Serbian cross

TheSerbian cross(Serbian:Cрпски крст,romanized:Srpski krst), also known as theFiresteels(Serbian:Оцила,romanized:Ocila), is one of thenational symbolsofSerbia. It is present on thecoat of armsandflag of Serbia. The cross is based on a tetragrammic cross emblem of thePalaiologos dynastyof theByzantine Empire, with the difference in Serbian use being that the cross is usually white on a carmine red background, rather than gold on a red background (though it can be depicted in gold as well). The Serbian cross was adopted from the Eastern Roman Empire and the Byzantine cross in the 10th century.
It is composed of across symbolwith four "fire striker" shapes, originally fourGreeklettersbeta(Β). Serbian tradition attributes the letters toSaint Sava, the 13th-century Archbishop of the Serbs, and interprets the four "fire striker" shapes as fourCyrillicletters "С", for the mottoOnly Unity Saves the Serbs(Serbian:Cамо слога Србина спасава,romanized:Samo sloga Srbina spasava). The Serbian cross has been frequently used inSerbian heraldry, and along with theSerbian eagle, is the main heraldic symbol which represent the national identity of the Serbian people.
Crosses with firesteels have been used since Roman times as symbols, but not as coats of arms or emblems. Some historians connect it with thelabarum, the Imperial flag ofConstantine the Great(r. 306–337).In the 6th century, the cross with four fields (with either letters or heraldry) appeared on Byzantine coins.The symbol was adopted by theFirst Crusadersstarting wih thePeople's Crusade(1096).
Michael VIII Palaiologos(1261–1282) adopted the symbol when he resurrected theByzantine Empire, with the initials (letters β) of the imperial motto of thePalaiologos dynasty: "King of Kings, help the King" (Ancient Greek:Βασιλεῦ Βασιλέων Βασιλεῖ Βοήθει;Basileu Basileōn, Basilei Boethei).It was used on flags and coins.The symbol appears on the Imperial flagdivellion(διβέλλιον) used in front of all other banners, recorded byPseudo-Kodinos(fl.1347–68) wronglyas "a cross withfiresteels" (σταυρὸν μετὰ πυρεκβόλων),and depicted in the CastilianConosçimiento de todos los reynosatlas (c.1350).AsAlexander Solovievwrites, the use of letters in western heraldry is nonexistent.
The oldest preserved historical source of the cross used in Serbia is from the Dečani oil-lamp (Dečanski polijelej), which was a gift to KingStefan Milutin(r. 1282–1321), thektetor(founder) ofVisoki Dečani, now preserved at the Monastery ofProhor Pčinjski.Stojan Novakovićargued that the recorded use of the Serbian cross, as a national symbol, began in 1397, during the rule ofStefan Lazarević.Serbian historianStanoje Stanojevićargued that it entered its use in 1345, withStefan Dušan'selevation to Emperor.In the Middle Ages, both the "Greek style", with closed fire-steels (β–B), and the "Serbian syle", with open fire-steels (C-S), were used in Serbia.
A1439 mapbyGabriel de Vallsecaused both the Serbian cross and eagle when depicting Serbia.
In South Slavic heraldic sources (also known asIllyrian Armorials), the Serbian cross is found in theKorenić-Neorić Armorial(1595), which shows the coat of arms of Serbia (Svrbiae) as a white cross over a red background, with fourfiresteels, also depicting theMrnjavčevićnoble house with the same design, with inverted colours and theSerbian eaglein the center of the cross. According toMavro Orbini(1607), it was used byVukašin Mrnjavčević(King, 1365–1371) and PrinceLazar Hrebeljanović(r. 1371–1389).Next, it is found in theBelgrade Armorial II(ca. 1600–1620), theFojnica Armorial(between 1675 and 1688), theArmorial of Stanislaus Rubcich(c. 1700), andStemmatographia(1741), while still continuing to be used in foreign heraldic sources.
TheMetropolitanate of Karlovci, established in 1691, adopted it in its seal.
After theSerbian Revolution, the Serbian cross then appeared on all official Serbian coats of arms, except the Serbian coat of arms adopted in 1947, which had the cross removed, leaving four stylized S; this was done symbolically by the Yugoslav government to "socially curtail and politically marginalize religious communities and religion in general".Miloš Obrenovićadopted the Serbian cross as the military flag when forming the first units of the regular army in 1825.