Serbian cross
Encyclopedia
The Serbian Cross is a national symbol of Serbia
, part of the Coat of Arms of Serbia
, and the flag of Serbia
. It is composed of a cross symbol with four C-shapes on each of its corners, in use as a national emblem since the 14th century.
The C-shapes are interpreted either as Cyrillic letter C
(/s/), or as "firesteels" (ocilo).
, the Imperial flag of Constantine the Great (r. 306–337). In the 6th century the cross with four fields (with either letters or heraldry), tetragramme, appear on Byzantine coins. The symbol was adopted by the First Crusaders since the first event, People's Crusade
(1096). Michael VIII Palaiologos
(1261–1282) adopted the symbol when he resurrected the Byzantine Empire
, with the initials (letters β) of the imperial motto of the Palaiologos dynasty: King of Kings, Ruling Over Kings (Greek: ). It was used in flags and coins. The symbol appear on the Imperial flag "Divelion" (διβελλιον), a naval war flag, used in front of all other banners, recorded by Pseudo-Kodinos (fl. 1347-1368) wrongly as "a cross with fire-steels" (σταυρον μετα πυρεκβολων), and depicted in the Castilian Conosçimiento de todos los reynos
atlas (ca. 1350). As Alexander Soloviev writes, the use of letters in western heraldry is non existant. In the Middle Ages, both the Greek style, with "closed fire-steels" (β - B), and the Serb syle, with "open fire-steels" (C - S), were used in Serbia.
The four symbols surrounding the cross have thus been interpreted as either letters, or flints or firestones.
. It was possibly derived from a known candle chandellier from the Visoki Dečani. The known Serbian historian Stanoje Stanojević argues that it entered its use in 1345, with Dušan the Mighty's raising to a Serbian Empire
.
The Serbian cross is found in the Korenić-Neorić Armorial
(1595), which shows the coat of arms of Serbia (Svrbiae) as a white cross over a red background, with four firesteels, also depicting the Mrnjavčević noble house with the same design, with inverted colours and the Serbian eagle
in the center of the cross. According to Mavro Orbini
(1607), it was used by King Vukašin (1365-1371) and Tsar Lazar (1371-1389). The Serbian cross then appeared on all Serbian coats of arms, except the Serbian coat of arms dated 1974, with the letters C without the cross.
A modern interpretation is that the four symbols around the cross are Cyrillic letters С
, an acronym of a slogan: "Only Unity Saves the Serbs
" . An alternative is "Saint Sava
- Serbian Patron" .
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, part of the Coat of Arms of Serbia
Coat of arms of Serbia
The coat of arms of Serbia is based the family arms of the former Obrenović dynasty and features the white bicephalic eagle of the Nemanjić dynasty. An ermine cape of the style once worn by kings is featured in the background. The double-headed eagle has been used since Byzantine era, the Serbian...
, and the flag of Serbia
Flag of Serbia
The flag of Serbia is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands, red on the top, blue in the middle and white on the bottom. The same tricolour, in some variations, was the flag of Serbia throughout its history, and is the ethnic flag of the Serbian people.The state flag bears the...
. It is composed of a cross symbol with four C-shapes on each of its corners, in use as a national emblem since the 14th century.
The C-shapes are interpreted either as Cyrillic letter C
C
Ĉ or ĉ is a consonant in Esperanto orthography, representing the sound .Esperanto orthography uses a diacritic for all four of its postalveolar consonants, as do the Latin-based Slavic alphabets...
(/s/), or as "firesteels" (ocilo).
History
Origins
Crosses with firesteels have been used since Roman times, as symbols, but not as coats of arms or emblems. Some historians connect it with the labarumLabarum
The labarum was a vexillum that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" — Chi and Rho . It was used by the Roman emperor Constantine I...
, the Imperial flag of Constantine the Great (r. 306–337). In the 6th century the cross with four fields (with either letters or heraldry), tetragramme, appear on Byzantine coins. The symbol was adopted by the First Crusaders since the first event, People's Crusade
People's Crusade
The People's Crusade is part of the First Crusade and lasted roughly six months from April 1096 to October. It is also known as the Peasants' Crusade or the Paupers' Crusade...
