Cross of Lorraine Meaning: Cross of Anjou

Formerly known as the Cross of Anjou, the Cross of Lorraine is a Christian symbol that holds particular significance for France. It was notably present on the French flag from 1940 to 1944. It was also used by doctors in the early 20th century as a symbol of protection and resistance .

But what does the Cross of Lorraine actually mean? You will find several answers to this question here.

This article will introduce you to:

• The origin and composition of the Cross of Lorraine

• The history of the Cross of Lorraine

• The various uses of the Cross of Lorraine

• The jewels of the Cross of Lorraine at Croix Chrétiennes

Let’s get to the heart of the matter now!

But let's start with this short video summarizing the history and explaining the importance of this religious symbol:

Here is a little preview of the Cross of Lorraine on jewelry . If you also adore the Cross of Free France, you can keep it close to you engraved on a ring:

1) Cross of Lorraine Meaning: Origin & Composition

A. Origin of the Cross of Lorraine

The Cross of Lorraine consists of a vertical bar and two regularly spaced horizontal bars. It is a heraldic cross used by the Dukes of Lorraine. Over a thousand years ago, King Lothair gave his name to a province in northeastern France. The name "Lothair" evolved over the years to become "Lorraine". The region shrank and now has borders with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. This is where the name " Lorraine " comes from.

PATRIARCHAL CROSS OF LORRAINE

One of the first uses was in Samaria (now Jordan) as an ideogram of sovereignty. Since it represented a shepherd's staff. It was adopted as the patriarchal cross , the emblem of an archbishop. It became the arms of the Patriarch of Jerusalem , who authorized the Templars to wear it in addition to their cross pattée.

Pope Eugene III granted them the Cross of Lorraine and made them responsible to the Pope alone. Pope Eugene III was also a disciple of St. Bernard of Clairvaux who founded the Knights Templar at the Council of Troyes in northeastern France in the 12th century. The two-tiered cross signified a higher authority, metropolitan and patriarchal. The Duke of Lorraine, Godfrey of Boullion, used this cross as his standard when he participated in the capture of Jerusalem. The heraldry was then passed on to his successors.

CROSS OF ANJOU

The Cross of Lorraine is also called the " Cross of Anjou ". In the Chapel of Girouardière, Anjou in the 15th century, the Duke of Anjou inherited it after the Battle of Nancy. Following the defeat of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. This did not, however, give rise to the alternative name of the Cross of Anjou . The Cross of Anjou had already been fashioned by the goldsmiths of Charles V (1338-1380) as a reliquary to house a piece of the Cross of Christ brought back from the Holy Land in 1244. In 1379, the design had been adopted as the emblem of the Duchy of Lorraine under René of Anjou.

B. Symbol of Resistance

The Cross of Lorraine is a Latin cross with an upper bar and usually without a corpus (the body of Jesus Christ). In heraldry, the Cross of Lorraine is a symbol localized in France. Its popularity has spread throughout the world, and it is known by different names, depending on the language and local usage. In Spain, for example, it is called " Cruz de Lorena ", and in Hungary, " Szent István Kereszt ".

The earliest crosses were similar to the sharp with two horizontal beams of equal length. The upper beam was as close to the top as the lower beam was to the bottom. In Christianity, the Latin cross is perhaps the most commonly seen. And the double-barred Lorraine cross thus stands out as special. The name " Lorraine " has come to mean several variations of crosses, including the patriarchal cross with its bars near the top .

C. Symbol of the Resistance against Germany: General de Gaulle

The region of Lorraine , due to its location, has been the scene of many wars and battles . It was annexed twice by Germany. When Hitler took control of the region during World War II, General de Gaulle chose the Cross of Lorraine as a symbol of resistance against the advance of Germany. There were several French Resistance groups, and de Gaulle's was called the Free French Forces . The cross is then also known as: " Croix de France Libre ", de Gaulle or Gaulliste.

The double-barred cross was used by fighters against Nazism during World War II , but also because Jesus has no interest in nationalism, race or ethnicity.

D. Emblem of France

The flag of France in the 1940s–1944 period featured a red Cross of Lorraine on a standard flag of France. In France, the Cross of Lorraine is the symbol of the Free French Forces of World War II , the liberation of France from Nazi Germany, and Gaullism. It includes several variations of a two-barred cross. The bars are supposed to be evenly spaced as can be seen in most images relating to the Free French Forces . Although several variations are common.

The Cross of Lorraine is part of the coat of arms of Lorraine in eastern France. Between 1871 and 1918 (and again between 1940 and 1944), the northern third of Lorraine was annexed to Germany, along with Alsace. During this period, the Cross served as a rallying point for French ambitions to reclaim its lost provinces. This historical importance gave it considerable weight as a symbol of French patriotism . During the war, Lieutenant Commander Thierry d'Argenlieu proposed the Cross of Lorraine as the symbol of the Free French Forces led by Charles de Gaulle in response to the Nazi swastika. The Cross was displayed on the flags of France's warships, and on the fuselages of France's aircraft. 🙋‍♂️ ‎☨

E. A symbol of support for doctors

Shortly before the First World War in 1902, doctors met in Berlin for the International Congress on Tuberculosis. The delegates decided that because of the extent of tuberculosis, they should declare war on this devastating disease. For this fight, it was appropriate to have a combat standard. The representative of Lorraine suggested that they take as their symbol the double-barred Red Cross of Lorraine . This since many medieval victories of the French on the battlefields were attributed to the wearing of this red cross in the fight.

