▁Latin ▁letter ▁X , ▁is ▁also ▁term ed ▁a ▁salt ire ▁in ▁her ald ic ▁termin ology . ▁ ▁Through out ▁centuries ▁the ▁cross ▁in ▁its ▁various ▁shapes ▁and ▁forms ▁was ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁various ▁belief s . ▁In ▁pre - Christ ian ▁times ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁pag an ▁religious ▁symbol ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁and ▁western ▁Asia . ▁In ▁ancient ▁times , ▁the ▁eff ig y ▁of ▁a ▁man ▁h anging ▁on ▁a ▁cross ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁fields ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁cro ps . ▁The ▁cross ▁was ▁even ▁considered ▁a ▁male ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁ph all ic ▁Tree ▁of ▁Life ; ▁thus ▁it ▁often ▁appeared ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁the ▁female - gen ital ▁circle ▁or ▁o val , ▁to ▁sign ify ▁the ▁sacred ▁marriage , ▁as ▁in ▁Egypt ian ▁am u let ▁Ne fer ▁with ▁male ▁cross ▁and ▁female ▁orb , ▁considered ▁as ▁an ▁am u let ▁of ▁bl essed ness , ▁a ▁charm ▁of ▁sexual ▁harm ony . ▁ ▁Name ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁word ▁cross ▁is ▁recorded ▁in ▁ 1 0 th - century ▁Old ▁English ▁as ▁c ros , ▁exclus ively ▁for ▁the ▁instrument ▁of ▁Christ ' s ▁cru c if ix ion , ▁replacing ▁the ▁native ▁Old ▁English ▁word ▁ro od . ▁The ▁word ' s ▁history ▁is ▁complicated ; ▁it ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁entered ▁English ▁from ▁Old ▁Irish , ▁possibly ▁via ▁Old ▁Nor se , ▁ultimately ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁cru x ▁( or ▁its ▁accus ative ▁cru cem ▁and ▁its ▁gen itive ▁cru cis ), ▁" st ake