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 (ÃÂ). 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 "á", 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.
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. 306âÂÂ337). 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 (1261âÂÂ1282) adopted the symbol when he resurrected the Byzantine Empire. In Lord Marshal's Roll (1310), the flag of "Salemko" (Thessaloniki) is a red cross with red firesteels (as letter C). A Spanish maritime map from 1330 depicts the Palaiologos tetragrammatic cross as the flag for the Byzantine Empire. Pseudo-Kodinos ( 1347âÂÂ68) records the ordinary Imperial naval flags as the flamoulon with "a cross with firesteels" (). Pseudo-Kodinos describes that apart from that flamoulon with firesteels, there were also flamoulon of military units with various symbols and icons of saints, that were carried in pairs (of six) in ceremonies, while the Imperial banner called divellion () was "only one", i.e. it was a special flag not carried as the other, and Soloviev believed that it also depicted the cross with firesteels, however Palavestra sees it improbable that the ordinary flamoulon and the divellion had the same insignia. What is known for certain is that this Palaiologos flag was the ordinary Byzantine flag, also used by the navy ships. The 14th-century Book of Knowledge of All Kingdoms shows the emperor's flag as including four quarters, two of which depicts a golden cross with open firesteels.
In the 15th century, a Provencal heraldist claimed that the Byzantine flag was a golden cross with four Greek Beta (ÃÂ), and in the 17th century this was adopted by the marquises of Montferrat, as well as du Cange: "cross with the letter B, not unlike firesteels" (). According to the view of Ioannis Svoronos, supported by Alexander Soloviev, the firesteels were letters (ò), representing a religious invocation, of which there are various interpretations.
The chandelier of Visoki DeÃÂani () features both the eagle and cross with firesteels. It was earlier believed that it was a gift of Princess Milica of Serbia in 1397, however, newer studies show that it rather dates to the building of the church in 1330, and Milica and her sons Stefan and Vuk had it renovated. In any case, the specimen shows that both symbols, adopted from the Palaiologos, were important heraldic elements in Serbia in the 14th century. Stojan Novakoviàargued that the recorded use of the Serbian cross, as a national symbol, began at latest in 1397, during the rule of Stefan LazareviÃÂ. Serbian historian Stanoje Stanojeviàargued that it entered its use in 1345, with Stefan Duà ¡an's elevation to Emperor.
Despot Stefan LazareviÃÂ adopted the symbol (with open firesteels) and it was depicted on coins. In the Charolais Armorial (1425), Serbia has three flags, out of which one is the golden tetragrammatic cross with closed-style firesteel (as letter B).
In South Slavic heraldic sources (also known as Illyrian Armorials), the Serbian cross is found in the KoreniÃÂ-NeoriàArmorial (1595), which shows the coat of arms of Serbia (Svrbiae) as a white cross over a red background, with four firesteels, also depicting the MrnjavÃÂeviànoble 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 Vukaà ¡in MrnjavÃÂevià(King, 1365âÂÂ1371) and Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovià(r. 1371âÂÂ1389). Next, it is found in the Belgrade Armorial II (ca. 1600âÂÂ1620), 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 1708, adopted it in its seal, and it was then used by the Patriarchate of Karlovci, and the Serbian Orthodox Church following church unity in 1920.
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". Miloà ¡ Obrenoviàadopted the Serbian cross as the military flag when forming the first units of the regular army in 1825.