THE FATAL FIRES that have engulfed parts of Los Angeles have given rise to numerous odd conspiracy theories, often involving claims about energy weapons, “smart cities” and even Satanism.
“This woman is currently going viral because of the necklace she was wearing when she was giving an update of the Los Angeles fires,” one video says over a still image of a woman giving a press conference.
“She is currently wearing an upside down cross, she’s on the board of supervisors for Los Angeles County and she is the ex-mayor of West Hollywood.”
Other posts were more dramatic. “Is the book of Revelations unfolding right before our very eyes?” reads a 12 January post with a screenshot of the same woman giving a press conference.
“As you can see with your own eyes, she looks possessed with the devil, and notice the upside down cross around her neck.”
Other posts claim that the woman is a Satan worshipper or working for The Devil or The Antichrist, and that this somehow explains the fires in the area.
These claims are false on multiple levels, but most pertinently: it is not an upside-down cross shown on the woman’s necklace.
The upside down cross is used in some traditions and is traditionally called the Petrine or Saint Peter’s cross.
The name comes from an apocryphal story about the martyrdom of Saint Peter where he requested to be crucified “with the head downward” — Peter’s reason for this is a bit difficult to decipher from the text, though it seems meant to reflect mankind’s propensity to invert good and evil.
While the symbol is mostly associated with some strains of Catholicism, it is used in other Christian denominations, and can be seen on the Lutheran Veitsiluoto Church in Sweden, which features such an inverted cross on its roof.
However, in recent times, the symbol’s association has changed in popular culture, primarily through its use in horror movies and heavy metal imagery, and is often thought to represent blasphemy and Satanism, or at least an opposition to Christianity.
So, which of these associations should we attribute to the US official at the press conference? Is it meant to represent Saint Peter of The Antichrist?
Neither, as she is not wearing an upside down cross.
While the necklace appears to feature an upside down cross in some pictures, most of these are particularly poor quality images, often taken of a television screen with a phone.
Higher resolution images of the woman pictured, Lindsey Horvath, reveal that the necklace actually holds a St Brigid’s Cross pendant.
A higher definition video of Horvath, posted the same day as the press conference the screenshots were taken from, shows her wearing the same clothes and necklace. However, at the closer angle it is clearly a St Brigid’s cross with four equal-length arms.
However, a small piece of metal where the pendant attaches to the rest of the chain of the necklace can, at a distance on when viewing low-resolution images, make the top arm appear a little longer than the others — and therefore like a cross of Saint Peter.
Horvath was raised Catholic and has spoken about her faith with religious media.
Previous photos and video show Corvath wearing the same necklace, which clearly features a Saint Brigid’s cross when shown in detail.
There is controversy about which (if any) of the legends of Saint Brigid are based on historical events, which were co-opted from a pre-Christian goddess, and which were more recent inventions.
Nevertheless, Brigid has been recognised as a saint in many Christian traditions, including by Pope Benedict, and is considered a patron Saint of Ireland.
People traditionally braided St Brigid’s crosses out of straw, rushes, or reeds on her feast day, the first of February, and hung them throughout the home.
The Journal has previously debunked AI-generated images of the fires in Los Angeles, including pictures that appear to show the iconic Hollywood sign on fire.
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