Ancient Laurel Crown Symbolism

God The Father presents the victory laurel crown to Christ,
the Holy Spirit symbol is in the center of it.

The Divine Hand presenting a Crown to The Infant Jesus.
This crown is the form of an ancient Roman symbol.

Scripture References for Laurel Chrismons:

• "For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:4 (NIV)
• "For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
  " 1 John 5:4 (NLT)
• “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (ESV)

The Chi Rho (/ˈkaɪ ˈroʊ/; also known as chrismon) is one of the earliest forms
 of christogram, formed by superimposing the first two (capital)
letters—chi and rho (ΧΡ)—of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Christos)
 in such a way that the vertical stroke of the rho intersects the center of the chi.

 

A laurel crown refers to victory. It is an
ancient crown symbol, not as popular as
the medieval Christian crown symbols
depicted in Chrismon trees, but a crown
often attributed to Christ by ancient
 believers in Rome.

         A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (Ruscus hypoglossum) or cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head. In ancient Greece wreaths were awarded to victors, both in athletic competitions, including the ancient Olympics made of wild olive-tree known as "kotinos" (κότινος), (sc. at Olympia) and in poetic meets; in Rome they were symbols of martial victory, crowning a successful commander during his triumph. Whereas ancient laurel wreaths are most often depicted as a horseshoe shape, modern versions are usually complete rings. Read more...

• Read about the diadem in ancient cultures
• Wreath it's use and meaning in ancient visual culture

 

The Crown of Martyrdom

       The Palm, in Christian art, is the symbol of martyrdom when combined with a crown. It is often found on the tombs of the early martyrs, and belongs to any saint who has suffered death in the cause of Christ. These saints are known to God the Father even if we do not know who they are. There have been many peoples around the world who have suffered this kind of death.

2nd example of the same crown of the martyrs.

Scriptural References for The Crown of Martyrdom:

• "When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;" Revelation 6:9 (NASB)
• "They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated..." Hebrews 11:37 (NASB)
• "so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.'' Luke 11: 50-51 (NASB)
• "'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10 (NASB)
• ""They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God." John 16:2 (NASB)
• ""Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name." Matthew 24:9 (NASB)
• "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12 (ESV)
  

The Virgin Holding Baby Jesus Chrismon

Mary is pictured: seated on a throne that is carved like a church, on her lap is the baby Jesus, on her head is a crown of honor for her sacrifices, she is handing to Jesus a piece of fruit that is symbolic for the tree of knowledge. This symbolism refers to the task that Jesus must accomplish: to replace Adam, Romans 5: 12-21.

The Scripture Reference for the Christian Chrismon Above:

• "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:12-21 (ESV)

More Scriptural Resources for Crown Images in Chrismons:

A Crown, in Christian art, is the symbol of sovereignty, victory, and of the glory of martyrdom. It is assigned in five instances. The scripture that you teach and/or include along with that Chrismon is dictated by it's visual or traditional representation:

1. It is given to Deity, to Jesus who is the only one who has paid the blood sacrifice for the sin of mankind and who is also the second person of The Holy Trinity. "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Romans 3:26 (NIV)
2. Traditionally the Catholic church has also assigned a crown to Mary because she bore Jesus into the world against the enemies of the air and she was also was one of the first woman to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. She is ranked high with the 12 apostles. "She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne." Revelation 12:5 and "When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." Acts 1:13-14 (NIV)
3. As the symbol of victory and the glory of martyrdom, it is given to saints and martyrs that have been canonized by Christian Orthodox Churches.
4. Crowns are also assigned to all people who believe on the basis of their faith as described in Revelations, this being the traditional perspective held by Protestant Christendom. These people toss their crowns at the feet of King Jesus in the end times. "the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4: 10-11 (gotquestions.org)
5. And lastly, crown symbols are assigned to ruling monarchs on Earth.

  "Oh My Soul" by Casting Crowns
Web interview about how "Oh My Soul" was written.

