cross

The cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is also termed a saltire in heraldic terminology. Throughout centuries the cross in its various shapes and forms was a symbol of various beliefs. The cross has been widely taken as an official symbol of the Christian faith exclusively from an early period in that religion's history to present. In pre-Christian times, it was used as a religious or cultural symbol throughout Europe, in west and south Asia (the latter, in the form of the original swastika); and in Ancient Egypt, where the Ankh was a hieroglyph that represented "life" and was used in the worship of the god Aten. It often appeared in conjunction with the female-genital circle or oval to signify the sacred marriage, as in the Egyptian amulet Nefer, which features the male cross and female orb, considered an amulet of blessedness and a charm of sexual harmony.