Scotland coat of arms flag and symbol. Scottish heraldry. National Flag of the United Kingdom

16.12.2019

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The symbols of each country are considered, first of all, the attributes of power - the coat of arms, flag and anthem. In addition to them, each state has its own emblems in the form of plants, animals, household items or saints. For the Scots, the following are significant:

Thistle

The plant is considered one of the most recognizable symbols of the Scottish nation. On the country's banknotes, the image of a thistle represents determination, perseverance, unpretentiousness and exactly corresponds to the characteristics inherent in the indigenous population of this extraordinary state. According to legend, more than 10 centuries ago, Scottish warriors won one of the important battles with the Vikings thanks to a thistle that fell under the feet of their enemy and caused one of the Vikings such pain that he screamed, after which he was revealed. Today in the country there is a knightly Order of the Thistle, which is awarded to the most courageous representatives of the nation.

Unicorn

The mythical animal is another famous emblem of Scotland. For a long time, nobility and local aristocrats depicted a unicorn on their coats of arms, and under the monarch James II, the fictional creature was minted on gold unicorns. It is believed that this tradition dates back to the 15th century, when the unicorn first appeared on the country's state symbols. Today, the unicorn adorns the Royal Arms of Great Britain, although previously there sat a powerful dragon, which was considered the Irish emblem until the reign of King James.

The Righteous Apostle Andrew and the St. Andrew's Cross

According to Christian legends, in one of the small settlements Scotland - the city of St. Andrews transferred the relics of St. Apostle Andrew. Local residents are sure that the shrine is kept there to this day. Since the execution of the great martyr was carried out through crucifixion on an equiaxed cross shaped like the letter “X”, from then on the figure began to be called St. Andrew’s and became a symbol of the true Christian faith. The St. Andrew's Cross is ubiquitous on the emblems of Scotland, including the main image on the national flag.

Kilt

The subject of national pride is the kilt, which is a pleated piece of tartan fabric. The kilt is draped around the waist using special devices and decorations - straps or buckles. A kilt is made from a special woolen fabric mixed with tartan; by the color of the cell, you can determine to which clan or surname a particular Scot belongs. IN Everyday life Such clothes are not worn, but all official events are incomplete without a kilt, especially traditional Scottish weddings.

Some units of the British Army also wear the kilt. Modern Scottish fashion houses offer various types of skirts that imitate a kilt.

Whiskey Classic Scotch whiskey is called scotch all over the world. Interestingly, this product name is enshrined in law and is protected by copyright. The secret of preparation was known to the ancient Celts, who produced “fiery liquid” in large quantities

. At the end of the 15th century, the distillation process was improved and whiskey became famous in Europe as the “water of life.”

According to the official technology for making scotch, it is divided into five categories, each of which has its own specific characteristics and can be blended, malt, single malt, or grain. Bagpipes An original and easily recognizable musical instrument is made from

various types
leather, including goat, calf or cowhide, and is a bag with several tubes inserted into it. Air is blown through one of them, polyphony is created through the others, and special pipers play the bagpipes. The instrument is made in Scotland in the Mixodilian mode, in a special key - B-flat major. In the Middle Ages, good bagpipers were worth their weight in gold and formed unique clans that commanded respect and veneration among local residents. The Scottish bagpipe cannot be confused with any other - the instrument sounds in a bourdon tone, rolling, loud and captivating from the first note, therefore it is used during parades, processions, festivals, and ceremonies. Hello dears! Today we will finish the topic of European coats of arms, started here: and continued here:. However, as you understand,
general theme
The coat of arms of Great Britain, or more correctly the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, similar to the coat of arms of the British monarch and ruling family. As everyone knows, the current monarch (God bless her) of Great Britain is Elizabeth II of Windsor (aka Saxe-Coburg and Gotha).

