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16th and 17th Century Flags (Spain)

The Burgundy Cross

Burgundy Cross

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Burgundy Cross

by António Martins

Some days ago, I scanned a Burgundy cross from Crampton 1990. It is a plain "saltire raguly gules" on white - it looks very realistic, like two untrimmed logs crossed. I'd like to have a brief comment on the origin and uses of this cross.

António Martins, 27 June 1997

The Burgundy cross was used by the Carlists (Requetés) during the Spanish Civil War and afterwards, and by the Traditionalist Party (Partido Tradicionalista) during the post-Franco years, but this is a short period of history. The Burgundy cross, based on the wooden cross where St. Andrew was crucified, is an old vexillological symbol (...) and Spain used this symbol, specially at sea, for many years before the Carlist ideology developed. I do not think any political adjective should be used drastically about this cross.

José Carlos Alegría, 30 August 1999

The basic pattern of a saltire raguly couped Gules, or plainly speaking a red saltire resembling two crossed, roughly-pruned branches, on a usually white field (but also blue, purpure etc.), was the Spanish military flag (**W/***) from the 15th century up to 1843, when the 1785 War Ensign was adopted for use on land too. The saltire was originally a Burgundian emblem, first introduced in Spain as the personal badge of Phillip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy and King Consort of Castile and Aragon, married to Joan of Castile and Aragon (daughter of the Catholic Kings Ferdinand and Elizabeth), the parents of Charles I (Charles V as German Emperor). As such, the emblem has been called in Spain "cross (or, more properly, saltire) of Burgundy", even if the term "cross/saltire of St. Andrew" has also been used.

To say that the flag is that of the Spanish armed forces because its patron saint is Saint Andrew, is a post-facto explanation with not much vexillological background. Spanish infantry did fly it, as also did cavalry, artillery, engineers, etc. It was first used not by regular infantry but by the equivalent to the present Spanish (Foreign) Legion, the Tercios, volunteer expeditionary troops including infantry and cavalry.

From the 1930s up to recently there has been scarce use of the Burgundy Cross by infantry units in flags, uniforms etc., whereas it is displayed in all Spanish Air Force planes (that is what the stylized saltire fin marking stands for!).

On the other hand, it is a mistaken explanation, since the patron saint of the Spanish Infantry is not St. Andrew but Our Lady's Immaculate Conception! Actually none of the Spanish Armed Forces' branches-of-service have St. Andrew as its patron... The Burgundy Cross is nevertheless related to St. Andrew indeed, not through the patronage of a Spanish army branch, but through its Burgundian origin — St. Andrew being the patron saint of the Duchy of Burgundy.

Santiago Dotor, 6 October 1999