Patriarchal Cross

The Patriarchal cross is a variant of the Christian cross, the religious symbol of Christianity. Similar to the familiar Latin cross, the Patriarchal cross possesses a smaller crossbar placed above the main one, so that both crossbars are near the top. Sometimes the patriarchal cross has a short, slanted crosspiece near its foot. This slanted, lower crosspiece often appears in Byzantine Greek and Eastern European iconography, as well as Eastern Orthodox churches.

The symbol, often referred to as the patriarchal cross, appeared in the Byzantine Empire in large numbers in the 10th century. For a long time, it was thought to have been given to Saint Stephen by the pope as the symbol of the apostolic Kingdom of Hungary. The two-barred cross is one of the main elements in the Hungarian coats of arms since 1190, it appeared during the reign of King Béla III, who was raised in the Byzantine court. The cross appears floating in the coat of arms and on the coins from this era.

The direct predecessor of the current coat of arms of Slovakia can be found in the coat of arms used by Béla III. Another interpretation says that the Slovakian coat of arms represents Slovakia's past link with Hungary and it is a modified version of the Hungarian coat of arms.

The two-barred cross in the Hungarian coat of arms originated in the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire in the 9th century. Unlike the ordinary Christian cross, the symbolism and meaning of the double cross is not well understood.