(1096). Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
(1261–1282) adopted the symbol when he resurrected the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, with the initials (letters β) of the imperial motto of the Palaiologos dynasty: King of Kings, Ruling Over Kings (Greek: ). It was used in flags and coins. The symbol appear on the Imperial flag "Divelion" (διβελλιον), a naval war flag, used in front of all other banners, recorded by Pseudo-Kodinos (fl. 1347-1368) wrongly as "a cross with fire-steels" (σταυρον μετα πυρεκβολων), and depicted in the Castilian Conosçimiento de todos los reynos
Libro del Conoscimiento
The Libro del Conoscimiento is an anonymous 14th century Castilian geographical & armorial manual, written in the form of imaginary autobiographical travelogue of a Castilian mendicant friar, as he travels through the entire world, known and fanciful, from the westernmost Atlantic islands,...
atlas (ca. 1350). As Alexander Soloviev writes, the use of letters in western heraldry is non existant. In the Middle Ages, both the Greek style, with "closed fire-steels" (β - B), and the Serb syle, with "open fire-steels" (C - S), were used in Serbia.
The four symbols surrounding the cross have thus been interpreted as either letters, or flints or firestones.
Serbian
Stojan Novaković argues that the recorded use of the Serbian cross, as a national symbol, began in 1397, during the rule of Stefan LazarevićStefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
. It was possibly derived from a known candle chandellier from the Visoki Dečani. The known Serbian historian Stanoje Stanojević argues that it entered its use in 1345, with Dušan the Mighty's raising to a Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
.
The Serbian cross is found in the Korenić-Neorić Armorial
Korenić-Neorić Armorial
The Korenić-Neorić Armorial is a 1595 copy of the lost original of the Ohmućević Armorial commissioned by Petar Ohmućević , a Spanish admiral of Ragusan origin, at some point between 1584 and 1594...
(1595), which shows the coat of arms of Serbia (Svrbiae) as a white cross over a red background, with four firesteels, also depicting the Mrnjavčević noble house with the same design, with inverted colours and the Serbian eagle
Serbian eagle
The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in Serbian heraldry and vexillology; the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the emperor and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and West....
in the center of the cross. According to Mavro Orbini
Mavro Orbini
Mavro Orbin was a writer, ideologue and historian from the Republic of Ragusa...
(1607), it was used by King Vukašin (1365-1371) and Tsar Lazar (1371-1389). The Serbian cross then appeared on all Serbian coats of arms, except the Serbian coat of arms dated 1974, with the letters C without the cross.
A modern interpretation is that the four symbols around the cross are Cyrillic letters С
Es (Cyrillic)
Es is a letter of the Cyrillic alphabet.It commonly represents the voiceless alveolar fricative , like the pronunciation of ⟨s⟩ in "sand".-History:...
, an acronym of a slogan: "Only Unity Saves the Serbs
Only Unity Saves the Serbs
Only Unity Saves the Serbs is an unofficial motto used in Serbia and a popular slogan among Serbs, often used as a rallying call against foreign domination and during times of national crisis....
" . An alternative is "Saint Sava
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
- Serbian Patron" .
Sources
- Atlagić, M. 1997, "The cross with symbols S as heraldic symbols", Baština, no. 8, pp. 149-158.
- Atlagić, M. 2007, "Dečanski polijelej", Baština, no. 22, pp. 245-250.
- Palavestra, A. "O ocilima", Glasnik SHD, June 1998
- Mitja Velikonja, Religious separation and political intolerance in Bosnia-Herzegovina, p. 299; footnote 19. Texas A&M University Press, 2003
See also
- Coat of arms of SerbiaCoat of arms of SerbiaThe coat of arms of Serbia is based the family arms of the former Obrenović dynasty and features the white bicephalic eagle of the Nemanjić dynasty. An ermine cape of the style once worn by kings is featured in the background. The double-headed eagle has been used since Byzantine era, the Serbian...