Cross Tattoo Symbolism
One of the oldest religious symbols of all time, the Cross has been adapted by many as a symbol for their beliefs. Cross symbols are among the oldest on earth and found in every culture. Crosses are almost invariably symbols of the sun, the sky, and the passage of time, and are linked with most solar deities.
There has been widespread use of this sign, including the Swastika form. It has also been interpreted as the mystic representation of lightning or of the god of the tempest, and even the emblem of the Aryan pantheon and the primitive Aryan civilization.
The Ancient Eqyptians connected the Ankg or Crux Ansata with the Cross as a symbolic sign in the hands of the goddess Sekhet and appears as a hieroglyphic sign of life or of the living.
In Christianity, the Cross reminds Christians of God’s act of love and atonement in Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary—”the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The cross also reminds Christians of Jesus’ victory over sin and death, since it is believed that through His death and resurrection He conquered death itself.
The St. Andrew’s Cross came into use during the medieval period as St. Andrew did not feel worthy enough to die on the same typology of cross that christ had died and requested a cross of different shape. The St. Andrew’s cross became the national cross of Scotland, since St. Andrew was the patron saint of Scotland.
In celtic regions of Britain, Scotland and Ireland, many free-standing upright crosses were erected, beginning from the 8th century. The Celtic Cross is a cross with a circle overlying the point where the lines meet. A legend tells how St. Patrick created the first Celtic Cross by drawing a circle over a Latin Cross to incorporate a pagan moon goddess symbol.
March 23 2008 02:03 pm