The “cross of Santiago”, or “cross of St. James”, is the insignia of the Knights of Santiago, an Iberian order founded in 1170 [Spada’s Onori e Glorie: Sovrano Militare Ordine, p.61]. It is also blazoned a cruz espada (“sword-cross”) in Iberian armory; it’s considered a highly ornamental form of the cross floryfitchy. The Portuguese and Spanish had slightly different forms; the illustration shows a 16th C. Spanish form.
Ximena Yannez de Talavera bears: Per chevron azure and vert, three crosses of Santiago Or.
Cristóbal Vázquez de Narriahondo bears: Per pale azure and argent, a cross of Santiago counterchanged.
The “cross of Samildanach” is a Society invention. Though never stated, it appears to be composed of four menorahs conjoined at their bases. It is unique to the following armory.
Allyn Samildanach bears as a badge: A cross of Samildanach.
The “cross of St. Brigid” is based on a woven straw design, used by the Irish on St. Brigid’s Day, but dating from pagan fertility rituals. Such rituals used several forms of St. Brigid’s cross; the illustration shows a “straight-armed” cross. Its use in heraldry is unique to the Society, and is considered a step from period practice.
The College of Ste. Brigid bears: Vert, on a bend between two straight-armed Ste. Brigid’s crosses Or, a laurel wreath vert.
Ainbthen ingen Séigíne bears: Argent, in pale three crosses of Saint Brigid vert.
The “Russian Orthodox cross” is also called a “Greek Orthodox” or “Eastern Orthodox” cross. The lower crossbar is tilted, based on a legend that one of Christ’s legs was longer than the other. The Society default for the lower crossbar has varied over the years, being at times bendwise, at times bendwise sinister; currently it is considered an unblazoned artistic detail. The Russian Orthodox cross is described in modern heraldry texts [Neubecker 107], but no period heraldic examples have been found.
Vladimir Krasnoboroda bears: Per fess gules and Or crusilly Russian Orthodox counterchanged.
Anastasia Aleksandrovna Andreeva bears: Per bend gules and argent, two Russian Orthodox crosses in bend argent and another sable.
The “cross rayonnant” may also be called a “cross irradiated”. Its construction is similar to the medieval rose en soleil. It is cited in the Rous Roll, 1483, as the attributed arms of the ancestor of the Earls of Warwick.
David Trueheart bears: Sable, a chevron inverted enhanced and in base a cross couped rayonnant argent, all within a bordure ermine.
Francesca Laura di Firenze bears as a badge: On a cross couped rayonnant argent a fleur-de-lys gules.
The “cross quarter-pierced”, as an ordinary, was originally blazoned as “party (or checky) of nine pieces” in the 15th Century, and was treated as a field [Hope 63]. It was only later considered a modified ordinary, due to the influence of discrete (i.e., non-ordinary) crosses quarter-pierced (or “square-pierced”): e.g., the cross moline quarter-pierced in the arms of Colville, 15th C. [Scots 48].
Jennifer of Cat’s Leap bears: Per saltire azure and Or, a cross quarter-pierced counterchanged.
The “cross quadrate” is sometimes, more fully, termed a “cross nowy quadrate”. It appears to have been an artistic flourish in period, at least for discrete crosses: we’ve examples of the arms of Jerusalem with the center cross quadrate [Gelre 69v], which cannot be considered a cadency change. The treatment is accepted for Society use; difference is granted when applied to a cross throughout (i.e., an ordinary), but not when applied to a discrete cross.
Eleanor FitzPatrick bears: Per pale gules and Or, a cross quadrate couped counterchanged.
The “cross potent” is so called because each of its ends resembles a crude crutch (called a “potent”). (It should not be confused with a “cross potenty”, which is an ordinary with a complex line of partition.) The cross potent is also sometimes called a “cross billety” in early blazons. The cross potent is found in one of the early versions of the arms of Jerusalem, temp. Edward I [ANA2 313], and as a charge in its own right in the arms of Fox, 1413 [DBA3 153].
Konrad of Calanais Nuadh bears: Checky vert and argent, a cross potent sable.
Lukas Weber bears: Quarterly sable and purpure, in sinister chief a cross potent argent.
Ghislaine d’Auxerre bears as a badge: A cross potent Or.
The “cross portate” is described in Legh, 1562 [31], and found in the arms of Tellini, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 274:491]. Its use in Society heraldry is restricted to simple and balanced designs.
Guillaume di San Marino bears: Or, a cross portate pean, in dexter chief a goutte de sang.
Robert Blackhart bears: Argent, a cross portate reversed between three hearts sable.
