria Cross of Canada the highest military honour that is derived from that of the British original Victoria Cross.{{Cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/medals/medals-chart-index.html|title=Canadian Medals Chart|first=National|last=Defence|date=November 2, 2018|website=aem}}

File:Coat of Arms of Canada (1957).png|link=Arms of Canada|Arms of Canada (1957 rendition)

File:Coat of arms of Quebec.svg|link= Coat of arms of Québec|Coat of arms of Québec

File:Canadian Forces emblem.svg|link=Canadian Forces|Badge of the Canadian Forces

File:Order of Merit Dorothy Hodgkin (cropped).jpg|link=Order of Merit|Order of Merit

The cross pattée can be found on coats of arms of various French communes.

File:Blason ville fr Ambacourt (Vosges).svg|Coat of arms of Ambacourt

File:Blason ville fr Damouzy (Ardennes).svg|Coat of arms of Damouzy

File:Blason ville fr Fontaine-lès-Luxeuil 70.svg|Coat of arms of Fontaine-lès-Luxeuil

File:Blason ville fr Fontaines-Saint-Martin (Rhône).svg|Coat of arms of Fontaines-Saint-Martin

File:Blason de la ville de Saint-Gondon (Loiret).svg|Coat of arms of Saint-Gondon

{{Main|Bolnisi cross}}

The Bolnisi cross ({{lang-ka|ბოლნისის ჯვარი}} {{transl|ka|bolnisis ǰvari}}) is a cross symbol, taken from a 5th-century ornament at the Bolnisi Sioni church, which came to be used as one of the oldest national symbol of Georgia. It was used on the flags and coat of arms of the Kingdom of Georgia and the current Republic of Georgia, with its various organizations and administrative divisions.

File:Bolnisi Sioni - Georgian inscription.JPG|Bolnisi Sioni inscriptions. Oldest Georgian inscription that uses the Asomtavruli script, predating the modern Mkhedruli script, inside Georgia.

File:Flag of Georgia.svg|Flag of Georgia

File:Greater coat of arms of Georgia.svg|Coat of arms of Georgia

File:DFG small Emblem green.png|Roundel of the Georgian Defense Forces

File:Bolnisi COA.svg|Coat of arms of the city of Bolnisi

File:Schwarzhäupter 09.jpg|Coat of arms of the Brotherhood of Blackheads shown in the House of the Blackheads, Riga

File:Coat of Arms of Riga small.svg|Coat of arms of Riga

File:LVA Ventspils COA.svg|Coat of arms of Ventspils

{{Main|Flag of Montenegro}}

The Montenegrin cross-flag (Krstaš-barjak) has been used in Montenegro since medieval times to represent the state, and lately its military divisions. Use of this flag was first recorded in 1687.{{cite web|last=Cetinje|first=Official website (English)|title=Symbols|url=http://www.cetinje.me/index.php/en/cetinje-en/the-city-symbols|access-date=18 April 2014}}{{better source needed|date=May 2016}} During the 1990s, it was used as a symbol of Montenegrin independence movement, most notably by the Liberal Alliance of Montenegro. Nowadays, Montenegro's Royal Capital City Cetinje uses krstaš flag as its flag. It is also used as an unofficial alternate Montenegrin flag, as well as by local trademarks and societies related to Montenegro.

File:Flag of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro2.svg|Flag of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro

File:Vucji Do flag.svg|Montenegrin flag used in the Battle of Vučji Do. The Н.I. initials indicate Prince Nicholas I. One of the most important historical Montenegrin flags.

File:Flag_of_Cetinje.svg|Flag of Old Royal Capital Cetinje

File:Niksic Coat-of-Arms.svg|Coat of arms of Nikšić Municipality

File:Roundel_of_Montenegro.svg|Modern Montenegrin Air Force roundel

File:Montenegrin_Police_Special_Counter-Terrorist_Unit_Insignia.png|Montenegrin Police Special Counter-Terrorist Unit Insignia

File:Flag of Montenegrins in Serbia.svg|Flag of Montenegrins of Serbia

File:Řád_knížete_Danila_I.jpg|Order of Prince Danilo I

File:Polish Unknown Soldier.jpg, Warsaw. Behind them, the Virtuti Militari emblem.]]

