What is your favorite cross/icon cross/crucifix? You may share your current favorite cross, your all time favorite cross, or you may share both your current favorite and all time favoite cross. Pic made by Fidei My favorites of late are the Sinai Cross and the Canterbury Cross:
I don't believe I have a well-developed sense of aesthetics, but crosses with a circle, or that imply a circle, seem to have an appeal to me. The Canterbury Cross, thus, is one of my favorite visuals, as is the St. Aelfric cross (in my avatar). The non-symmetrical celtic cross is cool in theory but I'm finding I prefer the symmetry of a cross without the long bottom stem. Symbolically, the circle representing the world/creation is a positive idea to me - the Cross is at the centre of the New Creation, and the "location" where our salvation is founded.
The Circle in the Middle East is considered the oldest symbol cor the Lord God because a circle is eternal, and Our Lord is the Eternal God: El-Olam, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ ” (Deuternomy 33:27). El-Olam or Eternal God translTes in Greek as Aloha and Omega, who is Jesus Christ, “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. 15 Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:12-16). I too have come to love circular crosses. My favorite is the Celtic-Elogated, with Canterbury Cross sdcond , with St. Cuthbert cross a closs second: Celtic Elogated St. Cuthbert’s Cross Notice how similiar St. Cuthbert’s cross is fo the Canterbury Cross.
Tht is an interesting variation of the Trinity Cross/Apostle’s Cross/Budded Cross. What does SSC stand for?
Society of the Holy Cross: http://www.sscholycross.com A society formed by Ritualists in the 19th century. That Cross is very like our Processional Cross which I rather like. I live in Cornwall, a strongly Celtic part of Britain where we have several hundred ancient stone Crosses, many of them Celtic Crosses. They can be found next to churches or en route to churches whilst many are wayside Crosses rather like wayside shrines. Some date back to the Celtic Church in Cornwall whilst others are Medieval.
For myself, I like the St. Cuthbert and Celtic Crosses. My home is a mixture as my wife is Byzantine who grew up RC and so there are a mixture of Latin and Eastern crucifixes, as well as standard, Celtic, and Cuthbert crosses scattered throughout. Also, some very neat little icons of Benedict and Scholastica. My wife happens to be a teacher, so so those have special meaning to her.
Fascinating! I adore wayside crosses. There is one of sorts in my village that towers over a garden. It is white and currenrly has the festive robe of purple strewn upon it. I got a St. Cuthbert pectoral cross. I rather enjoy it. I myself love crucifixes, I have some that are Latin and one that is Eastern (two dimensional). Did you know the Canterbury Cross and Cuthbert Cross are actually Byzantine in origin? In fact, the roads on the celtic crosses come from Byzantione designs as seen on the Siroun Cross of the Armenians: Notice the simuliar knots on this Siroun Cross to the design on the Canterbury Cross:
My favorite Crosses are the Celtic and Jerusalem Cross, St. Benedict Crucifix and Celtic style Crucifix. The one used for my profile picture is probably my favorite.
I have fallen in love with the Celtic Crosses. Especially now that I have been educates about the knots, that they come from Byzantiun tradition to represent the road of life, and that Christ is the Way. I have many Jerusalem Crosses from my trips to Yerusalyim (Jerusalem). I love them dearly. I love its symbolism: five wounds of Christ, four gospels, going to four winds of Matthew 24, and more. It is official the cross of Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1095-1187 A.D. I am a crusade history buff, I’ve read Thomas Asbridge, William Tyerman [900 pg book], Thomas F. Madden, Rodney Stark, Jonathan Phillips, Jonathan Harass [Crusades and Byzantium] Johnathan Riley-Smith, Michael Haag [Templars] and Regina Parnoud [Templars: The Knighta of Christ, and The Crusaders]. The Jerusalem Cross is now the symbol of pilgrims of all denominations who have bisited Jerusalem and is an evangelism symbol for missions. Jerusalem Cross Infont of Holy Sepulchere, Jerusalem (not my photo) I have read St. Benedict’s Rule (Penguin Publishers). I tried to preform the prayer vigils of Noone, Sext, Compline, Vespers and etc, but have yet to acxomplish it. P.S. I really like your celtic crucifix.
That's a really cool picture. I'm also a history buff and my real interest started with the Crusades and portraying a knight of the Hospitaller order in a medieval reenactment / living history group.
Huzzah! Deus lo Vult! Deo Volente! I dressed as a Templar at Renfaires. I had the chainmail coif even and Sir Balian de Ibelin’s Sword (Kingdom of Heaven). Those were such fun times, I even ran into Hashasim (Assassina of the Old Man of the Mountain) and there more pip-culture cousins from Assassin’s Creed.