Serbian cross

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title: "Serbian cross" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["crosses-by-culture", "culture-of-serbia", "national-symbols-of-serbia", "crosses-in-heraldry", "history-of-the-serbs"] description: "National symbol of Serbia" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_cross" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary National symbol of Serbia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox heraldry"]

Field	Value
image	[[File:Ocilo.svg
caption	Serbian tetragrammic cross
tradition	Byzantine
jurisdiction	Serbia
authority	Serbian Heraldry Society
::

|image = [[File:Ocilo.svg|180px]] |caption = Serbian tetragrammic cross | tradition = Byzantine | jurisdiction = Serbia | authority = Serbian Heraldry Society The Serbian cross (), also known as the Firesteels (), is one of the national symbols of Serbia. It is present on the coat of arms and flag of Serbia. The cross is based on a tetragrammic cross emblem of the Palaiologos dynasty of the Byzantine 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 a cross symbol with four "fire striker" shapes, originally four Greek letters beta (Β). Serbian tradition attributes the letters to Saint Sava, the 13th-century Archbishop of the Serbs, and interprets the four "fire striker" shapes as four Cyrillic letters "С", for the motto Only Unity Saves the Serbs (). The Serbian cross has been frequently used in Serbian heraldry, and along with the Serbian eagle, is the main heraldic symbol which is widely used by Serbs as an ethnic identifier.

History

Crosses with firesteels have been used since Roman times as symbols, but not as coats of arms or emblems. Some historians connect it with the labarum, the Imperial flag of Constantine 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 the First Crusaders starting with the People's Crusade (1096).

Michael VIII Palaiologos (1261–1282) adopted the symbol when he resurrected the Byzantine Empire, with the initials (letters β) of the imperial motto of the Palaiologos dynasty: "King of Kings, help the King" (; Basileu Basileōn, Basilei Boethei). It was used on flags and coins. The symbol appears on the Imperial flag divellion (διβέλλιον) used in front of all other banners, recorded by Pseudo-Kodinos ( 1347–68) wrongly as "a cross with firesteels" (σταυρὸν μετὰ πυρεκβόλων), and depicted in the Castilian Conosçimiento de todos los reynos atlas ( 1350). As Alexander Soloviev writes, the use of letters in western heraldry is nonexistent. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Flag_of_Palaeologus_Dynasty.svg" caption="Palaiologos dynasty]], mid-13th century"] ::

The oldest preserved historical source of the cross used in Serbia is from the Dečani oil-lamp (Dečanski polijelej), which was a gift to King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321), the ktetor (founder) of Visoki Dečani, now preserved at the Monastery of Prohor Pčinjski. Stojan Novaković argued that the recorded use of the Serbian cross, as a national symbol, began in 1397, during the rule of Stefan Lazarević. Serbian historian Stanoje Stanojević argued that it entered its use in 1345, with Stefan Dušan's elevation 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.

A 1439 map by Gabriel de Vallseca used both the Serbian cross and eagle when depicting Serbia.

In South Slavic heraldic sources (also known as Illyrian Armorials), the Serbian cross is found in the Korenić-Neorić Armorial (1595), which shows the coat of arms of Serbia (Svrbiae) as a white cross over a red background, with four firesteels, also depicting the Mrnjavčević noble house with the same design, with inverted colours and the Serbian eagle in the center of the cross. According to Mavro Orbini (1607), it was used by Vukašin Mrnjavčević (King, 1365–1371) and Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović (r. 1371–1389). Next, it is found in the Belgrade Armorial II (ca. 1600–1620), the Fojnica Armorial (between 1675 and 1688), the Armorial of Stanislaus Rubcich (c. 1700), and Stemmatographia (1741), while still continuing to be used in foreign heraldic sources.

The Metropolitanate of Karlovci, established in 1691, adopted it in its seal.

After the Serbian 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 Obrenović adopted the Serbian cross as the military flag when forming the first units of the regular army in 1825.