Wedding royal princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten. 1947

The coat of arms of Her Royal Majesty could be seen by many, and it is one of the most recognizable in the world of heraldry. It can be described something like this:
On the green lawn, which serves as the main one, there is an English heraldic shield of Gothic form, surrounded by a garter ribbon and embroidered on it with the motto of the Order of the Garter “Honi soit qui mal y pense” on both sides supported by a crowned Rampant Guardant lion and a unicorn on a chain . The lawn contains rose, clover and thistle. At the very bottom there is a motto in French: “ DIEU ET MON DROIT“. The coat of arms is divided into 4 quarters. In the 1st and 3rd quarters there are 3 marching, straight-looking (Passant Guardant) golden lions in a scarlet field, which are usually called leopard lions or simply leopards. In the 2nd quarter there is a scarlet lion with azure weapons (claws and tongue) in a golden field with a scarlet double inner border, overgrown with lilies, and in the 4th quarter there is a golden harp in an azure background. The shield is crowned with a tournament helmet crowned with the imperial crown, surrounded by a mantle, and on top of the helmet there is a golden crowned leopard.

Official Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom and Monarchy

Before we begin to analyze in detail the elements of this coat of arms, it is necessary to say about one of its interesting feature. This coat of arms has another version, which is called Scottish and is used, accordingly, exclusively in Scotland. We will talk about the differences between the main coat of arms and its Scottish version a little later, but now I propose to start looking at the main coat of arms.
In violation of all blazing rules, we will start not with the shield, but with the base. Yes, yes, exactly from the base (soil). Agree that the short-cropped English green lawn is as integral an attribute of Foggy Albion as, say, the monarchy and the five-o-clock. So I cannot help but note how correctly and competently the soil (base) was chosen. However, on the soil there are 3 more interesting heraldic elements - a rose, a clover and a thistle, and these elements are repeated twice and the most paradoxical thing is that they grow from the same stem. These plants are included in the coat of arms with special intent. The fact is that the rose is a symbol of England, the clover is of Northern Ireland, and the thistle is of Scotland.

Everything is clear with the rose of England; everyone has probably heard or read about the War of the Scarlet and White Roses. The Hampshire rose was the ancestral sign of two families claiming hegemony in the kingdom - the Lanksters (Scarlet Rose) and the Yorks (White Rose). King Henry VII, who ascended the throne in 1485, in order to finally end the feud between the families, combined these 2 roses into one - White flower on top of scarlet, or divided into four scarlet and white sectors (“quarters”), or into two parts of scarlet and white flowers vertical stripe in the middle. Since Henry VII became the ruler of the royal Tudor Dynasty (which ruled until 1604), this rose is often also called the Tudor Rose.

The emblem of the football club from Northern Ireland "Cliftonville"

The three-leaf green clover is an ancient symbol of Ireland. According to legend, the patron saint of the island, Patrick, used the clover flower to explain the doctrine of the Trinity. Green is the color of this saint. In addition, the ancient Celts considered clover to be the best protection against the forces of evil and witchcraft. Great Britain now controls part of the island, a territory called Northern Ireland, but the presence of clover seems to imply that the British claim not a part, but the entire green island of Ireland.

Tartan and thistle. Real Scotland

Thistle is the national plant of Scotland. Since ancient times, it has been credited with having a magical effect on evil spirits. In addition, according to legend, in the 10th century, the coastal settlements of the Scots suffered from raids by the Danish Vikings. In 990, near Perth, the Danes came ashore to defeat the army of King Kenneth II under cover of darkness. The Scotts did not expect that the Danes would attack them at night, so they slept peacefully, without even setting up external posts. In order not to make noise when moving, the Danes took off their shoes, but by a fatal accident, one of them stepped on a thistle and screamed in pain, waking up the entire camp of the Scots king with a scream. Awakening from sleep, the Scots put up a worthy rebuff to the Danes and put them to flight. This is the legend. And finally, some wits joke that thistle perfectly illustrates national character, especially in relation to money.
Thus, 3 out of 4 parts of the United Kingdom in the coat of arms, even at a minimal level, are not offended. It will only go around Wales, whose plant symbols - leeks or daffodils, I could not find on the coat of arms. Maybe you can help?

