A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

symbol in the form of a diagonal

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

, like the shape of the letter X in

Roman type In Latin script typography, roman is one of the three main kinds of historical type, alongside blackletter and italic. Roman type was modelled from a European scribal manuscript style of the 15th century, based on the pairing of inscriptional ...

. The word comes from the

Middle French Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from t ...

''sautoir'',

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...

''saltatoria'' ("

stirrup A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a ''stirrup leather''. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a riding animal ( ...

"). From its use as

field sign {{Distinguish, field mark A field sign is an unofficial differencing mark worn on a combatant's clothing to show the difference between friend and foe or a combatant and a civilian. Examples *A tabard in the livery colors of a lord and bearing hi ...

, the saltire came to be used in a number of flags, in the 16th century for

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...

, in the 18th century also as the ensign of the Russian Navy, and for Ireland. Notable 19th-century usage includes some of the flags of the Confederate States of America. It is also used in the flag of Jamaica and on

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

, and as a heraldic charge in

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...

. The term saltirewise or in saltire refers to heraldic charges arranged as a diagonal cross. The

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

may also be

divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the ways that numbers are combined to make new numbers. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. At an elementary level the division of two natural numb ...

per saltire, i.e. diagonally. A warning sign in the shape of a saltire is also used to indicate the point at which a railway line intersects a road at a level crossing.

Heraldry and vexillology

The saltire is important both in

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

, being found in many coats of arms, and in vexillology, being found as the dominant feature of multiple flags. Ötingen ZW

The saltire is one of the so-called ordinaries, geometric

charges Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

that span throughout (from edge to edge of) the shield. As suggested by the name ''saltire'' ("stirrup"; in French: '' sautoir'', in German: '' Schragen''), the ordinary in its early use was not intended as representing a Christian cross symbol. The association with

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

is a development of the 15th to 16th centuries. The Cross of Burgundy emblem originates in the 15th century, as a field sign, and as the Saint Andrew's Cross of

was used in flags or banners (but not in coats of arms) from the 16th century, and used as naval ensign during the

Age of Sail The Age of Sail is a period that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid- 15th) to the mid- 19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the introduction of naval ...

. When two or more saltires appear, they are usually blazoned as

couped The heads of humans and other animals are frequently occurring charges in heraldry. The blazon, or heraldic description, usually states whether an animal's head is couped (as if cut off cleanly at the neck), erased (as if forcibly ripped from t ...

(cut off). For example, contrast the single saltire in the arms granted to G. M. W. Anderson—with the three ''saltires couped'' in the coat of Kemble Greenwood.

Diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

forms include the ''fillet saltire'', usually considered half or less the width of the saltire, and the ''saltorel'', a narrow or couped saltire. A field ''(party) per saltire'' is divided into four areas by a saltire-shaped "cut". If two

tinctures A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

are specified, the first refers to the areas above (in chief) and below (in base) the crossing, and the second refers to the ones on either side (in the flanks). Otherwise, each of the four divisions may be blazoned separately. The phrase ''in saltire'' or ''saltirewise'' is used in two ways: # Two long narrow charges "in saltire" are placed to cross each other diagonally. Common forms include the crossed

keys Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

found in the arms of many entities associated with Saint Peter and paired arrows. # When five or more compact charges are "in saltire", they are arranged with one in the center and the others along the arms of an invisible saltire. Division of the field ''per saltire'' was notably used by the Aragonese kings of Sicily beginning in the 14th century ( Frederick the Simple), showing the

pales of Aragon The so-called Bars of Aragon, Royal sign of Aragon, Royal arms of Aragon, Four Bars, Red Bars or Coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon, which bear four red pallets on gold background, depicts the familiar coat of the Kings of Aragon." Léon Jéqu ...

and the "Hohenstaufen" eagle (argent an eagle sable).

Scotland

The Flag of Scotland, called ''The Saltire'' or ''Saint Andrew's Cross'', is a blue field with a white saltire. According to tradition, it represents

, who is supposed to have been crucified on a cross of that form (called a ''crux decussata'') at

Patras ) , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 = , demographics1_info2 = , timezone1 = EET , utc_offset1 = +2 , ...

