Review article
Animals on the State Coat-of-Arms and the Coats-of-Arms of the Croatian Counties (Part 1)
Petar Džaja
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Heimer
Magdalena Palić
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivan Križek
Ivan Zemljak
Anđelko Gašpar
Krešimir Severin
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The coats-of-arms of the counties, cities and municipalities of the Republic of Croatia consist of a shield and the content of that shield, but they do not have other traditional heraldic elements. Some of the coats-of arms of our counties depict domestic and wild animals, or mythological creatures (a dragon, a unicorn, a two-headed eagle, a gryphon, a phoenix, a bazilisk, a hydra, Pegasus, a mermaid etc.) Coats-of-arms in this
region first appeared in the 12th century and since then have been used in ascribing identity or honour, most often to work being done, as well as honouring individual plants or animals for some specific reason. Five animals are depcited on the coat-of-arms of the state of the Republic of Croatia (three lion heads, a marten and a goat). Since the state coat-of-arms with five animal images is also part of the flag of the Republic
of Croatia, it is the flag with the most animals depicted of all the state flags of the world. Of the total of twenty counties in the Republic of Croatia, 14 animals are depicted on ten of their coats-of-arms. The Bjelovar-Bilogorje, Brod-Posavina, Istria, Koprivnica-Križevci, Osijek-Baranje, Požega-Slavonia, Sisak-Moslavina, Virovitica-Podravina, Vukovar-Srijem and Zagreb counties have animals depicted on their coats-of-arms. On the coat-of-arms of one county there are three animals (the Požeško-slavonska County), on two there two animals each, a horse and a dragon (Bjelovar- bilogorje County) and a marten and a lion (Zagreb County), and on the other seven county coats-of-arms there is one animal each. It is interesting that on most of the coats-of-arms the animals are shown heraldically facing to the right (to the observer’s left), which is
according to the tradition of showing those animals as positive symbols. The gold (yellow) marten is shown facing right of the coats-of-arms of the Brod-Posavina county and the Osijek-Baranje county, a brown marten with a white belly is shown facing right on the coat-of-arms of the Slavonia-Požega County, there is a black marten with a white belly facing right on the coat-of-arms of the Virovitica-Podravina County, and a
brown marten facing right on the coat-of-arms of the Zagreb County. On the coat-of-arms of the PožegaSlavonia County, alongside the depiction of the marten, there are also two (yellow - heraldic gold) lions turned facing each other and standing on their back legs. A white horse with St. George seated on it, facing left, with the green dragon he is killing, are shown on the coat-of-arms of the Bjelovar- Bilogorje County,
which is in line with the rules that on coats-of-arms that are divided the animal must face the central axis. The depiction of St. George with a dragon is a frequent exception to the rule of showing a positive animal heraldically facing right. On the coat-of-arms of the Koprivnica-Križevci County there is a golden cockerel facing right, with a blue head, wings, tail, legs and claws, while a golden goat facing right, with red horns and hooves, is shown on the coat-of-arms of the Istria County. A brown deer facing right, with a gold ring around its neck and white horns is shown on the coat-of-arms of the Vukovar-Srijem County. A stork facing right, with its left leg extended and its right leg raised, is shown on the coat-of-arms of the Sisak-Moslavina County. Martens are depicted on five county coats-of-arms, three times alone, once with the head of a leopard,
and once with two lions. Two lions are shown on one coat-of-arms, and a goat, a deer, a horse, a dragon, a cockerel and a stork are all shown on one coat-of-arms each. Since the marten is a national symbol of the Republic of Croatia and the most important character on the historical coat-of-arms of Slavonia, it is no wonder that it is depicted on the state coat-of-arms and five county coats-of-arms. Of the total of 14 animals depicted on ten county coats-of-arms, ten are wild animals, three domestic animals and one is a mythological creature.
Keywords
coat-of-arms; the Republic of Croatia; the Croatian counties; animals
Hrčak ID:
305404
URI
Publication date:
25.6.2023.
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