Flag of Wales

Let's continue further. And let's go to the order ribbon surrounding the shield. The blue strap with a gold buckle is a garter, the badge of the highest and oldest English Order of the Garter, established by King Edward III in 1348. If you translate the motto from French into Russian, you get something like “Let him who thinks badly of it be ashamed.” I will not dwell in detail on this Royal Order for the same reasons that I did not examine the Order of the Seraphim on the coat of arms of Sweden (I describe all this in my third book and hope to publish it someday), but still without a few explanations can't get by here. According to one of the most widespread legends, the playful and cheerful lady (and at the same time also a mistress, according to some sources of the aforementioned King Edward III), the Countess of Salisbury at one of the royal balls went into such a dance frenzy that she dropped one of the intimate parts of a woman’s toilet - a garter - on the floor. Everyone around laughed, plunging the poor countess into the throes of shame, but the gallant king picked up the garter and tied it on his own leg with the words “Let him be ashamed who thought ill of it,” which became the motto of the order. The legend is of course beautiful, but if you look closely at the ribbon of the order on the coat of arms, you will probably notice that most of all it is not on the garter at all, but rather on the belt on which the sword was hung. But this is true, by the way.

Regalia of the Order of the Pendant

At the bottom of the coat of arms we can see another motto - " Dieu et mon droit", which translated into Russian sounds like " God and my right". Since the beginning of the 15th century, this has been the personal motto of English monarchs, indicating the divinity of the monarch's rights to power and the crown. And do not be confused by the French spelling of all these mottos - it is quite understandable. Firstly, the English dynasties of that time had French roots, and most kings didn't know at all in English, which was considered the language of the common people (an example here could be the most famous, perhaps the king of England, Richard I the Lionheart), and secondly, Henry V, under whom this motto first began to be used, had every chance of uniting in his hands the crowns of not only England, but also France, therefore, he acted with special intent, drawing the motto in French. The current dynasty would probably have written it in German.

English King Henry V

Well, perhaps it's time to move on to the shield. Leopard lions or leopards located in the 1st and 3rd quarters are an ancient coat of arms of England. Its official name is “walking lions on guard.” It was created by Richard I the Lionheart in 1190. The coat of arms of William the Conqueror and the Norman dynasty was taken as a basis, slightly modified and another one was added to the 2 existing lions. The British, as well-known traditionalists, stick to their basics.
The red lion on a golden background, which we can see in the second quarter, is the oldest symbol of Scotland. It is believed that it was taken from the coat of arms of the county of Fife, and they in turn adopted it from the Vikings. It was first used in the state coat of arms by the Scottish monarch William I the Lion of Scotland, who reigned from 1165 to 1214, who added a fancy double border to the lion. This coat of arms was officially established under Alexander III, who sat on the throne from 1249 to 1286.

Somewhere in Edinburgh...

Since then, this coat of arms has remained unchanged (despite all the intermediate disturbances associated with various historical events, such as kinship with the French royal house and others like it). After the royal dynasty of Scotland ceased to exist with the accession of the Scottish monarch James I to the English throne, the coat of arms of Scotland became part of the Royal Arms of Great Britain.

Controversial figure English history James I Stuart

And finally, in the 4th quarter we can see the coat of arms of Ireland. This is the so-called Irish Harp, which has become a symbol of the “Green Island” since the 13th century. I must say that this is the only one on this moment a country in which the symbol is a musical instrument, so it’s difficult to confuse something here. The appearance of the golden harp is associated with ancient Irish folklore (which, by the way, is very rich, interesting and unusual - if you have the opportunity, check it out). So, according to legend, the supreme gods of light and warmth gave the Supreme King of the Tribes of the goddess Dana, named Dagde, some magical harps, the sounds of which helped the common people to live and enjoy. One flute was called Daurdabla(“The Oak of Two Greens”), another Coir Ketarcuir(“Song of the Four Corners”).

A well-known airline with the symbol of Ireland on its livery

So, in fact, the Irish began to be called from those times as the people of the harp. But this is only one of the legends, of which there are many. Some are associated with such notorious characters as Tristan, and even King David. Be that as it may, the golden harp in a green field became the coat of arms of the province of Leinster, and through it the coat of arms of the state of Ireland. Following the unification of Ireland, England and Scotland under James I of England in March 1603, the harp appeared on the third quarter of the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. I would like to note, however, that the coat of arms of Northern Ireland differs from the all-Ireland one. So here, too, one can discern not only a tribute to tradition, but also claims to the whole of Ireland.

