The Maltese Cross is the symbol of the Order of Malta, an organization of Christian knights that emerged during the Crusades in the 11th century. It is also called the Cross of Amalfi or Cross of Saint John and is in the category of pateal crosses.
It is also the symbol on the coat of arms of Vasco da Gama, a football team from the city of Rio de Janeiro, although present some differences in the design between the malta cross used by Vasco and the one that represents the order military.
Its shape is sometimes associated with the Iron Cross, a symbol used by the Nazis during World War II. But the Maltese cross is not, and was never a Nazi symbol. The Iron Cross is a military decoration created in the Kingdom of Prussia in the early 19th century. It is a unique decoration in times of war, and was used by the Third Reich as a recognition of bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
During the Nazi period in Germany, the Iron Cross carried a swastika in the center. After the Nazi symbols were banned, the swastika carved into the cross was replaced by a branch of oak leaves.
Learn more about the meaning of swastika.
The Maltese cross is also the mystical symbol of the Count of Saint Germain. According to the organization Theosophical Society, Saint Germain is a historical figure entitled as "ascended master of the seventh ray" and who emanates the violet flame, the strongest spiritual force in the planet.
The Maltese Cross is an aquatic plant with the scientific name Ludwigia Sedoides. The cross-de-malta is found in lakes or places with little current. It is famous for its beauty, for its leaves make a mosaic of colors between green and red.
Malta cross as a symbol of Vasco da Gama
The red cross that stamps the emblem of the Vasco da Gama Regatta Club can also be called the malta cross, without occurring in a historical error. This is because it dates back to the patea cross used by the Christian military orders at the time of the Discoveries, before the Order of Malta established the cross with the V-shaped points as an official symbol.
The relationship with Portugal of the cross of malta, and consequently with Vasco da Gama, is based on the Priory do Crato, property of the Order of Malta and which had exerted political force in Portuguese territory since the century XIV.
Over the decades, and the different uniforms and shields that the Vasco da Gama football team has used, there are crosses of different thickness, very similar to the Cross of the Order of Christ, one of the symbols from Portugal. But the Cross of the Order of Christ has another cross with straight white lines inside the red cross, while the Maltese cross is filled in all the same color.
Malta Cross and the Malta Order
The Order of Malta, or by its full name Sovereign and Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta, is an order of Knights Templar that originated in 1099. They provided hospital services, caring for the wounded in wars, as well as militarily guaranteeing the expansion of Christianity. They were one of the most powerful organizations in the Mediterranean region at the time.
At the time of the Crusades, the orders of Christian knights used as a symbol the pate cross. Patate crosses formed a category of crosses of different thickness, but which had the characteristic of tips with a width wider than the center of the stems. Colors varied by activity. The Knights Templar wore a red patella cross on a silver background during the Crusades.
The malta cross is classified as a patée cross, although in the Modern Age it presents a shape a little different from that used by the Templars. Since the 16th century, the official symbol of the Order of Malta has been a cross with V-shaped tips, usually displayed in silver on a black background.
Learn more about the meaning of the symbol of the cross.