Review article
Grants of Arms (Armales) of Emperor Leopold I
Hrvoje Kekez
Abstract
The main topic of this article is diplomatic analysis of typical grants of arms from the seventeenth century. In this article transcriptions and translations of the twelve coats of arms that were given to Croatian and Slavonian nobility by Emperor Leopold I are given. Analysing symbols, colours and objects on these twelve coats of arms, the author concluded that the coats of arms of Croatian and Slavonian nobility followed general rules of seventeenth-century heraldry. During the rule of Emperor Leopold I the Habsburg Monarchy was pushed both from the east, by the Ottomans, and from the west, by the ascendant French monarchy. Because of these threats Emperor Leopold I was forced to solve the situation in his state. One of the most important enemies from within his state was the high nobility with their rights and traditions, especially in Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia. There were conspiracies organised by members of aristocratic families. These conspiracies, one of the biggest being in 1671, were discovered and the conspirators were killed. Their land was given to the new nobility, loyal to the emperor. This was the way of building absolute monarchy. The rest of the article is dedicated to the diplomatic analysis of the aforementioned twelve grants of arms. They were analysed according to the formulas used in them, and the translation of these formulas is given. The original pictures of the coats of arms in question are also provided in tables.
Keywords
heraldry; coat of arms; grant of arms; Emperor Leopold I; Croatian and Slavonian nobility; diplomatic analysis
Hrčak ID:
7451
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2005.
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