Symbol on Canoe - any ideas??

[Turtle2]

I picked up this little canoe from a lady here local. When I asked about the symbol on it, she shared that her dad painted that on there back in the mid 80's but unfortunately he had passed and she knew nothing about it. She shared that he was into muzzleloading/reenacting and sometimes he would take this canoe to rendezvous and she remembered that he had to paint it "for it to fit in."
I was curious...might anyone know the meaning of this symbol or its origin? The paint is about shot and I'm thinking of repainting the canoe this spring.

 

[deerstalkert]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...101B9&selectedIndex=6&qpvt=fleur+de+lis+crossused by Catholic voyagers. represents Virgin Mary.

 

[chorizo]

French modified Maltese Cross.

This one has St Martin (last Pope to be recognized as a martyr and the intercessor Saint for Truth and Free Will ) on one side and Our Lady of Lourdes on the other (intercessor for healing)

Maltese cross was used originally by the Crusaders, specifically by Richard the Lion Hearted (who's mother was French ..Eleanor de Aquitaine and he grew up in Southern France, eventually become the Duke and ruling most of Southern France) and the Templars.

The fleur de lis was used by many countries but was particularly recognized as French during the French Monarch period.

For ages, the Maltese Cross was the symbol of the Templars until Pope Clement I banished them and King Phillip IV of France arrested all of them on likely false heresy charges. (The King was deeply in financial debt to the Templars) Sometime after that, the King put his "stamp" on the Maltese Cross by adding the fleur de lis points to the four corners to demonstrate his rule and further the excising of the Templars from society. Politics, religion, royalty The original Game of Thrones. The surviving Templars fled to Spain and Portugal and were either absorbed by existing Orders or slowly died out.

Note the fleur de lis on Phillip IV crown

In Toledo, Spain there is the Museum of the Templars and there is a whole section dedicated to the fall of the Templars and the great efforts made to excise them from society as well as the history of the Maltese Cross. Museo de los Templarios

Here is the modified Maltese Cross that replaced the Templar Cross after their banishment. Note the Fleur de lis and the blue, which were both symbols of the French Monarchy.

The fleur de lis was added to all four points of the Maltese Cross during the period of the "French Popes" or the Avignon Papacy when the Pope ruled from Avignon region in the South of France and the King of France had great influence. All of this happened during the 14th century.

In essence, it symbolizes French Catholicism and was brought to Canada and French occupied areas by Franciscan Friars (Friars Minor) during the 1500/1600

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I picked up this little canoe from a lady here local. When I asked about the symbol on it, she shared that her dad painted that on there back in the mid 80's but unfortunately he had passed and she knew nothing about it. She shared that he was into muzzleloading/reenacting and sometimes he would take this canoe to rendezvous and she remembered that he had to paint it "for it to fit in."
I was curious...might anyone know the meaning of this symbol or its origin? The paint is about shot and I'm thinking of repainting the canoe this spring.

Not only is the shape at the end of the arms of the cross important, the shape of the arms themselves, AND the length are also important, and may entirely change the name of the cross in heraldry. For example....,

This is a Cross Fleur-di-Lis. Note how the bottom arm is longer than the other three. This makes it a different cross than...,

this cross which is close, but this is a Cross Fleury....

Below is a Cross Maltese, which is not the same as a Cross Pattée


Cross Maltese

Cross Pattée

What you have on the canoe is likely a Cross Patoncé, which is a popular form of the cross in Canada.

LD

 

[chorizo]

Excellent! I love the evolving history and these types of things.

Well done LD!

 

[64Springer]

Mic Drop

 

[64Springer]

For 60 years I thought WW1 German fighters were sporting Maltese Crosses.

But they were sporting Pattee Crosses. As are modern German Leopard tanks.

Go, History.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

For 60 years I thought WW1 German fighters were sporting Maltese Crosses.

But they were sporting Pattee Crosses. As are modern German Leopard tanks.

Go, History.

AH they were..., You are correct,.... the Blue Max aka Pour Le Merite medal, WW1, is a Maltese Cross

There was also the Order of The Black Eagle WW1 which was an order of Knighthood from 1701 through WW1, so one might encounter a fellow with such a decoration in any of the many wars in Europe in the 18th century

IN FACT the Germans Liked several types of cross on military decorations prior to and thru WW1. The famous Iron Cross was a WW1 decoration using a Cross Pattée and a black and white ribbon, which was later expanded, into several decorations in WW2 having a Cross Pattée and a red, white, and black ribbon.

LD

 

[Turtle2]

Wow...Thank you guys - THANK YOU!! Now I have a decision to make as I just might leave it on there. Thank you all again so much - I really appreciate all the great information, pictures and explanations.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I’d leave it and if you’re going to repaint the canoe, paint around it.

 

[Turtle2]

I’d leave it and if you’re going to repaint the canoe, paint around it.

Not a bad idea at all Jake. Maybe even go back with the same barn red color as a way to preserve it if you will. I never met the man that owned this canoe before and painted it but I feel kinda connected if you know what I mean.