, Greece. The Saint Andrew's Cross was worn as a badge on hats in Scotland, on the day of the feast of Saint Andrew. In the politics of Scotland, both the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...

and Scottish Conservative Party use stylised saltires as their party logos, deriving from the flag of Scotland. Prior to the Union the Royal Scots Navy used a red ensign incorporating the St Andrew's Cross; this ensign is now sometimes flown as part of an unofficial civil ensign in

Scottish waters The Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999 is a statutory instrument of the United Kingdom government, defining the boundaries of internal waters, territorial sea, and Exclusive economic zone, British Fishing Limits adjacent to Scotland. ...

. With its colours exchanged (and a lighter blue), the same design forms part of the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

and flag of Nova Scotia (whose name means "New Scotland").

Cross of Burgundy

The Cross of Burgundy, a form of the Saint Andrew's Cross, is used in numerous flags across Europe and the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. It was first used in the 15th century as an emblem by the Valois Dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy of Burgundy, forming a large part of eastern France and the Low Countries, was inherited by the House of Habsburg on the extinction of the Valois ducal line. The emblem was therefore assumed by the monarchs of Spain as a consequence of the Habsburgs bringing together, in the early 16th century, their Burgundian inheritance with the other extensive possessions they inherited throughout Europe and the

, including the crowns of Castile and

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

. As a result, the Cross of Burgundy has appeared in a wide variety of flags connected with territories formerly part of the Burgundian or Habsburg inheritance. Examples of such diversity include the Spanish naval ensign (1506-1701), the flag of

Carlism Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – ...

(a nineteenth century Spanish conservative movement), the flag of the Dutch capital of Amsterdam and municipality of

Eijsden Eijsden (; li, Èèsjde ) is a village situated in the very south of the European country the Netherlands. It is located in the southwestern part of the province of Limburg. Until 1 January 2011, Eijsden was the main village in a municipality ...

, the flag of Chuquisaca in Bolivia and the flags of the US states of Florida and Alabama.

Gascony

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

has not had any institutional unity since the 11th century, hence several flags are currently used in the territory. Legend says that this flag appeared in the time of Pope Clement III to gather the Gascons during the Third Crusade (12th century). That flag, sometimes called "Union Gascona" (Gascon Union), contains the St Andrew's cross, the patron saint of Bordeaux and the red color of

English kingdom The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, ...

, which reigned over

from 12th to mid-15th century. In Tome 14 of the

Grande Encyclopédie Grande means "large" or "great" in many of the Romance languages. It may also refer to: Places *Grande, Germany, a municipality in Germany *Grande Communications, a telecommunications firm based in Texas *Grande-Rivière (disambiguation) *Arroio ...

, published in France between 1886 and 1902 by

Henri Lamirault Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the 'List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.'' * Henri I de Montm ...

, it says That saltire is also represented in the pattern of some in many bullrings in Gascony.

Maritime flags

The naval ensign of the

Imperial Russian The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The ...

(1696–1917) and Russian navies (1991–present) is a blue saltire on a white field. The international maritime signal flag for ''M'' is a white saltire on a blue background, and indicates a stopped vessel. A red saltire on a white background denotes the letter ''V'' and the message "I require assistance".

Others

The flags of the Colombian archipelago of San Andrés and Providencia and the Spanish island of Tenerife also use a white saltire on a blue field. The Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and

Fortaleza Fortaleza (, locally , Portuguese for ''Fortress'') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Metropolitan mesoregion of Fortaleza and microregion of Fortaleza. It is Brazil's 5th largest city and the t ...

also use a blue saltire on a white field, with their coats-of-arms at the hub. Saltires are also seen in several other flags, including the flags of

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

, Jamaica, Alabama, Florida, Jersey, Logroño,

Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória (b ...

, Amsterdam,

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

, Katwijk,

Potchefstroom Potchefstroom (, colloquially known as Potch) is an academic city in the North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstroom is on the Mooi Rivier (Afrikaans for "pretty river" ...

, The Bierzo and Valdivia, as well as the former Indian

princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...

s of Khairpur,

Rajkot Rajkot () is the fourth-largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat, and is in the centre of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Rajkot is the 35th-largest metropolitan area in India, with a population of ...

and Jaora. The design is also part of the Confederate Battle Flag and Naval Jack used during the American Civil War (see Flags of the Confederate States of America). Arthur L. Rogers, designer of the final version of the Confederate National flag, claimed that it was based on the saltire of Scotland. The saltire is used on modern-day Southern U.S. state flags to honour the former Confederacy.

