Thelooped square (⌘), also known asSaint John's Arms,Saint Hannes cross (related toSwedishsankthanskors,Danishjohanneskors, andFinnishhannunvaakuna), and as thecommand-key symbol due to its use on thecommand key onApplecomputer keyboards, is a symbol consisting of a square with outward pointing loops at its corners. It is referred to as a looped square, for example, in works regarding theMississippian culture[1] (approximately 800CE to 1600 CE). It is also known as theplace of interest sign[2] when used on information signs, a practice that started inFinland in the 1950s, spreading to the otherNordic countries in the 1960s.[3]
It is an ancient symbol used by several cultures, and remains in common use today. It belongs to a class of symbols which are calledvalknute in Norway.[4]
The symbol appears on a number of ancient objects in Northern Europe. It features prominently on apicture stone fromHablingbo,Gotland, Sweden, that was created between 400 and 600 CE.[5]
It is also similar to a traditionalheraldic emblem called aBowen knot.[6]
In Finland, the symbol was painted or carved on houses and barns, and domestic utensils such as tableware, to protect them and their owners from evil spirits and bad luck. The oldest surviving example is a pair of 1000-year-old (Finnish pre-Christian period)wooden skis decorated with the symbol.[7][8]
The looped square also appears on artifacts of theMississippian culture of the southeastern United States.[1]
Whilenot a true knot, many depictions follow the convention forheraldic knots in that thecrossings of the strand obey an under–over pattern.
The English names Saint John's Arms, Saint Hannes cross or Saint Hans's Cross as well as the Scandinavian names refer toJohn the Baptist. The connection is that the celebration ofMidsummer's Eve is a major festival in Scandinavia, which in theJulian calendar coincided with the Christian feast celebrating thenativity of Saint John the Baptist, and that the (pagan) symbol was associated with the Midsummer celebrations.[9]
In modern times, the symbol is commonly found inBelarus,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,Germany,Iceland,Latvia,Lithuania,Norway,Sweden, andUkraine as an indicator of locations of cultural interest, beginning in Finland in the 1950s and spreading to the otherNordic countries in the 1960s.[3] There has been modern speculation that it was chosen for its resemblance to an aerial view ofBorgholm Castle;[10] however, as stated its use for attractions began in Finland, not Sweden, and the symbol is well-represented in Scandinavian artifacts that predate the current castle by centuries.[5]
The symbol later gained international recognition viacomputing. It is used onApplekeyboards as the symbol for thecommand key[11] as well as inelementary OS as the symbol for theSuper key.[12]
The looped square is used in the logos of Belgian telecommunications companyProximus and Canadian software company DistillerSR.[13][14]
InUnicode, it is encoded atU+2318 ⌘PLACE OF INTEREST SIGN, in the blockMiscellaneous Technical.
The Cox Mound, or Woodpecker, gorget style is a particularly beautiful and enduring symbol of Tennessee's prehistoric inhabitants. [...] Surrounding the cross and sun is a scroll-like design element known as the looped square. This feature may represent wind, or possibly the litter on which subordinates carried a chief.
Splat refers to the key on a Mac keyboard that's officially called the Command key. Some old-school Mac nerds — my father included — call it the "splat" key, because the symbol sort of looks like something that went "splat". The symbol itself, also known as Saint John's Arms or the "place of interest sign"... is often seen in Northern Europe.
Media related toLooped squares at Wikimedia Commons