Three Crown of Thorns Chrismon Patterns

Triclavianism is the belief that three nails were used to crucify Jesus Christ.
 The exact number of Holy Nails has been a matter of theological debate for centuries.

       The mocking of Jesus occurred several times, after his trial and before his crucifixion according to the canonical gospels of the New Testament. It is considered part of Jesus' passion.

       According to the gospel narratives, Jesus had predicted that he would be mocked (Matthew 20:19, Mark 10:34, and Luke 18:32). The mocking of Christ took place in three stages: immediately following his trial, immediately following his condemnation by Pontius Pilate, and when he was being crucified.

       The New Testament narratives of Jesus being mocked are filled with irony, while the mockery focuses on Jesus' prophetic and kingly roles.

       According to three of the canonical Gospels a woven crown of thorns was placed on the head of Jesus during the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. It was one of the instruments of the Passion, employed by Jesus' captors both to cause him pain and to mock his claim of authority. It is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew (27:29), Mark (15:17), and John (19:2, 5) and is often alluded to by the early Church Fathers, such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and others. Read more...

This Crown of Thorns is surrounded by a "sun halo." This type of halo is used on Chrismon trees as a symbolic reference to: the Deity of Christ who is the son of God. It is the appropriation of one symbol to contextualize another.

Read more about the "IHS" symbol for Christ here.

Scripture References for a Crown of Thorns Chrismon:

• "But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Galatians 3:13 (NLT)
• "And to the man he said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains." Genesis 3:17-18 (NLT)
• "But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." Hebrews 2:9 (NIV)
• "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem." Isaiah 53:3 (NIV)
• "And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands." John 19:2-5 (ESV)
• "and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.
   Matthew 27:29 (NIV)

Crown of thorns, Alpha and Omega plus the Chi Rho Chrismon Stencil.

The Thistle Symbol

       The Thistle is symbolic for chivalry and long suffering endurance. Over time, the meaning of chivalry has been refined to emphasize social and moral virtues more generally. However, the code of chivalry, as it stood by the Late Middle Ages, was a moral system which combined a warrior ethos, knightly piety, and courtly manners, all conspiring to establish a notion of honor and nobility.

       Understanding this medieval definition of chivalry is very important when interpreting the symbolism behind the thistle. Royal families in both Scotland and France have long associated the symbol with their own heraldry because of it's links to chivalry.

       In origin, the term chivalry means "horsemanship", formed in Old French, in the 11th century, from chevalier (horseman, knight), from Medieval Latin caballārius. The French word chevalier originally means "a man of aristocratic standing, and probably of noble ancestry, who is capable, if called upon, of equipping himself with a war horse and the arms of heavy cavalryman and who has been through certain rituals that make him what he is". In English, the term appears from 1292 (note that cavalry is from the Italian form of the same word).

       The meaning of the term evolved over time because the word chevalier was used differently in the Middle Ages, from the original concrete military meaning "status or fee associated with military follower owning a war horse" or "a group of mounted knights" to the ideal of the Christian warrior ethos propagated in the Romance genre, which was becoming popular during the 12th century, and the ideal of courtly love propagated in the contemporary Minnesang and related genres. Thus, chivalry has hierarchical meanings from simply a heavily armed horseman to a code of conduct.

       The ideas of chivalry originated in three medieval works: the anonymous poem Ordene de Chevalerie, that tells the story of how Hugh II of Tiberias was captured and released upon his agreement to show Saladin (1138-1193) the ritual of Christian knighthood, the Libre del ordre de cavayleria, written by Ramon Lull (1232-1315), whose subject is knighthood, and the Livre de Chevalerie of Geoffroi de Charny (1300-1356), which examines the qualities of knighthood, emphasizing prowess. Based on the three treatises, initially chivalry was defined as a way of life in which three essential aspects fused together: the military, the nobility, the religion.

       The "code of chivalry" is thus a product of the Late Middle Ages, evolving after the end of the crusades partly from an idealization of the historical knights fighting in the Holy Land, partly from ideals of courtly love.