Coat of arms of Northern Ireland

Well, once again I would like to note that such an important part of the kingdom as Wales has been ignored. On the one hand, Wales has the status of a principality, it has never had a sovereign state within its actual borders (even Welsh football clubs such as Swansea play in the English championship), and its national coat of arms has not been approved, but still feels absent in There is some injustice in the heraldry of the United Kingdom and Welsh symbolism. This injustice, apparently, was also felt by the English monarchs, who tried to level out the imbalance in another way. The heir to the British crown bears the title Prince of Wales.

Welsh coat of arms. Leeks present

A few words must be said about shield holders. The lion as a shield holder supports the shield on the right. A white horse with a screw-shaped horn in its forehead is a unicorn on the left. Everything is clear with Leo - the symbol of England. But what about the unicorn, you ask? Along with the thistle and tartan, the unicorn is considered an alternative to the red lion national symbol Scotland. This mystical beast is full of symbolism, but why is it considered a symbol of Scotland, I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you - I don’t know. I only know that it replaced the Welsh dragon as a shield holder at the beginning of the 17th century. In addition to the red dragon, the shield-bearers were a silver antelope, a silver swan, a silver boar and a silver hound.

and this is in Glasgow

Well, the coat of arms is crowned with a golden helmet with a closed visor. He wears an imperial crown (about 12 more can definitely be seen in England) with a crest - a golden crowned leopard, which is colloquially called the “British lion”. To the right and left of the helmet is a golden mantle lined with ermine.
Perhaps this is where we will complete the blazing and analysis of the main British coat of arms. However, at the beginning of the story, we mentioned that there is also a Scottish version of the coat of arms. It differs in detail and significantly. First of all, the shield holders are swapped, and the unicorn is crowned as well as the lion, which hold in their paws and hooves scarlet staffs with the national flags of England (a white flag with the cross of St. George) and Scotland (a blue flag with a white cross of St. Andrew). It is not the imperial crown that is used, but the crown of the King of Scotland with a crest in the form of a red Scottish lion holding a scepter and sword in its paws. Above the crest is the motto "In Defense", which is part of the full Scottish motto sounding like " In My Defense God Me Defend". This, of course, is not in English at all, because all the rules of grammar are violated, but roughly I could translate it like this: In my defense, God is my helper. Well.. something like this.

Scottish version of the coat of arms

Around the shield we can see the chain of the Order of the Thistle, another of Britain's most important and oldest organizations and awards. On the base (soil) thistle blooms in wild colors. Well, the inscription in Latin at the bottom of the coat of arms is the motto of the Order: Nemo me impune lacessit, that is, “No one will touch me with impunity.”
The shield is also different. Only the golden harp in the 3rd quarter remained unchanged. The 1st and 4th quarters are occupied by the Scottish lion, and in the 2nd quarter we can see the historical coat of arms of England from 1558 to 1603, when the English kings considered themselves
I am the possible heir to the throne of France.
Well, to finish the topic, I must say that the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, which we carefully examined today, became such only during the reign of Queen Victoria.

The royal family in the vestments of the Knights of the Order of the Thistle.

Well, the last of all the European coats of arms, which I decided to consider, ironically turned out to be the heraldic sign of the only non-monarchical country of all those reviewed above, although in the past it had rich royal traditions. We will talk about the coat of arms of Portugal.
The coat of arms of Portugal is a golden armillary sphere on which is placed a heraldic shield. In the silver shield there are five azure shields with a cross with five silver bezants, on a scarlet border there are seven golden castles with triple towers, three of which are the main ones. The armillary sphere is framed by golden branches tied at the bottom with two ribbons - red and green.

