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# Dictionary of Vexillology: C (Crooked Cross – Cross Equipollé)

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Last modified: 2026-05-09 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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On this page:

- CROOKED CROSS
- CROSS
- CROSS ANCHORY
- CROSS ANNULETTY
- CROSS BAR (CROSS-BAR or CROSSBAR)
- CROSS BARBED
- CROSS BOTONNY (BOTTONNY or BOTTONÉE)
- CROSS CALVARY
- CROSS-CANTONÉE (or CANTONED)
- CROSS-CELTIC
- CROSS-CLECHÉE
- CROSS COUNTERCHANGED
- CROSS COUNTER-QUARTERED
- CROSS-COUPED
- CROSS CROSSLET
- CROSS ENGRAILED
- CROSS EQUIPOLLÉ (or EQUIPOLLÉE)

CROOKED CROSS
  See swastika.

  Flag of the Hitler Youth 1933–1945, Germany

CROSS
  1) Two stripes or bands of equal width (and in the same colour) but of unequal length, that extend to the outer edges of the flag, canton or panel they occupy, and intersect at right angles in the exact centre of that flag, canton or panel – a St George-type cross, a cross fixed, cross throughout, an upright centred, centred, regular or (inaccurately) a square cross – see square cross 1) (also St George’s Cross).
  2) A charge, which may or may not reach the outer edges of the shield, flag, canton or panel it occupies, and which may not have straight edges but which has four segments meeting at right angles at a central point – but see note below.
  3) A generic name for two stripes of the same colour (although two/three colour variants exist see cross counterchanged plus cross gyronny, tripartite and layered cross) and any width, crossing the field of a flag, panel or canton in any manner (see also saltire and Scandinavian cross).

  Flag of Savoy, France; National Flag of Switzerland; Flag of Pisa, Italy; State Flag/Naval Ensign of Denmark

  Please note however, that whilst several of the types used on flags are detailed separately herein – the cross throughout as given in 1) above, the Greek cross, the Celtic cross, the Scandinavian cross, the saltire (or diagonal cross), Cross of Lorraine, the swastika, and the Maltese cross – numerous other variants exist (mostly used in heraldry but which also sometimes appear on flags), and the majority of these are listed below.

CROSS ANCHORY
  An alternative heraldic term for a cross moline.

  Flag of Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium

CROSS ANNULETTY
  The heraldic term covering a sun cross – see sun cross and its following note.

  Flag of Otze, Germany

CROSS BAR (CROSS-BAR or CROSSBAR)
  The transverse rod, from which a flag is suspended, either attached in the centre or from one end, or hung by cords from a vertical pole or poles (see also banner 2), banner 3), frame 1), frame 2), framed flag, gonfalon and vexillum).

  Gonfalon of Albano Sant'Alessandro, Italy; Gonfalon of Baradili, Italy

CROSS BARBED
  The heraldic term for an arrow cross.

  Former Flag of the Falange Venezolana, Venezuela

CROSS BOTONNY (BOTTONNY or BOTTONÉE)
  The alternative heraldic terms for a cross that does not usually extend to the edges of a shield, flag, canton or panel, but whose ends each are formed by three discs – a trefoil or treflee cross – but see note below (also cross 2)).

  Flag of the Church of Norway; Arms of Negoslavci, Croatia; Flag of Vestby, Norway
  Please note that this phrase is often seen spelt as "cross bottony", and whilst perfectly understandable, this version remains unsupported by definitive heraldic sources.

CROSS CALVARY
  The heraldic term for a cross of calvary – see cross of calvary 1).

  Flag of Alvados, Portugal; Flag of Panóias, Portugal; Flag of Eira Vedra, Portugal

CROSS-CANTONÉE (or CANTONED)
  The alternative heraldic terms for a cross which may or may not extend to the edges of a shield, flag, canton or panel, but which has four further crosses (or other charges) arranged around it – a cross cantoned (see also canton 3), cantoned 1), cross 1), cross pattée, and cross potent and cross potent cantonée).

  Example; Flag of Tianeti, Georgia; Arms of The Kingdom of Jerusalem c1200 (CS)

  Please note as may be seen in the illustrations above, various types of cross can be used to make up a cross cantonée, and that a Jerusalem Cross (a cross-potent cantonée constructed of a cross-potent and four Greek crosses or of five crosses-potent) is one specific type.

CROSS-CELTIC
  The heraldic term for a Celtic cross.

  Flag and Logo of the Church in Wales, UK

CROSS-CLECHÉE
  The heraldic term for a cross that does not generally extend to the edges of a shield, flag, panel or flag, but whose arms are in the form of (usually irregular) lozenges or fusils – a cross-lozengy or cross-fusilly (see also cross 2), cross of Pisa, occitan cross).

  Arms and Flag of Woltwiesche, Germany

CROSS-COUNTERCHANGED
  The heraldic term for a cross that generally extends to the edges of a shield, panel, banner of arms or flag, and which is divided along its horizontal and vertical centre-line with the tinctures of the field and cross usually (but not exclusively) alternating in adjacent quarters – a counterchanged cross or cross counter-quartered – but compare with cross gyronny [☞ not to be confused with!]
  (see also counterchanged, cross 2), Dominican cross, quarter 2) and tincture).

  Flag of Zaprešić, Croatia; Flag of Flag of Davos commune, Switzerland; Flag of Weddingen Borough, Germany

  Please note that a cross that is divided only along either its horizontal or vertical centre-line is properly blazoned using a full description – for example, "party per fess argent and azure a cross-humetty counterchanged" as shown below.

  Flag of Zurrieq, Malta

CROSS COUNTER-QUARTERED
  1) See cross counterchanged.
  2) The term that may also be used when the centre of a cross of this general type is obscured as illustrated below – see cross gyronny.

  Flag and Arms of Tursko, Czechia ; Flag of Palomares del Río, Spain

CROSS-COUPED
  A heraldic term sometimes used when a cross (either plain or decorated) does not extend to edges of a shield, banner of arms or flag – but see cross humetty and the note below (also couped 2) and Greek cross).

  Flag of Pisa, Italy; Flag of Nova Vyzhva, Ukraine; National Flag of Tonga

  Please note that two examples of a decorated cross couped would be a "Cross of Pisa couped" as illustrated above, and a "cross crosslet couped" as shown in the following definition.

CROSS CROSSLET
  The heraldic term for a cross which does not usually extend to the edges of a shield, flag canton or panel, but whose arms have a short transverse bar inserted (see also cross 2)).

  Flag of Dobrzyca, Poland; Flag of Costuleni, Moldova; Former flag of Echt, The Netherlands

CROSS ENGRAILED
  In heraldry see engrailed.

  Flag of Thônex, Switzerland; Arms and Flag of Espinho, Portugal

CROSS EQUIPOLLÉ (or EQUIPOLLÉE)
  In heraldry see equipollé.

  Arms and Flag of Sé, Portugal

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