Christian symbol

Anne Roes (1937) identifies a design consisting of two crossing diagonal lines in a rectangle, sometimes with four dots or balls in the four quarters, as an emblem or ''vexillum'' (standard) of Persepolis during the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC. Roes also finds the design in

Argive vase painting Argive vase painting was a regional style of Greek Geometric vase painting from the city of Argos. Besides Athens, Argos was one of the centres of Geometric vase painting. Argive potters followed influences especially from Attic vase painting, u ...

, and still earlier in button seals of the Iranian Chalcolithic. Roes also notes the occurrence of a very similar if not identical ''vexillum'' which repeatedly occurs in

Gaulish coin Celtic coinage was minted by the Celts from the late 4th century BC to the mid 1st century AD. Celtic coins were influenced by trade with and the supply of mercenaries to the Greeks, and initially copied Greek designs, especially Macedonian coi ...

s of c. the 2nd to 1st century BC, in a recurring design where it is held by a charioteer in front of his human-headed horse. A large number of coins of this type (118 out of 152 items) forms part of the Les Sablons hoard of the 1st century BC, discovered in

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...

between 1991 and 1997, associated with the

Cenomani The Gaulish name Cenomani can refer to: * Aulerci Cenomani, an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling around modern Le Mans * Cenomani (Cisalpine Gaul) The Cenomani (Greek: , Strabo, Ptol.; , Polyb.), was an ancient tribe of the Cisalpine Gauls, who ...

. The same design is found on coins of Christian Roman emperors of the 4th to 5th centuries ( Constantius II, Valentinian,

Jovian Jovian is the adjectival form of Jupiter and may refer to: * Jovian (emperor) (Flavius Iovianus Augustus), Roman emperor (363–364 AD) * Jovians and Herculians, Roman imperial guard corps * Jovian (lemur), a Coquerel's sifaka known for ''Zoboomafo ...

, Gratianus, Valens, Arcadius,

Constantine III Constantine III may refer to: * Constantine III (Western Roman Emperor), self-proclaimed western Roman Emperor 407–411 * Heraclius Constantine, Byzantine Emperor in 641 * Constans II, Byzantine emperor 641–668, sometimes referred to under this ...

, Jovinus, Theodosius I,

Eugenius Eugenius (died 6 September 394) was a usurper in the Western Roman Empire (392–394) against Emperor Theodosius I. While Christian himself, Eugenius capitalized on the discontent in the West caused by Theodosius' religious policies targeting p ...

and Theodosius II). The letter Χ (Chi) was from an early time used as a symbol for Christ (unrelated to the Christian cross symbol, which at the time was given a

T-shape Many shapes have metaphorical names, i.e., their names are metaphors: these shapes are named after a most common object that has it. For example, "U-shape" is a shape that resembles the letter U, a bell-shaped curve has the shape of the vertical ...

). The ''vexillum'' on imperial coins from the 4th century was sometimes shown as the

Labarum The labarum ( el, λάβαρον) was a ''vexillum'' (military standard) that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, a christogram formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" ( el, ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, or Χριστός) – ''Chi'' (χ ...

, surmounted by or displaying the Chi-Rho monogram rather than just the ''crux decussata''. The emblem of the ''crux decussata'' in a rectangle, sometimes with four dots or balls, re-appears in coins the Byzantine Empire, in the 9th to 10th centuries. Roes suggested that early Christians endorsed its solar symbolism as appropriate to Christ. File:Alerque Cénoman statère.jpg, Gold stater of the

, on the reverse an androcephalous horse led by a charioteer extending a ''vexillum'' in front of it, riding over a fallen enemy. File:INC-3061-r Солид. Феодосий I Великий. Ок. 393—395 гг. (реверс).png, Coin of Theodosius I (393–395), with a ''vexillum'' displaying a ''crux decussata'' File:Tesoretto di sovana 070 solido di teodosio II (425-429), zecca di costantinopoli Θ (theta).JPG, Coin of Theodosius II (425–429), showing the emperor with

globus cruciger The ''globus cruciger'' ( for, , Latin, cross-bearing orb), also known as "the orb and cross", is an orb surmounted by a cross. It has been a Christian symbol of authority since the Middle Ages, used on coins, in iconography, and with a sceptre ...