Coat of arms of Portugal

Let's figure it out. Let's start with the most basic thing - the shield. Five shields in the form of a cross are associated with the events of the 13th century. The first Portuguese king Afonso Henriques, aka Afonso I of Portugal, aka Afonso the Great, aka Afonso the Conqueror, aka Afonso the Founder, or, if we switch to mocking Russian, Alfonso Henryovich of Burgundy in 1139 won a decisive victory over the united forces of the Arabs at Orica. In principle, from that moment he began to call himself king. Five blue shields in a silver field symbolize the five Islamic “kings” defeated at Oriko (apparently, they were talking about military leaders). The five silver nails on each of the blue shields were reminiscent of the crucifixion of Christ, the cross of St. Andrew, or the 5 wounds that Afonso received in battle, or 5 smaller skirmishes that he successfully fought before this battle. Over time, the 5 nails turned into a simple coat of arms, a bezant (circle), named after Byzantine gold coins. The meaning also changed, now it was not nails, but money, that is, the opportunity and right of the king to mint his own coin. The very number of bezants on the shield was also different - from 6 to 12. This was the original Portuguese coat of arms.

Afonso I

I will say that one of the first Portuguese flags was a white cloth with a blue straight cross (one of the symbols of Henry of Burgundy). White and Blue colour and until the beginning of the 20th century. were the main ones in Portuguese symbolism. Later, now it is impossible to establish exactly when a scarlet border with locks appeared around the silver field. The number of castles constantly changed from 8 to 12. King Afonso IV determined their number at 12, and Sebastian I finally approved 7, which is still the case today. Presumably they refer to Moorish castles recaptured by Portugal during the Reconquista. The fact that this is an allusion to the dependence of the Kingdom of Portugal on Castile is unlikely, since the castles are similar to Castilian ones, but unlike the Spanish ones, they do not have open gates.

Henry the Navigator

This shield is used as a small state emblem.
Such an interesting element of Portuguese heraldry as the armillary sphere (from the Latin armilla - bracelet, ring) is an astronomical instrument used to determine the equatorial or ecliptic coordinates of celestial bodies. This is an allusion to the great contribution of Portugal during the era of great geographical discoveries, as well as the vastness of its former colonial possessions and also the personal sign of Henry the Navigator. The sphere depicts the celestial sphere with its main circles: 4 small arcs and one large (twice as wide as the others). The minor arcs correspond to the celestial equator, the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and the celestial meridian. Big arc corresponds to the ecliptic, great circle celestial sphere, along which the apparent annual movement of the Sun occurs.

Coravel of the Order of Christ. The stylized insignia of the order, albeit modified, is applied to the sails.

The green and red ribbon are made in the colors of the national flag. The meaning of these colors is ambiguous and everyone can choose one that suits them personally. The first meaning: green is the color of hope, and red is the color of the blood of those who died for the nation. The second is the green color of the cross of the Avis Military Spiritual Order. In other words, this is a symbol of one of the dynasties that once ruled the Kingdom of Portugal. Red is also the color of the cross, but of another military-spiritual organization - the Order of Christ. Third, the red color stands for Portugal itself, and the green pearl in its possessions stands for Brazil. Everyone chooses the version they personally like best.
Let's finish this for today.

To be continued….

Modern Scotland is inhabited by five million inhabitants. They all honor the traditions of their ancestors. This is expressed in national clothing, cuisine, music and much more. For visitors, the symbol of Scotland is most often associated with a kilt, bagpipes and whiskey. In fact, representatives of this country, which has been fighting for independence for centuries, see thistles, heathers, unicorns and the Apostle Andrew as their symbols. This list will be continued in the article.

State symbols

The official symbol of Scotland is, first of all, the coat of arms. And, of course, it is also a flag. Its cloth has a blue background with a white St. Andrew's cross on it. The flag has been known since the 9th century and is one of the oldest national symbols in the world, which is still used today.

The coat of arms is presented in the form of a shield with a golden field. It has a red inner double border with sprouted lilies and a risen lion to match the border. The tongue and claws of the beast are painted blue. This national symbol of Scotland is also a sign of the monarchy. The motif of this coat of arms is used in many sporting competitions, including the Scottish national football team.

