Every Christian from the holy baptism to the hour of death must wear on his chest the sign of his faith in the crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. This sign is an eight-pointed cross. We wear it not over clothes, but on our body, which is why it is called „worn on the body“. It is also called eight-pointed, for it is like the Cross on which the Lord was crucified on Golgotha.
The cross worn on the body, which is always and everywhere with us, serves us as a constant reminder of the Resurrection of Christ, of our promise to serve Him and renunciation of Satan at the baptism. Thus, the pectoral cross is able to strengthen our spiritual and physical strength, and protect us from the devil’s evil. The prototype of a healing, protecting, returning to life divine sign appeared in the Old Testament. In the book of
Numbers we read: “And the Lord said to Moses: Make yourself a [brass] serpent and display it on a banner, and if a serpent bites any man, the one who is bitten will look at him and live. And Moses made a brass serpent and set it up on a banner, and when a serpent bit the men, he looked at the brass serpent and lived” (Numbers 21:8,9).
As you know, the copper serpent was eventually destroyed, but nothing can destroy the Cross of the Lord. The cross was given to Christians for all times, although in different centuries people could depict it in different ways.
The oldest surviving crosses often take the form of a simple equilateral four-pointed cross. This was customary at a time when Christians venerated Christ, the apostles, and the holy cross symbolically. In ancient times, as you know, Christ was often depicted as a Lamb surrounded by 12 other lambs – the apostles. Also, the Cross of the Lord was depicted symbolically.
Later, in connection with the discovery of the original Honourable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord by the St. Queen Helena, the eight-pointed shape of the cross begins to be depicted more and more often. This was also reflected in the crosses worn on the body. But the four-pointed cross did not disappear: as a rule, an eight-pointed cross was depicted inside a four-pointed one.
In order to remind us of what the Cross of Christ means to us, it is often depicted on the symbolic Calvary with a skull (Adam‘s head) at the base. Next to it you can usually see the instruments of the Lord’s passion – a spear and a cane. The explanatory inscription reads: “King of Glory Jesus Christ the Son of God.” Often the inscription “NIKA” is added (a Greek word meaning victory, here – Christ’s voctory over death). Individual letters that are also present on the crosses mean:
“K” – spear (kopiye),
“T” – cane (trost),
“ГГ” – mount Golgotha (gora Golgotha),
“ГA” – Adam’s head (glava Adama).
“МЛРБ” – „the place of the skull became the paradise“ (mesto lobnoye ray byst; which means that at the site of the execution of Christ, Paradise was once planted).
Crucified Christ is not depicted on the crosses worn on the body. A Christian is never allowed to take off a cross; at the same time, a person has to visit such places where it would be indecent to bring the image of the Savior. Therefore, the Church considered it more pious for Christians not to have an image of the Savior on their body.
Crosses with the image of the crucified Saviour are not considered crosses worn on the body; in ancient times, apparently, there was a tradition of wearing such crosses (as well as icons) over clothing. By the 17th century a custom had developed to place on the back of the
cross the prayer to the Cross (Let God arise and His enemies be scattered…), or only its first words (sometimes this prayer, not fitting on the back, continues along the side surface of the cross). This form of the cross worn on the body is preserved by modern Old Believers. Other crosses (not for wearing on the body), intended for prayer, for veneration, as a rule, have a corresponding inscription: “We bow to Your Cross, O Sovereign…”.
There is an external difference between “female” and “male” crosses. “Female” cross has a smoother, rounded shape without sharp corners. Around the “female” cross, a “vine” is depicted – a floral ornament, reminiscent of the words of the psalmist: “Your wife is like a fruitful vine in the countries of your house” (Ps. 127:3). It is customary to wear a cross on a long gaitan (braid, woven thread) so that you can, without removing it, take the cross in your hands and bless yourself with the sign of the cross (this is supposed to be done with corresponding prayers before going to bed, as well as when performing the cell rule).
