Kostuum van een kruisboogschutter van de hertog van Bourgondië uit het drama Louis XI à Péronne 1826

Louis Boulanger created this watercolor print of a crossbowman’s costume from the drama Louis XI à Péronne. Notice the cross of St. Andrew emblazoned on the helmet. This X-shaped cross serves as a potent symbol of martyrdom, yet here, it's repurposed on a soldier's helmet. The cross, deeply rooted in Christian iconography, echoes through time, appearing in various forms from religious art to heraldic emblems. Think of the swastika, an ancient religious symbol from Eurasia, twisted by the Nazis into a symbol of hate and oppression. Symbols morph, shaped by collective memory and subconscious forces. The crossbowman's cross, once a sacred emblem, is now a badge of military identity. In this metamorphosis, we witness the cyclical dance of symbols—dying, being reborn, and imbued with new meanings, a testament to our enduring, albeit ever-changing, cultural narrative.