Estonian National Arms

[Juan Jose Morales]

Estonia was once a territory of Denmark. Is that why the national arms
of Estonia are basically the same as the small arms of Denmark: or three
leopards in pale azure--the main difference being that the Danish
leopards are crowned and the field bears nine hearts proper?

En el Nombre de DIOS Arriba Nosotros.

[David Pritchard]

Dear Sr. Morales,

The city of Tallinn (Taani Linn, meaning Danish Castle in Estonian)
was conquered by the Danes in 1219. The Danish King Waldemar II
granted the city its distinctive arms in the 13th century. The city
changed rulers in 1348 and instead used the arms of the occupying
Livonian Order, Gules, a cross Argent. The Swedes conquered the
territories of Estonia and Livonia in 1561 and returned to using the
old arms of the city, though from time to time they used the old arms
of the Livonian Order on the city's coins. Russian Emperor Peter I
annexeded Estonia in 1710. On 4 October 1788 the arms of Tallinn (or
Reval as it was called then) were formally granted to the Principality
of Estonia as a whole by Empress Catharine II. The Russian form of the
arms (less the Imperial Crown after 1917) have been used by the
country from that date until 1940 and then again revived in 1991 to
the present.

Best wishes to all,

David Pritchard

Hijod...@webtv.net (Juan Jose Morales) wrote in message news:<29906-419...@storefull-3256.bay.webtv.net>...

[Scott Brown]

(1)J. Louda's "European Civic Coats of Arms" indicates that
the residents of Tallin/Reval consider king Waldemar II(I) of Denmark
to be the founder of the city and use their varient of the
Danish coat of arms in his memory.

(2) The knights of the Livonian order wore red cloaks decorated
with red crosses and swords (Enc. Britannica). Any ideas on
why their arms and cloaks had the colors reversed?
Scott Brown

pritch...@hotmail.com (David Pritchard) wrote in message news:<47d40f92.0411...@posting.google.com>...
>
> ... The city

> changed rulers in 1348 and instead used the arms of the occupying

> Livonian Order, Gules, a cross Argent. ...

[Scott Brown]

Sorry part (2) of my previous post was mistyped.
I meant to say that the robes of the Livonian order
were white with a red cross and sword but
I learned from this discussion that their arms
were red with a silver cross, and wondered
about the reversal of colors.
Scott Brown

pritch...@hotmail.com (David Pritchard) wrote in message news:<47d40f92.0411...@posting.google.com>...

> ... the arms of the occupying
> Livonian Order, (were) Gules, a cross Argent. ...

[David Pritchard]

Dear Scott,

I cannot explain why there colors would be reversed. It could be that
they did not want their flag confused with that of England or Genoa.

It is said that the present Latvian flag, dark red with a central
stripe of white,is one of the most ancient in Europe and that its
origin is the Livonian Order. The flag of the former Duchy of Kurland
(formerly under the control of the Livonian Order) used a flag divided
equaly of white over dark red.

The county of Harjumaa (Harju Maavalitsus) which contains the city of
Tallinn continues to use the old Livonian arms of Gules a cross Argent
though on the auto license plates the white is actually silver.

Best wishes,

David Pritchard