There are many different types of crosses that appear in a cemetery. Some are more traditional, like Latin crosses, while others are a bit rare, like the Botonee cross, seen here.
This type of cross, also called the Trefoil cross or the Budded cross, has three small “lobes” on its ends. Each of these lobes represents the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In some cases, the bottom of the cross has three lobes as well, bringing the total to 12, the same number of apostles in the Christian Bible.
What’s really interesting is where the symbol comes from and what it means. In Middle French (kind of like Old English), the word “botonee” means “button.” This also explains why the cross first appears in France and French territories all the way back in the 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, crusaders would put together family heraldry with various symbols on it to differentiate themselves from others. One of these involved sewing three buttons onto each end of a cross embroidered on their garb, and hence the Botonee cross was created.
These days, you often see it in cemeteries that have a heavy Catholic Orthodox population, although it appears in others as well.
Sources
- Cemetery Photography
- Cemetery Symbolism
- Understanding Cemetery Crosses
- 14 Types of Ancient Christian Crosses
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