Maltese Cross Meaning Firefighter

One can easily find a hundred web sites that will tell you that the symbol of the fire service comes from the knights of malta and their battles with ottoman pirates or the saracens.

Maltese cross meaning firefighter. The legend of the maltese cross grew as it became associated with the admirable qualities of loyalty bravery and defender of the weak. It s fitting that the national volunteer fire council and the international association of fire fighters as well as thousands of fire departments across the country have adopted the maltese cross as a symbol that exemplifies the courage and abilities of firefighters. This cross is almost universally used as the symbol of firefighters around the world. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed from earlier forms of eight pointed crosses in the 16th century.

The story is that these knights had a cross on their tunics and that the saracens used fire as a weapon against them. Today firefighters across the country wear the time honored. So in this article we re going to do a deep dive into what the cross is what it symbolizes and how it s actually used. The history of the maltese cross by mica calfee.

The maltese cross is a cross symbol consisting of four v or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles two tips pointing outward symmetrically. Many knights were called to perform. If you take a look at almost any fire apparatus today you re likely to see the maltese cross. The cross was later called the maltese cross and represented the principles of charity loyalty chivalry gallantry generosity to friend and foe protection of the weak and dexterity in service.

The maltese cross is our symbol of protection. This is the story that this symbol of chivalry has to tell and bring to light the correlation between it and the fire service. The cross is eight pointed and has the shape of four v shaped arms joined together at their bases so that each arm has two. The maltese cross is a badge of honor signifying that he works in courage a ladders rung away from death.

During the crusades many knights became fire fighters out of necessity. The symbol of the knights of malta what became known as the maltese cross quickly became a widely recognized and admired badge of honor that extends to the current day. The maltese cross is a symbol of protection. It means that the firefighter that wears it is willing to protect and lay down his own life for the safety of his brother just as the crusaders did centuries ago.

Symbolism of the firefighter emblem maltese florian cross the firefighter cross is a symbol of honor valor courage and integrity. The maltese cross is identified as the symbol of the christian warrior. But there is. The maltese cross firefighters.

There were many of these knights who risked their lives to save their comrades or structures from the fires. All of this is true. Although chiefly associated with the knights hospitaller and by extension with the island of malta it has come to be used by a wide array of entities since the early modern period notably the o.