File:POL województwo podkarpackie COA.svg|Coat of arms of Podkarpackie Voivodeship

File:POL Przemyśl COA.svg|Coat of arms of Przemyśl

File:POL Rzeszów COA.svg|Coat of arms of Rzeszów

File:POL Skierniewice COA.svg|Coat of arms of Skierniewice

{{Clear}}

{{main|Order of Christ Cross}}

The Portuguese heraldry makes a very common use of three variants of the cross pattée, the standard form (also as a variant of the Maltese cross proper, associated with the Knights Hospitaller), the Alisee form (associated with the Knights Templar) and the Order of Christ cross (associated with this order of chivalry and also used as one of the main national symbols of Portugal). These crosses are often present on the arms of the municipalities located in former domains of these orders.

File:PFR1.png|Coat of arms of Paços de Ferreira

File:Coat of arms of Madeira.svg|Coat of arms of Madeira

File:Roundel of Portugal.svg|Roundel of the Portuguese Air Force

File:Portuguese_Football_Federation.svg A Seleção (The Selection)

{{Clear}}

The cross pattée is adopted by Russian Border Service, it is also found on coats of arms of some Russian regions.

File:Russian Federation. Emblem of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service.svg|Emblem of the Border Service

File:Coat of arms of Kaliningrad.svg|Coat of arms of Kaliningrad

File:Coat of arms of Kirov Region.svg|Coat of arms of Kirov Oblast

File:Coat of Arms of Perm Krai.svg|Coat of Arms of Perm Krai

File:Coat of Arms of Borisovka (Belgorod oblast).svg|Coat of arms of Borisovka, Belgorod Oblast

The cross alisée version of the cross pattée, with rounded edges, has been used in Russia since the 19th century. This cross shape was used in the badges of the Narodnoe Opolcheniye, during the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Crimean War as well as the {{ill|Aleksandrovskoe Military School|ru|Александровское военное училище}}.Derevyanko, Kolesnikov. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090609165329/http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2002/2/2002_2_10.php "Awards: Rewarded With A Battle Order", Bratishka, Feb 2002] Although it was not used for decorations before, in the modern-day Russian Federation, the cross alisée was adopted for the Order of Courage,Goncharov, 2010, Award System of the Russian Federation as well as for other emblems such as the logo of the Wagner Group.Samoilov, 2021, [https://www.politnavigator.net/voennyjj-ehkspert-obyasnil-simvoliku-okopnogo-kresta.html "Military Expert Explains the Symbolism of the Trench Cross", Politnavigator]

File:1903-MilitarySymbol-Russia.png|Narodnoe Opolcheniye badge, 1903 version

File:Order of Valour (rus).jpg|Order of Courage

File:Medal "For Bravery" 1st Сlass (Russia).png|{{ill|Medal "For Bravery"|ru|Медаль «За храбрость» (Российская Федерация)}}

File:Life_Saving_Medal.jpg|Medal "For Life Saving"

File:Coat of Arms of El Bierzo.svg|Coat of arms of El Bierzo

File:Coat of Arms of Mondoñedo.svg|Coat of arms of Mondoñedo

File:Escudo de Morcín.svg|Coat of arms of Morcín

File:Escudo de Oviedo.svg|Coat of arms of Oviedo

File:Escut del Priorat.svg|Coat of arms of Priorat

File:Coat of Arms of Sabiñánigo.svg|Coat of arms of Sabiñánigo

File:Coat of Arms of Sitges.svg|Coat of arms of Sitges

File:Coat of Arms of Villafáfila.svg|Coat of arms of Villafáfila

In Sweden, the term "Saint George's Cross" sometimes refers to the cross pattée used by Swedish Freemasons.Nationalencyklopedin, [http://www.ne.se/georgskors "Georgskors"], retrieved 12 August 2010. Swedish. For example, the cross of the Swedish Order of Freemasons was defined by the King of Sweden in 1928 to be a "red St George's cross with triangular arms".

