Slīpais krusts, the "diagonal" or "oblique cross", is an X-shaped sign found in Latvian folk ornament. It is one of the simplest Latvian signs and one of the most widespread.
An X-shaped cross
The sign is a cross turned on its side, its arms running diagonally. It appears in weaving, carving and decoration, often repeated as part of larger patterns.
At the threshold
The diagonal cross has a particular association with boundaries. The original research for this article drew on evidence from the Suiti community of western Latvia, where diagonal crosses were marked at thresholds, the place where the household meets the outside world.
How it is read today
Modern Latvian sign charts treat the diagonal cross as a sign of guarding and of boundaries. That reading draws on its position at thresholds and on twentieth-century interpretations of folk ornament.