F. Representation of the Cross of Lorraine

René of Anjou (also Duke of Lorraine 1431–1453) was an important transmitter of the Hermetic tradition in Italy and had the Cross of Lorraine as his personal seal. The Cross of Lorraine is related to the Crusader cross, and to the six globes of the Medici family . In the Catholic Church, an equal-barred Cross of Lorraine denotes the office of archbishop .

COLOMBEY-THE-TWO-CHURCHES

De Gaulle himself is commemorated by a 43-metre-high Cross of Lorraine in his home village of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises . The Cross of Lorraine was later adopted by Gaullist political groups such as the Rally for the Republic.

A SACRED RELIGIOUS SYMBOL

French Jesuit missionaries and settlers in the New World wore the Cross of Lorraine from 1750 to 1810. They said that this symbol helped the missionaries convert the indigenous peoples they encountered. Because the two armed crosses resembled existing local images.

2) History of the Cross of Lorraine: Origin of the Double-Barred Cross

A. Byzantine Cross: Jagiello Cross

The coat of arms of Hungary depicts a Lorraine cross . It is often attributed to Byzantine influence . Since King Béla III of Hungary was raised in the Byzantine Empire in the 12th century, and it was under his reign that the double cross became a symbol of Hungary . A double gold cross with equal bars known as the Jagiellonian Cross, was used by the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King Jogaila of Poland. Initially, the lower bar of the cross was longer than the upper bar, as it originated from the Hungarian type of the double cross. It later became the symbol of the Jagiellonian dynasty and is one of the national symbols of Lithuania. It is featured in the Order of the Cross of Vytis and in the insignia of the Lithuanian Air Force.

The double-barred cross is one of the national symbols of Belarus , as both the Jagiellonian cross, and the Cross of Saint Euphrosyne of Polatsk, an important religious artifact. The symbol is believed to have Byzantine roots . It is used by the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church as a symbol uniting the traditions of the Eastern Byzantine Church and the Western Latin Church. The Belarusian cross is found on the traditional coat of arms of Belarus, the Pahonia.

B. During World War II

282 (East Ham) Squadron of the Air Training Corps wears the ' Cross of Lorraine ' on its unit badge. It is worn in honour of its former president, Odette Hallowes, who worked for an independent French section of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.

In 1940, the Cross of Lorraine was adopted by Admiral d'Argenlieu (commander of the Free French Forces) as the symbol of the French Resistance . The cross was chosen as a symbol to stand against the Nazi swastika .

3) Various uses of the Cross of Lorraine

• Ironically, the Cross of Lorraine is also used as the symbol of the fascist Norsefire party in the film version of the graphic novel V for Vendetta.

• The Cross of Lorraine is also used in the SABRE GDS (Global Distribution System), a computer program used by travel agencies.

• A Cross of Lorraine was also used in the Apollo and Worldspan global distribution systems. However, the latest versions of both systems' GUIs display it as a plus sign. While Sabre's latest GUI displays it as a yen symbol.

• It was also used as a symbol for the city of Roeselare (black cross) and Ypres (red cross) in Belgium.

• The Cross of Lorraine is also used as a symbol of the Celebritarian Corporation/art movement, created and led by musician/painter Marilyn Manson.

• British hardcore punk band Gallows uses the Cross of Lorraine as their symbol. They also have a song of the same name.

• A very ancient form of this cross, representing a shepherd's staff, was used in ancient Sumeria as an ideogram for power. Namely, of course, that the Cross of Lorraine is not a Gothic symbol, nor a Satanic symbol!

• Designed symmetrically, it symbolized the hermetic maxim "As above, so below". The Cross of Lorraine is used in Freemasonry as a diploma symbol.

• The cross is used as an emblem by the American Lung Association and related organizations around the world. And as such, it is known as part of their Christmas Seals program. Its use was suggested in 1902 by Parisian physician Gilbert Sersiron as a symbol of the crusade against tuberculosis.

• In the television series Magnum, P.I., Thomas Magnum and his Vietnam War comrades were all shown wearing rings that bore the Cross of Lorraine .

• The Cross of Lorraine was noted as a symbol of the Free French in the film Casablanca . A ring engraved with the Cross of Lorraine was worn by the Norwegian clandestine agent Berger and shown to one of the film's heroes (Victor Laszlo) as proof of loyalty.

4) Share with dignity the symbol of the Cross of Lorraine

Thanks to this article, you now know that the double-crossed cross called the Cross of Lorraine has a great history linked to both Christianity and resistance to Nazism. You have also learned the different uses of the Cross of Anjou . We also invite you to discover our article on the Christian cross .