Complete works of Swami Abhedananda
by Swami Prajnanananda | 1967 | 318,120 words
Swami Abhedananda was one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and a spiritual brother of Swami Vivekananda. He deals with the subject of spiritual unfoldment purely from the yogic standpoint. These discourses represent a study of the Social, Religious, Cultural, Educational and Political aspects of India. Swami Abhedananda says t...
Symbology of the Cross or Crux
Extracted from Chapter IV (鈥渘ecessity of symbols鈥�):
鈥淸...] The ancient Egyptians used a Tau Cross, the shape being like the English letter 鈥楾鈥�. The commonest of all the Egyptian Crosses, the Crux Ansata, was afterwards adopted by the Christians. [...]鈥�
The Cross or Crux is mainly of four kinds: (1) Simplex, (2) Decussata, (3) Commissa and Ansata, and (4) Immissa or Capitata (Latin).
(1) The Crux Simplex, or bare stake 鈥榦f one single piece without transom鈥�, was probably the original of the rest. Sometimes it was merely driven through the man鈥檚 chest, but at other times it was driven longitudinally, * * coming out at the mouth, a method of punishment, called the infixio.
The affixio consisted merely of trying the criminal to the stake, from which he hung by his arms.* * Trees were naturally convenient for this purpose * *.
(2) The Crux Decussata, X, is called St. Andrew鈥檚 Cross, although on no good grounds, since, according to some, he was killed with the sword; and Hippolytus says that he was crucified upright, ad arborem olivae. It is in the shape of the Greek letter X. * * Hence Justin Martyr quotes Plato鈥檚 expression * * with reference to the Cross.
(8) The Crux Commissa or St. Anthony鈥檚 Cross, T, (so called from being embroidered on that Saint鈥檚 cope * *) was in the shape of a T. * * This shape is often alluded to as the mystical Tau鈥�. * * It is known as the patibulary or Egyptian Cross, but seems to be of Phoenician origin.
A variety of the Cross (the Crux Ansata, 鈥楥rosses with circles on their heads鈥�) is found 鈥榠n the sculptures from Khorasabad and the ivories from Nimrod. M. Lajard * * refers it to the Assyrian symbol of divinity, the winged figure in a circle; but Egyptian antiquaries quite reject the theory. In the Egyptian sculptures, a similar object, called a Crux Ansata, is constantly borne by divinities, and is variously called 鈥榯he key of the Nile鈥�, 鈥榯he character of Venus鈥�, and more correctly (as by Lacroze) 鈥榯he emblem of life鈥�.
(4) The Crux Immissa (or Latin Cross +) * * That this was the kind of Cross on which our Lord died is obvious * *, it is repeatedly found on the coins and columns of Constantine, * * Firmic. Maternus says that Moses made a Cross of his rod * *. Other supposed types are Jacob鈥檚 ladder * *; the paschal lamb, pierced by transverse spits * *.鈥擵ide Smith & Fuller: Bible Dictionary, Vol. I, pp. 671-672.