The cross moline (also cross anchory, French ''croix ancrée'' "anchor cross") is a Christian cross, constituting a kind of

heraldic cross A number of cross symbols were developed for the purpose of the emerging system of heraldry, which appeared in Western Europe in about 1200. This tradition is partly in the use of the Christian cross an emblem from the 11th century, and increasi ...

History

The name derives from its shape, which resembles a millrind, the iron clamp of the upper

millstone Millstones or mill stones are stones used in gristmills, for grinding wheat or other grains. They are sometimes referred to as grindstones or grinding stones. Millstones come in pairs: a wikt:convex, convex stationary base known as the ''be ...

, ''moline'' being the

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intel ...

for a mill. It is very similar to one of the varieties of the "fer de moline" heraldic charge (literal French: "iron of a mill"), the forked tips of which, however, circle out slightly more, akin to the "cross recercelee". It is borne both inverted and rebated, and sometimes "

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltatori ...

wise" (i.e. in the form of a saltire). The cross moline is associated with St.

Benedict of Nursia Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Christianity in Italy, Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Ortho ...

. As a result, it is widely used as an emblem by the monks and nuns of the

Order of St. Benedict , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

, which he founded.

Examples

Crosses moline appear most notably in the arms of the following: *Families: **

Molyneux Molyneux (; Old French: ''De Molines'' or ''De Moulins'') is a French surname. The surname has been linked primarily to a large French family that settled in Lancashire, England. By the 14th century the Molyneux family had split into three mai ...

, a mediaeval Anglo-French family,

Earl of Sefton Earl of Sefton was a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County (created 1628), in the Peerage of Ire ...

Viscount Molyneux A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

Molyneux baronets There have been three baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient Norman family of Molyneux who were granted extensive estates in Lancashire after the Norman Conquest. The baronetcy of Molyneux of Sefton was created in the Baronetage o ...

, etc. A famous example of

canting arms Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus. French heralds used the term (), as they would sound out the name of the armiger. Many armorial all ...

: ''Azure, a cross moline or'' (Burke's Armorials, 1884) **the House of Broglie *Institutions: **The

University of Nottingham , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...

*Modern examples:
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

**

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist ...

used a cross moline for MCRX.

References

Sources

*Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry *Burke's Armorials, 1884 * Boutell, Charles (1890).
Heraldry, Ancient and Modern: Including Boutell's Heraldry
'. London: Frederick Warne.

*Brooke-Little, J P, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, ''An heraldic alphabet'' (new and revised edition), Robson Books, London, 1985 (first edition 1975); very few illustrations * Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, fully searchable with illustrations, http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk * Clark, Hugh (1892).
An Introduction to Heraldry, 18th ed.
' (Revised by J. R. Planché). London: George Bell & Sons. First published 1775. . * Canadian Heraldic Authority, Public Register, with many useful official versions of modern coats of arms, searchable online http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/main.asp?lang=e * Cussans, John E. (2003).
Handbook of Heraldry
'.

Kessinger Publishing Kessinger Publishing LLC is an American print-on-demand publishing company located in Whitefish, Montana, that specializes in rare, out-of-print books. According to Kelly Gallagher, vice president of publishing services at a bibliographic inform ...

. . * Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1909).
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
'. New York: Dodge Pub. Co. . *Friar, Stephen (ed) ''A New Dictionary of Heraldry'' Alphabooks, Sherborne, 1987; with very few illustration of attitudes* Greaves, Kevin, ''A Canadian Heraldic Primer'', Heraldry Society of Canada, Ottawa, 2000, lots but not enough illustrations * Heraldry Society (England), members' arms, with illustrations of bearings, only accessible by armiger's name (though a Google site search would provide full searchability), https://web.archive.org/web/20091116220334/http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/resources/members.htm * Heraldry Society of Scotland, members' arms, fully searchable with illustrations of bearings, https://web.archive.org/web/20130507090132/http://heraldry-scotland.com/copgal/thumbnails.php?album=7 * Innes of Learney, Sir Thomas, Lord Lyon King of Arms ''Scots Heraldry'' (second edition)Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1956 * Moncreiffe of Easter Moncreiffe, Iain, Kintyre Pursuivant of Arms, and Pottinger, Don, Herald Painter Extraordinary to the Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms ''Simple Heraldry'', Thomas Nelson and Sons, London andf Edinburgh, 1953; splendidly illustrated * Neubecker, Ottfried (1976). ''Heraldry: Sources, Symbols and Meaning''. Maidenhead, England: McGraw-Hill. . * Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, ''Members' Roll of Arms'', with illustrations of bearings, only accessible by armiger's name (though a Google site search would provide full searchability), http://www.heraldry.ca/main.php?pg=l1 * South African Bureau of Heraldry, data on registered heraldic representations (part of National Archives of South Africa); searchable online (but no illustration), http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl * Volborth, Carl-Alexander von (1981). ''Heraldry: Customs, Rules and Styles''. Poole, England: Blandford Press. . * Woodcock, Thomas and John Martin Robinson (1988). ''The Oxford Guide to Heraldry''. Oxford: University Press. . * Woodward, John and George Burnett (1969).
Woodward's a treatise on heraldry, British and foreign
'. Originally published 1892, Edinburgh: W. & A. B. Johnson. . {{Christian crosses *MCR - The Black Parade Moline Christian crosses

History

Examples

References

Sources

Further reading