The cross has a longstanding history as a powerful religious and cosmological symbol. In some cultures, the cross design represents the ‘axis mundi,’ or ‘the centre of the universe,’ around which everything else revolves. In Christianity, the cross represents the event of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, an essential moment in the history of the religion. Below, we’ve put together a cross tattoo dictionary, explaining the meaning behind different versions of the cross tattoo design.