and with the same ''vexillum'' The association with

develops in the late medieval period. The tradition according to which this saint was crucified on a decussate cross is not found in early hagiography. Depictions of Saint Andrew being crucified in this manner first appear in the 10th century, but do not become standard before the 17th century. Reference to the saltire as "St Andrew's Cross" is made by the Parliament of Scotland (where Andrew had been adopted as patron saint) in 1385, in a decree to the effect that every Scottish and French soldier (fighting against the English under Richard II) "shall have a sign before and behind, namely a white St. Andrew's Cross". File:St Andrew crucified on a diagonal cross.jpg, Saint Andrew martyred on a decussate cross (miniature from an East Anglian missal, c. 1320) File:Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Taler 1688, Clausthal, CNG.jpg, Saint Andrew holding his cross on a '' Taler'' of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1688)

Other

The diagonal cross (decussate cross) or X mark is called "saltire" in heraldic and vexillological contexts. A black diagonal cross was used in an old European Union standard as the hazard symbol for irritants (Xi) or harmful chemicals (Xn). It indicated a hazard less severe than skull and crossbones, used for

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

s, or the corrosive sign. The

Maria Theresa thaler The Maria Theresa thaler (MTT) is a silver bullion coin and a type of Conventionsthaler that has been used in world trade continuously since it was first minted in 1741. It is named after Maria Theresa who ruled Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia fr ...

has a Roman numeral ten to symbolize the 1750 debasement of the coinage, from 9 to 10 thalers to the Vienna mark (a weight of silver). A diagonal cross known as " crossbuck" is used as the conventional road sign used to indicate the point at which a railway line intersects a road at a level crossing, called a in this context. A white diagonal cross on a blue background (or black on yellow for temporary signs) is displayed in UK railway signalling as a "cancelling indicator" for the Automatic Warning System (AWS), informing the driver that the received warning can be disregarded. In Cameroon, a red "X" placed on illegally constructed buildings scheduled for demolition is occasionally referred to as a "St Andrew's Cross". It is usually accompanied by the letters "A.D." ("à détruire"—French for "to be demolished") and a date or deadline. During a campaign of urban renewal by the Yaoundé Urban Council in Cameroon, the cross was popularly referred to as "Tsimi's Cross" after the Government Delegate to the council, Gilbert Tsimi Evouna. In traditional timber framing a pair of crossing braces is sometimes called a saltire or a St. Andrew's Cross. Half-timbering, particularly in France and Germany, has patterns of framing members forming many different symbols known as ornamental bracing. Unicode encoded various decussate crosses under the name of saltire, they are , , , , , , and .

Gallery

Coats of arms

File:Neville.svg, Gules a saltire argent ( Neville) File:St Albans COA.svg, Azure a saltire or (

Saint Alban's Cross The Saint Alban's Cross is a yellow saltire on a blue field (''azure a saltire or''). It is found in several flags, notably that of the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, previously a Benedictine monastery, and the city of St Albans, Hertf ...

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

1634) File:Katwijk wapen.svg, Argent a saltire azure ( Katwijk) File:Arms of the Gage family of Hengrave.png, Per saltire azure and argent, a saltire gules ( Gage of Hengrave) File:Scarsdale (Leke) Escutcheon.png, Argent on a saltire engrailed sable nine annulets of the field (

Earl of Scarsdale Earl of Scarsdale was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1645 for Francis Leke, 1st Baron Deincourt, an ardent supporter of Charles I during the Civil War. He had already been created a baronet, of Sutton in the County of Derb ...

) File:BeaumontWillingtonArmsGittishamDevon.JPG, Quarterly 1st & 4th: Barry of six

even Even may refer to: General * Even (given name), a Norwegian male personal name * Even (surname) * Even (people), an ethnic group from Siberia and Russian Far East ** Even language, a language spoken by the Evens * Odd and Even, a solitaire game w ...

vair and gules; 2nd & 3rd: Gules, a saltire vair (Henry Beaumont of Devon, d.1591) File:Blason ville fr Busséol (Puy-de-Dôme).svg, Argent a saltire floretty gules (

Busséol Busséol () is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme department The following is a list of the 464 Communes of France, communes of the Puy-de-Dô ...