Symbolism in culture

The most revered person in the country (he is also a symbol of Scotland) remains Robert Burns. On his birthday, January 25, the whole country celebrates Burns Super, which takes place in the form of a gala dinner. Dishes praised by the national Scottish poet are brought to the table to the accompaniment of bagpipes. At the same time, his poems can be heard from everywhere. The most revered food on this day is considered to be haggis, which will be described below.

No celebration is complete in Scotland without bagpipes. This national musical instrument, just like its sound, cannot be confused with anything else.

St. Andrew's Day is celebrated annually on November 30. In Scotland this date is officially a bank holiday.

Which symbol of Scotland is most often associated with independence? Few people know that this is a Skunk stone. It is a sandstone block that was used for the coronation ceremonies of Scottish and English monarchs. Its weight is about 150 kilograms. Another name for the stone is Jacob's Pillow.

Symbolism in flora and fauna

The unicorn has been known as a mythical symbol of Scotland since the 15th century. It was used on many coats of arms of famous families, as well as on gold coins. The image of the mythical animal under James of Scotland was placed on the Royal Arms of Great Britain. The unicorn thus replaced the symbol of Ireland in the form of a dragon.

Other animals associated with Scotland include the first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, and the notorious Loch Ness Monster.

The thistle is the country's national floral emblem. His image is found on Scottish currency. There is even the Order of the Thistle, which arose during the reign of James the Second and has a knightly basis. The plant is distinguished by its inaccessibility and stubbornness. This is in keeping with the motto of Scotland: “No one will harm me with impunity.”

Another revered plant is heather. At one time, yellow dye was used to dye clothes, as well as heather ale.

Symbolism in traditional cuisine

Scotland is also distinguished by its originality in its national cuisine. A traditional dish for all festive dinners (especially Burns's birthday) is haggis. To prepare it, lamb offal is used, which is chopped with onions, lard, oatmeal, and seasonings. All this is boiled in a lamb stomach. In times past, haggis was a poor man's dish because it was made from offal that was meant to be thrown away. At one time, the revered Robert Burns dedicated an ode to this dish.

What is the symbol of Scotland for lovers of strong drinks? Scotch whiskey is famous all over the world. Translated from the local dialect, the name of the drink is translated as “water of life.” The right to produce such an alcoholic drink is reserved to Scotland.

Other foods that are considered traditional in this country include:

oatmeal;
shortbread and oatmeal cookies;
meat pie;
carbonated drink "Irn-Bru".

Scotland, regularly appearing in official sources, in various information about this country: blue background, white cross - simple, beautiful, symbolic. However, few people know what the coat of arms of Scotland looks like, what its symbols mean and where they came from, but I must say this bright and interesting coat of arms is no less interesting, and quite well reflects the specifics of this country.

What does the Scottish coat of arms look like?

The Scottish coat of arms is a yellow field on which a red heraldic lion is depicted turned to the left, standing on its hind legs, depicted at the moment of attack. The extended claws are painted blue, the tongue is also depicted in blue. The coat of arms of Scotland is surrounded by a double frame with a pattern of heraldic lines.

At the moment, as an official symbol, the Scottish coat of arms is practically not used anywhere and remains primarily an interesting heraldic element that tells about the glorious moments of the history of Scotland.

How did the coat of arms of Scotland come about?

The central symbol of the Scottish coat of arms is the lion. By the way, it is worth noting that the lion is a very common coat of arms symbol for many northern territories; it is present on the coats of arms of all Scandinavian countries.

Historians suggest that the lion symbol first appeared on the royal Scottish coat of arms around late XII — early XIII centuries, at a time when a Scottish dagger and sword were considered a natural adornment for a man.

At that time, the country was ruled by King William, also known by the nickname “The Lion.” However, officially this symbol royalty was approved later, during the reign Alexandra III in 1251.

For a long period, this coat of arms was the official royal symbol of Scotland: it was raised in the castle if the king was present in it, and they went into battle with it for the honor of the country. For unauthorized, unauthorized use of this state symbol, I was punished the death penalty. After the royal dynasty of Scotland ceased to exist with the accession of the Scottish monarch James I to the English throne, the coat of arms of Scotland became part of the Royal Arms of Great Britain, and is currently located in the second quarter of the British coat of arms.