Gallery

Historical

Flags

File:Flag of Revolutionary Serbia.svg|Revolutionary Serbia (1804–1812) File:Flag of Serbia (1835).svg|Principality of Serbia (1835) File:Flag_of_Serbia_(1835–1882).svg|Principality of Serbia (1835–1882) File:Flag of the Serbian Vojvodina.svg|Serbian Vojvodina (1848–1849) File:Flag_of_Kingdom_of_Serbia_from_1882-1918.png|Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1918) File:State Flag of Serbian Krajina (1991).svg|Republic of Serbian Krajina (1992–1995) File:Flag of the Republic of Eastern Slavonia - Baranja - and Western Syrmia.svg|Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1995–1998) File:Flag_of_Serbia_(2004–2010).svg|Republic of Serbia (2004–2010)

Coat of arms and seals

File:Mrnjavcevic - Illyrian Coat of arms.png|Mrnjavčević family, (c. 1370) File:Zastava i grb nemanjicke Srbije (iz 1439. godine), prema portolanu Gabriel de Vallseca.jpg|Serbian Empire, by G. de Vallseca (1439) File:Serbian coat of arms, Belgrade Armorial II.jpg|Serbia, Belgrade Armorial II (c. 1600–1620) File:Arma de Slavni Triballi de Illirico.jpg|Serbs, ed. of Mavro Orbini's Regno degli Slavi (1601) File:Coa Serbia Country History (Fojnica Armorial) (14th century).svg|Serbia, Fojnica Armorial (1675–1688) File:Grb-karlovacke-mitropolije.jpg|Metropolitanate of Karlovci (1713) File:Praviteljstvujušči sovjet serbski.JPG|Revolutionary Serbia (1805–1813) File:Milos Obrenovic 1819.png|Prince Miloš I (1817–1835) File:COA of Principality of Serbia.svg|Principality of Serbia (1835–1882) File:Coat of arms of Serbian Vojvodina.svg|Voivodeship of Serbia and Ban. of Temeschwar (1849–1860) File:Grb kneza Milana Obrenovica IV.png|King Milan I (1878–1889) File:Coat of Arms of Petar I Karadjordjevic (as a Knez).png|King Peter I (1903–1918) File:Veliki dvorski grb Obrenovića.svg|House of Obrenović (1882–1903) File:Coat of arms of the Karadjordjevic dynasty .png|House of Karađorđević (1903–1918) File:Royal Coat of arms of Serbia (1882–1918).svg|Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1918) File:Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg|Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1944) File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Government_of_National_Salvation_2.svg|Government of National Salvation (1941–1944) File:Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.svg|Socialist Republic of Serbia (1947–1992) and Republic of Serbia (1992–2004) File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Republic_of_Serbian_Krajina.svg|Republic of Serbian Krajina (1992–1995) File:Former COA Republika Srpska.svg|Republika Srpska (1992–2006) File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Republic_of_Eastern_Slavonia_-Baranja-_and_Western_Syrmia.svg|Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Syrmia (1995–1998) File:Coat of arms of Yugoslavia (1992–2003).svg|FR Yugoslavia (1992–2003) and Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006) File:Coat of arms of Serbia (2004-2010).svg|Republic of Serbia (2004–2010) File:Coat of arms of Serbia small (2004 - 2010).svg|Republic of Serbia (2004–2010)

Current

National

File:Flag_of_Serbia.svg|State flag of the Republic of Serbia File:Coat of arms of Serbia.svg|Greater coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia File:Coat_of_arms_of_Serbia_small.svg|Lesser coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia

Regional

File:Tradicionalna_zastava_Vojvodine_sa_grbom.svg|Traditional flag of Vojvodina File:Tradicionalni_grb_Vojvodine.svg|Traditional coat of arms of Vojvodina

