The fleur-de-lis style marking found on some Portuguese bayonets is the Avis Cross (Cruz de Avis). The Avis Cross symbolizes the Order of St. Benedict of Avis (Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis).
The Order of Avis is the oldest and second-ranking of the three Portuguese military Orders of Chivalry that date back to Medieval times. It was instituted in 1162 by Afonso I, the first Portuguese King. It was a religious/military order that adopted the rules of St. Benedict and served under the Order of Cistercians. During the 1200s, Knights of the order took over Spanish possessions in Portugal. In 1385, the Master of the Order ascended to the Portuguese throne (King John I), permanently uniting these territorial conquests with the Portuguese state.
The Order of St. Benedict of Avis was represented by a green Latin cross with lily petals at the arm-ends. As a national symbol, the Avis Cross represents Portuguese independence from the Castile Kingdom in 1385. The Order of Avis was secularized in 1789, becoming an order of merit for military personnel, awarded as an honor to recognize military achievements and contributions made in political, diplomatic, and political office by members of the military.
