What does the coat of arms of Norway mean. Its origin and history

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

The coat of arms, along with the flag, is one of the main state symbols. In ancient times, all noble families had their emblems. They not only served as the hallmarks of aristocrats and rulers, but also were a kind of memory carriers. And every detail in the pattern of the coat of arms has its own meaning and meaning. The Norwegian coat of arms also has its own centuries-old history. How and when did the coat of arms of Norway appear? Description and its meaning, what it can tell us about the past of the country - later in this article.

Coat of arms of Norway today

One of the most important state symbols, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Norway, like many other coats of arms, is created in the form of a shield, which has a dark red color (more often characterized by the word "scarlet"). It depicts a golden lion, which holds in its front paws an ax made of precious metals - the handle is made of gold, and the blade is made of silver. The head of a lion and the shield itselfare crowned.

Today, the head of state has at his disposal a special personal coat of arms, the distinguishing features of which are the signs of the Order of St. Olav and the mantle. In this case, the Norwegian crown crowns the mantle, not the scarlet shield.

Coat of arms and legislation

As in many legislations of the world, in Norway since 1937 the following royal decree regarding the State Emblem has been in force:

1. The State Emblem of Norway is depicted as a golden crowned lion in a scarlet field. With its front paws, the lion holds a silver ax with a handle made of gold.
2. The State Emblem has the form of a shield, which, in turn, should be crowned with a royal crown. The cross and orb are the obligatory hallmarks of the crown.
3. Official bodies wishing to change and use the State Emblem at their own discretion are required to coordinate all changes with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The exceptions are cases where the changes were initiated by the head of state.
4. The State Seal of Norway has the appearance of the State Emblem and the inscription with the name and title of the king around it.
5. From now on, the Royal Decree on the State Seal and the State Emblem of 1905-14-12 is considered invalid.

Origin of the coat of arms

The appearance of a lion on the coat of arms of the Norwegian kings is attributed to the end of the 12th - the beginning of the 13th centuries. On the shields of the rulers of that time, starting with Haakon Haakonsson, there was an image of a lion. Later King Eirik IIMagnusson, grandson of Haakon Haakonsson, changed the design of the emblem, crowning the lion's head with a crown and adding a battle ax to its paws. The new coat of arms was first seen on silver pennies issued by King Erik Magnusson in 1285. Since then, the coat of arms of Norway has always been an image of a golden crowned lion on a scarlet field, holding a silver ax with a golden handle in its paws.

What information does the coat of arms of Norway carry? The meaning of the lion in heraldry is strength, and the battle ax was a popular weapon among the ancient Norse. Also, the ax is an attribute of St. Olav, the heavenly patron of Norway. It was she, according to the "Saga of Olaf the Saint", that caused his death.

Changes in the coat of arms over the centuries

In Norway, no laws or decrees were issued to regulate the use or correctness of the image of the coat of arms, so over the centuries its design has changed. So, in the late Middle Ages, the handle of the ax gradually lengthened, and the ax began to look more like a halberd. It was only thanks to a royal decree in 1844 that the familiar short-handled battle ax reappeared in the paws of a lion.

During the Reformation (XVI-XVII centuries) there was a tradition to depict the Norwegian coat of arms crowned with a royal crown, this custom was completely established around 1671. By this time, the medieval crown was replaced by the royal one, which was depicted as a closed, crowned orb and a cross.

For centuries Norwaywas under the rule of Sweden and Denmark, and only in 1905 the country received full independence. The newly elected king issued a decree in which the draft of the new State Emblem was approved. Now the coat of arms of Norway should be depicted according to medieval canons, as on seals and ancient coins of the 12th-13th centuries. Later, the design of the coat of arms was changed twice - in 1937 and in 1992, however, these changes were not so significant.

Interesting facts

In the XII century, the knights used rather bulky equipment, and a closed helmet did not allow to see the faces of a warrior at all, which made it very difficult to navigate the battlefield. Distinctive signs for this reason could be seen, for example, on the shields or cloaks of warriors.

Interestingly, quite often on the coats of arms of some states of Northern Europe and Scandinavia, such exotic animals as a lion or leopard have been depicted for a long time. The drawing of a lion holding an axe, or rather, a halberd, was also present on the flag of Norway in 1814. Lions and leopards, according to heraldry, symbolize strength, courage and generosity. Knowing this, one can understand what the coat of arms of Norway means for the inhabitants of this country today and what its meaning was in the past.