Armenian Cross

Armenian cross

An Armenian cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a floral postament or elements. The cross of Armenian Christianity is combined with the Christian cross, and this design was often used for high crosses (khachkar) – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated.

Pre-Christian connections

The Armenologist James R. Russell notes that the Armenian Cross incorporates influences from Armenia's Zoroastrian past.^[1] As Zoroastrian traditions were very much integrated into Armenian spiritual and material culture, they survived the zealotry of the Sasanian priest Kartir (fl. 3rd century) and his successors, and were ultimately incorporated into Armenian Christianity.^[1] Russell adds: "The Armenian Cross itself is supported on tongues of flame and has at its center not the body of Christ, but a sunburst".^[1]

Gallery

The Holy Savior khachkar in Haghpat (1273)
An Amenaprkich khachkhar in Etchmiadzin
Amenaprkich khatchkar with two others at the Sourp Nshan Church in downtown Beirut, Lebanon (2001)
A khackhar at the Armenian Catholicossate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon
A khachkar in Sanahin
A modern, Amenaprkich-type, khachkar in Novi Sad, Serbia (1993)
A large 13th-century khachkar at Gandzasar Monastery in Artsakh
The famous double khachkars of the Memorial Bell-Tower of the Dadivank Monastery in Artsakh
Modern khachkar (1999), St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, MA, USA
USVA Headstone Emblem 42

Drawings of Armenian Cross

Armenian inscriptions in Tarsus by Victor Langlois
Inscriptions on the Armenian church in Tarsus by Victor Langlois

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Russell, J. R. (1986). "ARMENIA AND IRAN iii. Armenian Religion". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopaedia Iranica. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 438–444. ISBN 978-0-71009-104-8.

Bibliography

^ Thierry, Jean-Michel (1989). Armenian Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-0625-2.

External links

[Iranica-1] Russell, J. R. (1986). "ARMENIA AND IRAN iii. Armenian Religion". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopaedia Iranica. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 438–444. ISBN 978-0-71009-104-8.

[1]

v t e Crosses
In modern use	Alcoraz Anchored/Saint Clement Anuradhapura Archangels Archiepiscopal Armenian Arrow/Barby Balkenkreuz Bolnisi Bottony Branch Bulgarian Burgundy Byzantine Calvary Camargue Canterbury Catherine wheel Celtic Variant Cercelée Coptic Cossack Crosslet Fitchy Crucifix Cruciform halo Double Ethiopian Evangelists Fleury Fitchy Forked Fourchy Fylfot Globus cruciger Archbishop's variant Gnostic Grapevine/Saint Nino Greek Greek Orthodox Huguenot Iron Jeremiah Jerusalem/Crusaders Jerusalem (Kingdom) Latin/Roman Macedonian Maltese Marada Marian Maronite Moline Nordic Novgorod Occitan Order of Christ Papal Patonce Pattée Fitchée Patriarchal Pommy Portate/Saint Gilbert Potent Quadrate Resistance Ringed Russian Russian Orthodox Salem Saltire/Saint Andrew Saint Chad Saint David Saint Florian Saint George Saint James/Santiago Saint John Saint Patrick Saint Peter Saint Philip Saint Piran Saint Thomas Serbian Serbian Orthodox Short Sword Syriac (Eastern) Syriac (Western) Tau/Saint Anthony
Historical	Avellane Aviz Black Blanc croix rouge Brigid Carolingian Chouan Consecration Coptic Coptic (Early) Cross cramponnée Crown Cuthbert's pectoral Engrailed Erminée Gammadion Jewelled Katanga Lazarus Lorraine Neith Nestorian Peñalba Pierced Quarterly Saint Alban Saint Julian Templar Teutonic Order Two-barred Victory Voided
By function	Altar Blessing Conciliation Heraldry Nordic Pisan High Market Mercat Memorial Mission Necklace Pectoral Plague Preaching Processional Lalibela Rood/Triumphal cross Summit Wayside
Christograms, Chrismons	Chi Rho IX monogram Labarum Signum manus Staurogram/Monogrammatic/Tau Rho
See also	Ankh Armenian eternity sign Ichthys Irminsul Kolovrat Lauburu Mjölnir Rose Rota Solomon's knot Scientology Shamrock Shield of the Trinity Sunwheel swastika Sun Swastika Triskelion/Triskele Descriptions in antiquity of the execution cross List of tallest crosses in the world
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