Local

File:GrbOpsiteArandjelovac.gif|Aranđelovac (Serbia) File:COA Barajevo.gif|Barajevo (Serbia) File:COA Kragujevac.png|Kragujevac (Serbia) COA Ljubovija.gif|Ljubovija (Serbia) File:COA_Rača.png|Rača (Serbia) File:Srpska crnja grb.jpg|Srpska Crnja (Serbia) File:FLAG Surdulica.gif|Surdulica (Serbia) COA Varvarin.png|Varvarin (Serbia) COA Voždovac.gif|Voždovac (Serbia) COA Vracar (small).png|Vračar (Serbia) Zemun stemma.png|Zemun (Serbia) File:FLAG Zvezdara.gif|Zvezdara (Serbia) File:Грб Градишке.svg|Gradiška (Republika Srpska, BiH) File:Источно Ново Сарајево (грб).svg|Istočno Novo Sarajevo (Republika Srpska, BiH) File:Котор-Варош (грб).svg|Kotor Varoš (Republika Srpska, BiH) File:Laktaši (grb).svg|Laktaši (Republika Srpska, BiH) File:Srbac-Grb.gif|Srbac (Republika Srpska, BiH) File:Šipovo (grb).svg|Šipovo (Republika Srpska, BiH) File:Višegrad (grb).svg|Višegrad (Republika Srpska, BiH) File:Coat of arms of Staro Nagoričane.svg|Staro Nagoričane (North Macedonia)

Other usage

Military

File:Oznaka_pripadnosti.svg|Shoulder patch on service uniforms of the Serbian Armed Forces File:Oznaka_pripadnosti_maskirna.svg|Shoulder patch on combat uniforms of the Serbian Armed Forces File:Patch of the Serbian Guard.svg|Emblem of the Serbian Guard paramilitary unit (1991–1992) File:Patch of the Scorpions.svg|Emblem of the Scorpions paramilitary unit (1991–1999)

Police

File:Amblem_helikoperske_jedinice_novi.png|Emblem of the Police Helicopter Unit File:Uprava_za_tehniku.png|Emblem of the Police Technical Directorate

Intelligence

File:Амблем Безбедоносно Информативне Агенције.png|Emblem of the Security Intelligence Agency Emblem of the State Security Directorate.svg|Emblem of the State Security Directorate (1991–2002)

Orders and decorations

Sretenjski_Orden_drugog_stepena.jpg|Sretenje Order Orden_zasluga_za_odbranu_i_bezbednost_treceg_stepena.jpg|Order of Merits in Defense and Security

Science and arts

File:Grb_Srpske_akademije_nauka_i_umetnosti.jpg|Member badge of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Religious

File:Flag_of_the_SPC.svg|Flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church File:Serbia,_Belgrade,_Sait_Sava_Temple,_cross_on_the_top,_07.12.2011.jpg|Serbian cross on the dome of the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade

Sports

File:OKS.svg|Logo of the Olympic Committee of Serbia

Miscellaneous

File:ChippedSerbianID_face.png|Serbian identity card File:Serbian licence plate.svg|Serbian vehicle registration plate File:Montenegrin cap.jpg|Montenegrin cap File:Christmas-Serbian Ortodox Česnica.jpg|Česnica, Serbian Christmas bread

References

Sources

References

1. [http://www.field-archaeology.com/clanci/stevovic/index.php Anarheologija] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-07-11 Slika 5: ''Srpski štit, grb Despotovine od početka XV veka.'')
2. (1930). "Glasnik Istoriskog Društva u Novom Sadu III". Srpska Manastirska Štamp.
3. (1958). "Istorija srpskog grba". Srpska misao.
4. (1971). "Heraldika". Školska knjiga.
5. "Other Byzantine flags shown in the "Book of All Kingdoms" (14th century)". Flags of the World.
6. (1982). "Istorija i tradicija - izabrani radovi". Srpska književna zadruga.
7. Mitja Velikonja. (2003). "Religious Separation and Political Intolerance in Bosnia-Herzegovina". Texas A&M University Press.
8. (1957). "Posebna izdanja 295". SANU.

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