Gautier's Ten Commandments of chivalry are:

1. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches and thou shalt observe all its directions.
2. Thou shalt defend the Church.
3. Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
4. Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.
5. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
6. Thou shalt make war against the infidel without cessation and without mercy.
7. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
8. Thou shalt never lie, and shalt remain faithful to thy pledged word.
9. Thou shalt be generous, and give largesse (to pay/make tithes, taxes and charitable contributions) to everyone.
10. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

      Though these ten commandments are often accepted to be what knights would use, they would not necessarily be what a knight actually followed in the medieval era. This code was created by Leon Gautier in 1883, long after the knight had ceased to exist in its traditional form. Chivalry in a historical sense was more of a subjective term, these laws would likely be seen as good code for a clergyman, however others would hold different ideas on what chivalry truly was.

       All of these ideas about codes of conduct and chivalry where directly linked to the persona of Christ by medieval Christendom. Both the thorns of the thistle and the lavender colored crowning top of petals as seen on the flower's bud (head) served as reminders of Jesus' authority in Heaven and on Earth. In fact, Jesus wears both a crown of thorns and a royal purple robe in many of the carvings, stained glass windows, paintings, engravings, etc... depicted in his churches across the Western world.

Scriptural References for the Thistle Chrismon:

1. He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27 (NIV)
2. "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
3. "Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
   " Psalm 41:1 and "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5 (NIV)
4. "Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;" Proverbs 3:9 (NIV)
5. "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," Matthew 5:44 (NIV)
6. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
7. "Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him." Mark 12:17 (NIV)
8. "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16 and "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 (NIV)
9. "'If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you." Leviticus 25:35 and ""Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
10. "Declare what is to be, present it-- let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me." Isaiah 45:21 (NIV)

The Crown Symbol for a Chrismon Christmas Tree

       The Crown, when on the head of the Madonna, in art, makes her the Queen of Heaven and Regina Angelorum. When the attribute of a martyr, it signifies the victory over sin and death, or denotes that the saint was of royal blood; in the latter case it is usually placed at the feet. Among the Jews the crown was the ornament of a bride, and to the present time it is placed on the head of a nun when consecrated as the Bride of Christ. For this reason it is more frequently seen on the heads of female saints, while those of the other sex hold it in the hand. It is sometimes a mere circlet, often a chaplet of flowers; and again it is magnificent with gold and precious jewels.

       The crown pattern above would suit nicely for either a embroidery design, or for coloring in metallic inks. Glue on a few faux gems or trace it onto tin with a dull pencil. Use your imagination!

Scriptural references for this Chrismon symbol:

• "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him." 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV)
• "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church." Ephesians 5:22, 23 (NLT)
• "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Revelation 19:7,8 (ESV)

More About The Bride of Christ:

• The Bride of Christ from Amazing Facts
• 24 Bible verses about the Bridegroom 
• Being the Bride of Christ: How You Can Relate

The crown with the additional 
scepter included is the 
''King Forever'' Symbol 
belonging only to Christ!

"IHS" Plus a Crown Pattern for Chrismons

This particular pattern would look attractive as an embroidery.

      Crown. - A crown, in Christian art, is the symbol of sovereignty, victory, and of the glory of martyrdom. As the symbol of sovereignty, it is given to the Deity, and sometimes to the Virgin Mary. As the symbol of victory and the glory of martyrdom, it is given to saints and martyrs. In addition, it in some cases alludes to earthly rank. In this case it is a symbol for Christ's deity because it is paired with the Christogram beneath it.

       In the Latin-speaking Christianity of medieval Western Europe (and so among Catholics and many Protestants today), the most common Christogram became "IHS" or "IHC", denoting the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, IHΣΟΥΣ, iota-eta-sigma, or ΙΗΣ.

       The Greek letter iota is represented by I, and the eta by H, while the Greek letter sigma is either in its lunate form, represented by C, or its final form, represented by S. Because the Latin-alphabet letters I and J were not systematically distinguished until the 17th century, "JHS" and "JHC" are equivalent to "IHS" and "IHC".

by ChuckKnowsChurch