Given that its origin lies in the heroic firefighting acts of the Knights, the cross is viewed as a symbol of courage, bravery, strength, and determination. The interesting thing is that the Maltese cross sign is not just used as an emblem for the local firefighters, but also for those in several other parts of the world. It is an international organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid in the form of ambulance services, firefighters, medical staff, and the likes. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta continues using this cross as its symbol to date. It is featured on the Maltese Euro coins, as well as used in the livery of Air Malta, the country’s flagship air transportation service. Needless to say, the Maltese cross is a dominant symbol in Malta. John, the eight corners of the Maltese cross signify their eight special characteristics or ‘beatitudes’ as they are often called. John.įor the modern-day first aiders serving in the Order of St. It is also believed that the eight edges denote the eight languages or rather, refer to the eight medieval nations whose noblemen were a part of the famed Order of St. prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.Īs for the total of eight points on these four V-shaped arms, it is believed that they symbolize the eight obligations or aspirations of the knights.
The four arms of the Maltese cross represent the four Cardinal Values, i.e. Various Meanings of the Maltese Cross Symbol And this is how the emblem which would later be known as the Maltese cross sign came into existence. However, they stylized it slightly so that it would be immediately visible at a glance. They used the Cross of Cavalry to denote the noble cause for which they were fighting. Therefore, to combat this issue, the Knights turned to using the Cross as an identification mark on their armors. The only problem was that the dense smoke made it difficult to identify other Knights, and separate them from the enemy. They had to risk their lives to save their comrades and fellow fighters trapped in the flames. As a result, the Knights found themselves struggling to extinguish ravenous fires. The enemy, Saracens, had created bombs filled with a flammable mixture called naphtha. On the battlefield, these Knights were forced to fight fire – quite literally. John’ or the Knights Hospitallers instead. John’ evolved into a military order, calling themselves the ‘Knights of St. With the passage of time, the monks also started helping the Knights of the Crusades in addition to offering armed escorts to people traveling through the disputed territories. The origin of the Maltese cross can be traced to a group of courageous monks who served at a hospice that was constructed to assist the pilgrims who visited the Holy Land. The cross was associated with the symbol of the Christian warrior, although its overall shape was slightly different than the Maltese cross as we see nowadays (the arrowheads had a relatively wider base than the current Maltese cross symbol). It was originally the symbol of the Republic of Amalfi (located on Italy’s southwest coast). The roots of the Maltese cross symbol lie in the Crusader crosses. The History of the Maltese Cross Symbol – How It Came to Be Used in the Firefighter EmblemĪlthough the use of the Maltese cross was popularized in the 16 th Century during the rule of the Knights Hospitallers, it dates as far back as the early 11 th Century. The symbol is symmetric in shape regardless of whether it is viewed horizontally or vertically. The Maltese cross is usually seen in a combination of black and white, or red and white colors (black or red cross against a white background and vice versa). The Maltese cross sign can be viewed as a fancier version of the renowned Greek cross. The four V-shaped arms are concave quadrilaterals connected with each other at right angles in such a way that the tips pointing outward form a ‘flower-like’ cross with eight-pointed edges. The symbol consists of four arrowheads whose narrow edges are joined together at the base. John of Jerusalem (also known as the Knights of Malta or the Knights Hospitallers) took possession of the island in 1530. It was first introduced to the country more than 400 years ago when the Knights of St. The Maltese cross is a star-like figure that has become a rudimentary element in Malta’s culture and heritage. What is a Maltese Cross ? How Does the Maltese Cross Sign Look? Various Meanings of the Maltese Cross Symbol.The History of the Maltese Cross Symbol – How It Came to Be Used in the Firefighter Emblem.What is a Maltese Cross ? How Does the Maltese Cross Sign Look?.
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