Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2021 December 27

Welcome to the Wikipedia Humanities Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

December 27

Hungarian Cross

Why does the Hungarian coat of arms have a tipped cross? 173.189.209.25 (talk) 14:47, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

The crown in the Coat of arms of Hungary is the Holy Crown of Hungary. This has had a crooked cross since it was damaged in the 17th century. Obviously, they never bothered to have it repaired... --Wrongfilter (talk) 14:54, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Citation needed, though. InedibleHulk (talk) 03:22, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

The Holy Crown of Hungary (p. 20) says that it was first depicted in a crooked state on a thaler coin of King Matthias II in 1609. Exactly how it was damaged is conjectural, but aside from the theory that it was bent by the lid of a chest mentioned in our article, The Holy Crown of Hungary, Visible and Invisible in a footnote on p. 425 says it may have been a "Sign of wear and tear or that of a botched job because of haste in the assembly of the diadem during a succession crisis?". Both articles record at length the crown's status as a national and religious relic of the greatest sanctity, so tinkering with it would not be undertaken lightly. Alansplodge (talk) 12:42, 28 December 2021 (UTC)