) File:DEU Klein-Winternheim COA.svg, Gules a fillet saltire couped argent above a wheel of the same (

Klein-Winternheim Klein-Winternheim is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location Kl ...

) File:Escudo de San Andrés y Providencia.svg, Coat of arms of the San Andrés Archipelago ;saltirewise File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Vatican_City.svg, Gules two keys in saltire argent ( Coats of arms of the Holy See and Vatican City) File:Arms of Navarre-Coat of Arms of Spain Template.svg, Gules a cross saltire and orle of chains linked together or, in the fess point an emerald vert (

Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...

) File:C o a Nicolaus V.svg, Gules two keys argent saltirewise (

Papal coat of arms Papal coats of arms are the personal coat of arms of popes of the Catholic Church. These have been a tradition since the Late Middle Ages, and has displayed his own, initially that of his family, and thus not unique to himself alone, but in some c ...

for Pope Nicholas V, 1447) File:BodleyArms.png, Argent five martlets saltirewise sable on a chief azure three ducal crowns or ( Bodley) File:Coat of arms of Kharkiv.svg, Vert bordure or a caduceus argent and or and a cornucopia or with fruits and vegetables proper saltirewise ( Coat of arms of Kharkiv, Ukraine) File:Emblem of the Federal Customs Service of Russia.svg, Vert bordure or a torch and a caduceus or saltirewise ( Federal Customs Service of Russia) ;in supporters File:Wernigeroder Wappenbuch 022.jpg,

for

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...

with the

Keys of Peter Papal regalia and insignia are the official items of attire and decoration proper to the Pope in his capacity as the visible head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Regalia The regalia of the papacy include the ...

saltirewise (

Wernigerode Armorial The ''Wernigerode Armorial'' (Bavarian State Library Cod.icon. 308 n, known in German as ''Wernigeroder Wappenbuch'' or ''Schaffhausensches Wappenbuch'') is an armorial compiled in southern Germany (possibly near Nördlingen) in the late 15th cen ...

, c. 1490) File:Royal Coat of arms of Spain (1700-1761)-Common Version of the Colours.svg, Royal Coat of Arms of Spain (1700–1761)*Álvarez Abeilhé, Juan. L''a bandera de España. El origen militar de los símbolos de España.'' Revista de Historia Militar Año LIV (2010). Núm extraord. Madrid: Ministerio de Defensa. . PP. 37-69. File:National Coat of arms of Spain (Until 1931)-Version of the Colours.svg , Coat of arms of Spain (1874–1931) File:Coat of arms of Barbados (3).svg, Coat of arms of Barbados with Sugar Cane held saltirewise. File:Brasao-Brigantina.png, Coat of arms of the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...

Flags

File:Flag of the Vatican City.svg, Vatican City's flag (

Flag of Vatican City The flag of Vatican City was adopted on 7 June 1929, the year Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy, creating a new independent state governed by the Holy See. The Vatican City flag is modeled on the 1808 yellow and white flag of the ...

) File:Saint Alban's cross.svg, Saint Alban's flag (13th century) File:Kingdom of Sicily naval flag.svg, Naval flag of the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...

(after

Guillem Soler Guillem Soler ( fl. 1380s), sometimes given as Guillelmus Soleri, Guillermo Soler and Guglielmo Soleri, was a Majorcan cartographer of the 14th century. Little is known of Guillem Soler. Documents establish his existence in Majorca in 1368, and th ...

c. 1380), inheriting the ''per saltire'' division from the royal coat of arms. File:Flag of Scotland (1-1).png, Flag of Scotland (c. 1507)As a naval flag for the carrack '' Great Michael''. As square flag carried by heraldic supporters c. 1542. File:Gascogne drapeau.svg, Flag of

(15th century?) File:Flag of the Low Countries.svg,

Cross of Burgundy Flag The Cross of Burgundy (french: Croix de Bourgogne; es, Cruz de Borgoña/Aspa de Borgoña; german: Burgunderkreuz; it, Croce di Borgogna; ca, Creu de Borgonya; nl, Bourgondisch kruis) is a saw-toothed ( raguly) form of the Cross of Saint And ...