{{Citation

|author = Norrgård, Leif

|title = Frimurarkorset – symbol med dunkelt ursprung

|url = http://issuu.com/svenskafrimurareorden/docs/frimuraren_nummer_1_2009/31

|magazine = Frimuraren

|date = 2009-02-18

|pages = 31–32

|access-date = 3 February 2015

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160818163223/https://image.issuu.com/140530184640-5a4a54d4b88d5d03b80ec1db68b2babe/jpg/page_31.jpg

|archive-date = 2016-08-18

|url-status = live

|publisher = Swedish Order of Freemasons

|id = 1651-35766

|issue = 1

|language = sv

}}.

File:Frimurarflagga.svg|Flag of the Swedish Order of Freemasons

File:Svenska Frimurar Orden vapen.svg|Coat of arms of the Swedish Order of Freemasons

In Ukraine, the "cossack cross" was used historically in banners by cossacks, installed on their graves, and nowadays part of emblems of a number of Ukrainian state bodies connected with security, including the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

File:Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg|link=|Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich (16th-18th century) and Danubian Sich (17th-18th century)

File:Myrhorod polk.svg|link=|Coat of arms of the Myrhorod regiment of the Cossack Hetmanate (1625-1782)

File:Borzna polk.svg|link=|Coat of arms of the Borzna regiment of the Cossack Hetmanate (1648-1649)

File:Ichnia polk.svg|link=|Coat of arms of the Ichnia regiment of the Cossack Hetmanate (1648-1649)

File:Braclav polk.svg|link=|Coat of arms of the Braclav regiment of the Cossack Hetmanate (1648-1667)

File:Kropyvna polk.svg|link=|Coat of arms of the Kropyvna regiment of the Cossack Hetmanate (1649-1658)

File:Zinkiv polk.svg|link=|Coat of arms of the Zinkiv regiment of the Cossack Hetmanate (1671-1782)

File:Bohuslav polk.svg|link=|Coat of arms of the Bohuslav regiment of the Cossack Hetmanate (1685-1712)

File:Alex K Kozaks flags 1651-00.svg|link=|Cossack flags preserved from the time of the Khmelnytsky uprising (1651)

File:Прапор Харківського полку.jpg|link=|flag of the Kharkiv regiment of the Sloboda Cossacks (1651 – 1765)

File:Izyum Regiment per Smolenskyi.svg|link=|flag of the Izium regiment of the Sloboda Cossacks (1688 – 1765)

File:Alex K Chornomorske Kozacke Viysko.svg|link=|Flags and banners of the Black Sea Cossacks: 1) military banner of 1788; 2) banner of 1803, given by Alexander I; 3) kurin badges of 1788, donated by Catherine II)

File:Yakiv Kuxarenko.jpg|link=|Portrait of the Otaman Yakiv Kukharenko featuring Black Sea Cossack banners

File:Emblem of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.svg|Emblem of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

File:General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg|Emblem of the General Staff

File:Emblem of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.svg|Emblem of the Defence Intelligence

File:Emblem of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg|Emblem of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

File:Emblem of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.svg|Emblem of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

File:Emblem of the Ukrainian Navy.svg|Emblem of the Ukrainian Navy

File:Emblem of the Ukrainian Air Force.svg|Emblem of the Ukrainian Air Force

File:Emblem of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.svg|Emblem of the State Border Guard Service

File:Security Service of Ukraine Emblem.svg|Emblem of the Security Service of Ukraine

{{See also|Volhynia}}

File:Alex Volhynia.svg|Coat of arms of the Volhynian Duchy (Principality)

File:Principality of Volyn.png|Coat of arms of Volhynia with the Muscovite Monomakh's Cap

