Coats of arms of European countries - the latest traditions of the Middle Ages

Heraldry in the form in which it is understood in the modern world, originated in Europe. The first arms appeared around the XI-XII centuries as a personal sign of representatives of the military nobility. With the complication of ties in society and the development of feudalism, the custom of denoting one's social status in this way becomes very widespread. Own arms were available to all representatives of the aristocracy, including women, priests, large merchants and even some well-to-do peasants.

In the XIV century, heraldic signs appear in workshops, cities and individual territories. After another century, during the late Middle Ages, the first arms of national states appear. It is impossible to determine the specific date of the appearance of a state symbol, because their appearance has changed regularly. Modern coats of arms of European countries are based on patrimonial emblems of monarchs and reflect their history and cultural features.

Forms and features of heraldic shields

The main element of any coat of arms is a shield - a stylized design carrying a set of signs on the front surface. Official heraldry distinguishes its following forms:

• French - quadrangular with a sharpening of the middle of the lower part.
• Varangian - triangular with smoothly curved sides.
• Spanish - similar to French, but with a rounded bottom side.
• Italian - an oval.
• Germanic - triangular with cut edges.

There are atypical shields of round, square or oblique form, inherent, as a rule, associations of lands or city-states.

Review of heraldic albums shows that most often the arms of European countries rest on shields of French form. This element also changed regularly. For example, the symbol of Britain in the XIX century was located on the Italian shield, but in the next century he moved to Varangian.

Heraldic colors

The colors that cover the coat of arms are called tinctures and, according to the tradition that has come down from the Middle Ages, are divided into 2 groups:

1. Metals - gold and silver. In the illustrations, they correspond to yellow and white colors.

2. Enamel - enamel - red (scarlet), purple (purple, purple), black (mobile), green (green) and blue (azure).

A very limited set of colors was justified during the birth of heraldic traditions. In the XII-XIII centuries the listed colors were inaccessible to the "low estate", they could not be obtained from natural materials.

In addition, the arms of European countries can include so-called furs or feathers - a special combination of colors and shapes, symbolizing a precious symbol of power. In the early Middle Ages, there was a tradition to upholster shields with fur, and after the monarchs wore raincoats and robes, lined with precious ermine skins or squirrels. Tinctures "feathers" among the state arms do not meet, because they were distributed only within the ancestral nobility of the German principalities and to the level of the countries did not come out.

In heraldry there are no restrictions in the number and color combinations. The only thing when creating an emblem is forbidden to impose an enamel on the enamel or metal on the metal, although they can coexist with each other. The emblem that does not comply with this rule will not be such.

Heraldic figures

The science of coats of arms divides the elements depicted on the shield into several groups:

1. Heraldic - geometric forms, dividing the shield into several parts. In total, there are 10 basic figures:

• Vertex.
• A pillar.
• Belt.
• The extremity.
• Sling.
• Rafter.
• Cross.
• Border.
• Shield.
• Free part.

Heraldry knows many varieties of basic figures. Only 200 crosses are known for crosses: Papal, Latin, Burgundy, Maltese, etc. In Europe, this sign can be seen on the arms of Hungary, Greece, Switzerland, Iceland, Slovakia and Serbia.

In addition, there are less significant elements that are rarely found in state emblems. Among them are triangular (wedge, point), quadrangular (square, shingle, rhombus), round (ball, semicircle, arc) and conditional (tournament collar).

2. Non-heraldic - full or partial images of real figures (nature or created by man) or fictional worlds. Their number is huge, and the collection is constantly added new items. On the arms of European countries most often depict natural animals, namely lions and eagles. However, their form differs in each national symbol. For example, lions can stand or lie, have a crown or hold a sword in their paw. A classic beast with a mane and tail with a tassel can be seen on the arms of Great Britain, Bulgaria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Latvia, Finland, Sweden and Estonia. But on some variations of the Norwegian symbol, a leopard is depicted rather than a "king of beasts".

A similar situation with eagles. They can have different sizes and shapes of wings, tail and feathers, keep the beak open or closed. On the arms of Russia, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, heraldic birds have 2 heads each, turned in different directions. This is due to their common historical heritage and strong ties throughout the centuries. On the others (Austria, Germany, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Czech Republic), the eagles have one head and are usually crowned.

It should be noted that there are coats of arms of European countries that combine rare symbols. In particular, the emblem of Ireland - the golden Celtic harp on a blue background - is not found in any country in the world. The coat of arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina is often confused with the sign of the European Union because of a similar color scheme and five-pointed white stars.

Heraldic symbols of countries, cities and territories are an integral part of the culture and spirit of Europe. In the modern world, they, along with the preserved architectural monuments, remind EU citizens and tourists about the existence of the "old lady of Europe."