, Duchy of Burgundy and Burgundian Netherlands (15th century) File:Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg,

, Spanish Empire (16th century) File:Bandera de Chuquisaca y Sucre.svg, Flag of La Plata City ( Chuquisaca), (currently

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

) (1540) File:Flag of Valdivia, Chile.svg, Flag of Valdivia, Chile (1552) File:Tercio - Liga.svg, ''Tercio de la Liga'' (1571) File:St Patrick's saltire.svg,

Saint Patrick's Flag Saint Patrick's Saltire or Saint Patrick's Cross is a red saltire (X-shaped cross) on a white field. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned "''argent, a saltire gules''". The Saint Patrick's Flag (''Bratach Naomh Pádraig'') is a flag compos ...

(1783) File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg, Union Jack (1606) File:Union Jack 1606 Scotland.svg, Union Jack in Scotland (1606) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg, Union Jack (1801) File:Tercio - Spínola.svg, ''Unknown Tercio flag (appears near commander Ambrogio Spinola in the painting "The Surrender of Breda" of Diego Velázquez)'' (1621) File:Tercio - Alburquerque.svg, ''Tercio de Alburquerque'' (1643) File:Tercio - Morados Viejos.svg, ''Tercio Morados Viejos'' (1670) File:Tercio - Amarillos Viejos.svg, ''Tercio Amarillos Viejos'' (1680) File:Scottish Covenanter Flag.svg, Scottish Covenanter flag (17th century) File:Reconstructed battle standard of Earl of Argyll 1685.svg, Flag of Argyll's Rising (1685) File:Naval Ensign of Russia.svg, St Andrew's flag of the Russian Navy and Imperial Russian Navy (1712) File:Naval Jack of Russia.svg, Jack of the Russian Navy (1992) File:Military ensign of Vistula Flotilla of Congress Poland.svg, Flag of

Congress Poland Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It w ...

(1815) File:Flag of Nova Scotia.svg, Flag of Nova Scotia (1858) File:North Virginia Third Bunting.svg,

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

Army of Northern Virginia battle flag (1863–1865) File:Confederate Navy Jack (light blue).svg, Confederate Naval jack (1863–1865) File:Flag of the Shanghai International Settlement pre-WWI.svg, Flag of Shanghai Municipal Council, Shanghai International Settlement (1869 – ) File:Flag of the Shanghai International Settlement.svg, Flag of Shanghai Municipal Council, Shanghai International Settlement (c. 1917 – 1943) File:South African Burgers Flag.svg,

Flag of the South African Republic Two flags were used as the flag of the South African Republic, which existed from 1852 to 1877, 1881 to 1902, and 1914-15: (1) the so-called 'Vierkleur' ( en, Four-colour) from 1857 to 1874, and again from 1875 to 1877 and 1881 to 1902, and (2 ...

(" Burgers Flag") (1874–1875), also flag of

. File:Flag of Peru (1821-1822).svg,

Flag of Peru The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1824, and modified in 1950. According to the article 49 of the Constitution of Peru, it is a vertical triband (flag), triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Dependi ...

(1821–1825) File:Bandeira da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg,

Flag of Rio de Janeiro The flag of the City of Rio de Janeiro or flag of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro ( en, flag of Saint Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro) consists of a white rectangle with a blue saltire behind the coat of arms of the city of Rio de Janeiro, which ...

(1908) File:Flag of the Empire of China (1915–1916) - variant.svg, Flag of the Empire of China (1915–1916) File:Black St. Andrew flag.svg, White Army General Markov's Regiment flag (1917–1922) File:Naval Ensign of the Far Eastern Republic.svg, Naval flag of the

Far Eastern Republic The Far Eastern Republic ( rus, Дальневосто́чная Респу́блика, ДВР, r=Dalnevostochnaya Respublika, DVR, p=dəlʲnʲɪvɐˈstotɕnəjə rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə), sometimes called the Chita Republic, was a nominally indep ...