File:POL województwo wołyńskie IRP COA.svg|Volhynian Voivodeship in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

File:Novohrad-Volynskyi coat of arms (1796).gif|Coat of arms of the Russian Volhynian Vice-royalty (Namestnichestvo)

File:COA of Volin gubernia.png|Coat of arms of Volhynian Governorate

File:POL województwo wołyńskie II RP COA.svg|Volhynian Voivodeship in Poland (1920-1939)

File:Coat of Arms of Rivne Oblast.svg|Coat of arms of Rivne Oblast

File:Coat of Arms of Zhytomyr Oblast.svg|Coat of arms of Zhytomyr Oblast

File:POL województwo bracławskie IRP COA.svg|Braclaw Voivodeship

File:Coat of Arms of Vinnytsa Oblast.svg|Vinnytsia Oblast

File:Flag of Poltava Oblast.svg|Flag of Poltava Oblast

File:UKR Mirgorod COA.svg|Myrhorod city

File:Coat of Arms of Poltava Oblast.svg|Poltava Oblast

File:Durham shield.png|Coat of arms of the University of Durham

File:Durham - St Marys arms.png|Coat of arms of St Mary's College, Durham

File:Durham - St Johns arms.png|Coat of arms of St John's College, Durham

File:Durham - Ustinov arms.png|Coat of arms of Ustinov College, Durham

File:College of St Hild, Durham.svg|Coat of arms of the former College of St Hild, Durham

File:College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham.svg|Coat of arms of the College of SS Hild and Bede, Durham

File:John Snow College, Durham.svg|Coat of arms of John Snow College, Durham

File:Arms of South College, Durham.svg|Coat of arms of South College, Durham

File:Southern Cross of Honor presented to Capt. William M. Miller, C.S.A.jpg|Southern Cross of Honor, used to honor Confederate Veterans

{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2008}}

The cross pattée is also placed before the name of the bishop who issues a Catholic imprimatur, and is occasionally found as a map symbol indicating the location of a Christian site.

It appears in the insignia of:

• The Victoria Cross
• The Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
• The Bundeswehr Cross of Honour for Valour
• The Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr
• The Order of St. George
• The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
• The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky
• The Order of the Dannebrog
• The Portuguese Football Federation
• F.C. Paços de Ferreira, a Portuguese football club
• C.F. Os Belenenses, a Lisboeta football club
• Casa Pia A.C., a Portuguese sports association
• Mira Mar SC, a Portuguese football club
• CR Vasco da Gama, a Brazilian sports club
• Vasco da Gama (South Africa), a South African sports club
• Flag of Asturias, a Spanish Principality
• Toulouse FC, a French football club
• The Sir Knight, Geneva Glen Camp's Highest rank in the orders
• The Knights of Columbus, designed in 1883, and called a "cross formée"
• Independent Truck Company, a manufacturer of skating equipment (in the alisée form, with the ends of the arms in the shape of arcs of an enclosing circle)
• The Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps
• Schneider Cams, a speed equipment manufacturer
• Neath RFC, a Welsh rugby club
• The Eaton House Group of Schools
• FC Volyn Lutsk, a Ukrainian football club
• Black Label Society, a heavy metal band
• Flag of the Hispanic People
• The Fifth Corps, a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War from 1862–1865.

Firefighters, especially in the United States, commonly use a version with triangular arms for patches and medals, though the cross pattée and the cross of St. Florian are both commonly mistaken for the Maltese cross. The cross pattée is used on the Marksmanship Badge in the United States Army, and United States Marine Corps.

In Unicode, a Cross pattée character is encoded under the name "Maltese Cross" in the Dingbats range at code point U+2720 (✠).

The character "X" is rendered as a cross pattée in the Microsoft Wingdings font.

• Crosses in heraldry

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Cross pattée}}

{{Christian crosses}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross pattee}}

Category:7th-century establishments in Europe

Category:Christian crosses

Pattee

Category:Frederick William III of Prussia

Category:Knights Templar