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Crosses
Crosses are an extremely common symbol the world over. Part of this is due to their simplicity; after all, to make a cross you simply place two lines on top of each other.In Christianity, the cross is especially important. As pretty much anyone can tell you, Jesus was executed on a cross. His resurrection three days later both proved His claim to be the Son of God and opened the way to salvation for everyone.
As important as this is, it's still important to remember that crosses are used by other religions and cultures, and it's our duty to respect the beliefs of others.
Since this site is primarily concerned with Christianity, that's the usages we'll be focusing on.
The two lines that make up a cross do have names. The vertical line is known as the stipe and the horizontal line is called the patibulum or crossbeam. Additionally, the four sections of the cross are known as arms or bars.
Below is a table depicting various crosses, along with some information about them. Click the picture for a better view; click the name of the symbol for a tutorial on how to draw it.
 | Latin Cross This is the simplest and most common cross. Since it's commonplace, it represents a number of things including salvation, Christianity and the Passion itself. This cross design is also one of the two basic cross designs that are used to create many other cross designs. |
 | Greek Cross This is another simple cross, and is also used as a base for many crosses. Five of these across an altar is said to represent the injuries that Christ suffered during his crucifixion. |
 | Calvary Cross Sometimes called the Graded Cross, this design is a Latin Cross raised on a pedestal made of three steps, each slightly smaller than the others. Tradition holds that the steps stand for Faith, Hope and Love (see 1st Corinthians 13). Calvary, the location that this cross gets its name from, was the location where Jesus Christ was crucified. |
 | Passion Cross Known by a number of names, including the Pointed Cross, Cross of Suffering and the Cross of Agony, this design reflects Christ's suffering. It's also incorporated into a few other designs related to the Passion. |
 | Cross Crosslet This cross design, made by placing four Latin Crosses in a cross, represents spreading Christianity all over the world (ie, the four cardinal directions). Missionary work is a typical example. |
 | Cross Fitchee It seems designs like this were popular with Crusaders, as the pointed end allowed them to plant a cross anywhere they wanted for a quick pray or devotion. |
 | Budded Cross The buds on the end of this cross bring to mind a flower that hasn't bloomed yet. Likewise, the Budded Cross represents an immature Christian -- that is, someone that's still new to the faith. |
 | Fleuree Cross The buds on this cross have opened, to produce flowers. As with the Budded Cross, represents a Christian -- this time around it's someone that's mature in the faith. |
 | Cross of Triumph This design emphasises the triumph of the Gospel over the entire Earth. |
 | Anchor Cross Jesus Christ is our sure anchor in any storm, and this design takes this idea literally. It was also a popular method for hiding a Christian message of hope during persecution, as Christians saw the cross while non-Christians just saw an anchor. |
 | Tau Cross Named after the letter of the Greek alphabet it resembles, this is the earliest form of the cross. |
 | Patriarchal Cross A slight variant of a Latin cross, this includes an extra bar to represent the inscription that was placed on the cross above Jesus' head. |
 | Maltese Cross This cross made from four spearheads was used by the Hospitallers during the Crusades. |