(1921–1922) File:Naval Jack of Estonia.svg, Jack of the Estonian Navy (1926–1940, 1992) File:Flag of Minister of Finance of ROC.svg, Flag of Minister of Finance of the Republic of China (1929) File:Bandeira de Fortaleza.svg, Flag of

(1958) File:Flag of Jamaica.svg, Flag of Jamaica (1962) File:Village flag of Katwijk (ZH) 1970.svg, Flag of Katwijk (1970) File:Banner of Krakow.svg, Banner of Kraków (2004) File:Flag of Grenada.svg,

Flag of Grenada The flag of Grenada consists of two yellow triangles at the top and bottom and two green triangles at the hoist and fly. These are surrounded by a red border charged with six five-pointed yellow stars – three at the top centre and three at ...

(1974) File:Flag of Amsterdam.svg,

Flag of Amsterdam The flag of Amsterdam is the official flag for Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The current design of the flag depicts three Saint Andrew's Crosses and is based on the escutcheon in the coat of arms of Amsterdam. Meaning The colo ...

(1975) File:Flag of the Basque Country.svg, Flag of the

Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...

(the '' Ikurrina'') (1978) File:Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg, Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador (1980) File:Flag of Jersey.svg,

Flag of Jersey The flag of Jersey is composed of a red saltire on a white field. In the upper quadrant the Coat of arms of Jersey, badge of Jersey surmounted by a yellow "Plantagenet crown (heraldry), crown". The flag was adopted by the States of Jersey on 12 ...

(1981) File:Flag of Burundi.svg, Flag of Burundi (1982) File:Flag of Tenerife.svg, Flag of Tenerife (1989) File:Russia, Flag of the Customs 1994.svg, Flag of the Federal Customs Service of Russia (1994) File:Flag of the Georgian Coast Guard.png, Ceremonial ensign of the

Coast Guard of Georgia The Georgian Coast Guard ( ka, საქართველოს სანაპირო დაცვა) is the maritime arm of the Georgian Border Police, within the Ministry for Internal Affairs. It is responsible for the maritime protection ...

(1999) File:Battle ensign of the Coast Guard of Georgia.svg, Battle ensign of the Coast Guard of Georgia (2004) File:Naval Ensign of Georgia.svg, Naval Ensign of Georgia (2004–2009) File:Russia, Flag of border service 2008.svg, Flag of the Russian Coast Guard (2008) File:Flag of Arkhangelsk Oblast.svg,

Flag of Arkhangelsk Oblast The flag of Arkhangelsk Oblast, a federal subject of Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its interna ...

(2009) File:Katwijk vlag.svg, Flag of Katwijk (2009) File:War Flag of Novorussia.svg, Flag of Novorossiya (2014) File:Auto Racing White Cross.svg, Auto racing disqualification flag ;International Code of Signals File:ICS Mike.svg,

Mike Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documenta ...

File:ICS Victor.svg,

Victor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

;US states File:Flag_of_Alabama.svg, Flag of Alabama (1895) File:Flag_of_Florida.svg, Flag of Florida (1868) File:Flag of the State of Georgia (1956–2001).svg, Flag of Georgia (1956–2001) File:Flag_of_Mississippi_(2001–2020).svg,

Flag of Mississippi The flag of Mississippi, also known as the Mississippi flag, consists of a white magnolia blossom surrounded by 21 white stars and the words 'In God We Trust' written below, all put over a blue Canadian pale with two vertical gold borders on a ...

(1894–2020)

Military insignia

File:Royal Regiment of Scotland TRF.png , Tactical Recognition Flash of the Royal Regiment of Scotland File:Spanish Air Force fin flash.svg ,

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

fin flash File:Roundel of Bulgaria (1941-1944).svg ,

Bulgarian Air Force The Bulgarian Air Force ( bg, Военновъздушни сили, Voennovazdushni sili) is one of the three branches of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and p ...

roundel (1941–1944) File:10th Mountain Division SSI.svg, Bayonets ''in saltire'' create Roman numeral X for the US Army's

10th Mountain Division The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to re ...

Orders

File:Insignia of Knight of the Thistle.png,

Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order. The ...

File:Insignia of Knight of St Patrick.jpg,

Order of St Patrick The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a dormant British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by King George III at the request of the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, The 3rd Earl Temple (later cre ...

File:Ridder in de Militaire Willems-Orde.jpg, Military Order of William File:Andrey1.jpg,

Order of St Andrew The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order (decoration), order co ...

Notes

References

External links

* {{Christian crosses Andrew the Apostle Christian crosses Cross symbols Crosses in heraldry Flags of saints Heraldic ordinaries Saltire flags Timber framing