▁– ▁with ▁astronom ical ▁or ▁cosm ological ▁sym b ology ▁involving ▁ ▁" four ▁elements " ▁( Che val ier , ▁ 1 9 9 7 ) ▁or ▁the ▁cardinal ▁points , ▁or ▁the ▁unity ▁of ▁a ▁vertical ▁axis ▁m und i ▁or ▁cel est ial ▁pole ▁with ▁the ▁horizontal ▁world ▁( K och , ▁ 1 9 5 5 ). ▁Spe cul ation ▁of ▁this ▁kind ▁became ▁especially ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁mid - ▁to ▁late - 1 9 th ▁century ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁compar ative ▁myth ology ▁seeking ▁to ▁tie ▁Christian ▁myth ology ▁to ▁ancient ▁cosm ological ▁myth s . ▁In flu ential ▁works ▁in ▁this ▁ve in ▁included ▁ ▁G . ▁de ▁Mort illet ▁( 1 8 6 6 ), ▁L . ▁Müller ▁( 1 8 6 5 ), ▁W . ▁W . ▁Bla ke ▁( 1 8 8 8 ), ▁Ans ault ▁( 1 8 9 1 ), ▁etc . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁European ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁the ▁cross ▁symbol ▁appeared ▁to ▁carry ▁a ▁religious ▁meaning , ▁perhaps ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁consec r ation , ▁especially ▁per tain ing ▁to ▁bur ial . ▁ ▁The ▁cross ▁sign ▁occurs ▁trivial ly ▁in ▁t ally ▁marks , ▁and ▁develop s ▁into ▁a ▁number ▁symbol ▁independently ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁numer als ▁( ▁" ten "), ▁the ▁Chinese ▁rod ▁numer als ▁( 十 ▁" ten ") ▁and ▁the ▁Bra h mi ▁numer als ▁(" four ", ▁wh ence ▁the ▁numer al ▁ 4 ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Pho en ician ▁alphabet ▁and