The coat of arms, along with the flag, is one of the main state symbols. All emblematic families had their emblems in ancient times. They not only served as distinctive signs of aristocrats and rulers, but also were peculiar carriers of memory. And every detail in the coat of arms pattern has its own meaning and meaning. The Norwegian coat of arms also has its long history. How and when did the emblem of Norway appear? The description and its meaning that he 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 emblem of the Kingdom of Norway, like many other emblems, is created in the form of a shield that 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 hilt is made of gold, and the blade is made of silver. The head of the lion and the shield itself are crowned by crowns.
To date, the head of state has a special personal emblem, the hallmarks of which are the presence of signs of the Order of St. Olav and the mantle. In this case, the Norwegian crown crowns the mantle, and not the scarlet shield.
Coat of arms and legislation
As in many laws of the world, since 1937, such a royal decree of the State Emblem has been in force in Norway:
- The national emblem of Norway is depicted in the form of a golden crowned lion located in an scarlet field. With its front paws, the lion holds a silver ax with a gold handle.
- The national emblem has the shape of a shield, which, in turn, must be crowned with a royal crown. The cross and the power are mandatory hallmarks of the crown.
- Official bodies wishing to change and use the State Emblem at their discretion are required to coordinate all amendments with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An exception are cases when changes were initiated by the head of state.
- The state seal of Norway has the appearance of the State Emblem and an inscription with the name and title of the king around it.
- From now on, the Royal Decree on the State Press and the State Emblem of 12/14/1905 shall be deemed invalid.
Coat of arms origin
The appearance of a lion on the coat of arms of the Norwegian kings is attributed to the end of the XII - the beginning of the XIII centuries. On the shields of the rulers of that time, starting with Haakon Haakonsson, there was an image of a lion. Later, King Eirik II Magnusson, the grandson of Haakon Haakonsson, changed the design of the emblem, crowning the head of the lion with a crown and adding a battle ax to his paws. The new coat of arms could be seen for the first time on silver pennies issued by King Eric Magnusson in 1285. Since then, the emblem of Norway has invariably been an image of a golden crowned lion on an scarlet field holding a silver ax with a golden hilt in its paws.
What information does the emblem of Norway carry? Heraldry means lion power, and the battle ax was a popular weapon among the ancient Norwegians. Also, the ax is an attribute of St. Olav, the heavenly patron of Norway. It was she, according to the "Saga of the Holy Olav", that caused his death.
Coat of arms changes over the centuries
In Norway, no laws and decrees regulating the use or accuracy of the coat of arms were issued, therefore its design has changed over the centuries. So, in the late Middle Ages, the ax's hilt gradually lengthened, and the ax began to look more like a halberd. Only thanks to the royal decree of 1844 in the clutches of a lion did the usual short-handed battle ax reappear.
During the Reformation (XVI – XVII centuries), a tradition appeared 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, depicted as a closed, crowned power and a cross.
For centuries, Norway was ruled by Sweden and Denmark, and only in 1905 the country received complete independence. The newly elected king issued a decree approving the draft of the new National Emblem. 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 coat of arms pattern changed twice - in 1937 and in 1992, however, these edits were not so significant.
