| Coat of arms of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine | |
|---|---|
 Full achievement | |
| Versions | |
 The arms as used by the five combined baronetcies | |
| Details | |
| Armiger | The baronetcy and the city of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine |
| Adopted | 965 AD |
| Crest | A bicephalic eagle Sable beaked and legged proper and langued and clawed Gules |
| Torse | None |
| Escutcheon | Per pale Sable and Gules, a chief thrice embattled per pale Azure and Argent |
| Supporters | Dexter a dragon rampant Argent fanged, langed, winged and horned Azure, sinister a dragon of the first fanged, langed, winged and horned Gules |
| Motto | OMNIBUS |
| Other elements | A barred helm Or. Two leafed oak branches proper with four acorns on each, also proper, tied together with a ribbon Azure and Argent. |
| Use | For all government purposes of the baronetcy of the city, and the personal arms of the leader of the Baronet of the city and the Lord Baronet; the Order of the Vineyards |
The coat of arms of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine is used by the baronetcy as well as the city of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, the capital of Rockall in the Seafaring Confederation. It is used in official capacity by the baronetcy of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine in all its official government communication, and is used symbolically by the combined baronetcies of the city, albeit without achievement.
The first recorded use of the escutcheon is from ca. 150 B.C. by the House of Aolcrann, an aristocratic family that has its recorded roots as far back as in the War of the Pines. The family coat of arms became the official arms used by the city in 965 AD when Áille the Suffering took the throne of the Kingdom of Lewvale.
Description[]
Blazon[]
The blazon in accordance with Rockallic heraldry is as follows:
- Divided by two vertical, the leftside divided by three of one and a half embattlement, the upper third Twilight and the lower two thirds Night, the rightside divided similarly but mirrored, the upper third Cloud and the lower two thirds Blood. Resting on top a golden barred helmet held by a two-headed spread eagle Night coloured naturally. The shield straddled by two oak branches with leaves Forest and each with four acorns of natural colour, held together by a tied ribbon Cloud and Twilight. The whole held upright by two dragons Cloud, the left with claws and wings and ridges and a tongue of Twilight, the right similarly detailed but Blood. The motto on a ribbon of Cloud and Twilight: OMNIBUS.
The blazon used by the Seafaring Confederation is:
- Per pale Sable and Gules, a chief thrice embattled per pale Azure and Argent. Atop a barred helm Or with a bicephalic eagle displayed Sable langued and clawed Gules and legged and beaked of the first. The supporters, two dragons Argent, the dexter clawed, winged, langued and horned Azure, the sinister clawed, winged, langued and horned Gules. Along the edge of the escutcheon, two leafed oak branches proper with on each branch four acorns, also proper, tied together by a ribbon Azure and Argent. The motto, OMNIBUS on a ribbon of Argent and Azure.
Escutcheon[]
The escutcheon reads: "per pale Sable and Gules, a chief embattled per pale Azure and Argent".
Initially, the escutcheon wass thought to be the representation of the old wall of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, the dexter pale representing the wall during the night, the sinister pale the wall during the day. This interpretation is currently considered false, as the first recorded usage of the escutcheon dates back to around 150 B.C., before there was even a wall or really more than a small hamlet. The current hypothesis is that the mansion of the House of Aolcrann, who were the original armigers of the escutcheon, featured an embattled wall, and that that became their focus of recognition. This is however still very uncertain and remains unconfirmed.
Earlier versions show varying numbers of embattlements on the escutcheon, but this stopped around 300 A.D., when three embattlements were consistently displayed on all representations.
Crest[]
The crest reads: "a barred helm Or with a bicephalic eagle displayed Sable langued and clawed Gules and legged and beaked of the first".
The barred helm Or was a symbol used by all royal families during the Era of Kingdoms and was first donned by Áille the Suffering upon being crowned King of Lewvale. The barred helm Or remained even after the dissolution of the Kingdoms in 1670.
The bicephalic eagle was added by Lúina V the Dark-Eyed in 1534, used as symbolism for the academic culture of the city as well as its judicial importance. It was also a symbol for protection, in this case the eagle displayed protecting the barred helm Or, symbolising that the royal family was well-protected and important.
Supporters[]
The supporters read: "two dragons Argent, the dexter clawed, winged, langued and horned Azure, the sinister clawed, winged, langued and horned Gules.".
The dragons were added in 1670 when the kingdom became a viscountcy. Each viscountcy was granted a pair of dragons as supporters, as the dragons are the Rockallic symbol for a viscount; the same applied to the capitals of the viscountcies, thus granting An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine the right to the supporters.
Mantling[]
The mantling reads: "along the edge of the escutcheon, two leafed oak branches proper with on each branch four acorns, also proper, tied together by a ribbon Azure and Argent".
Originally, the House of Aolcrann had two separate oak branches not tied together, lining either side of the escutcheon ("Aolcrann" means "oak tree" in Rockallian. This was changed in 1375, when the House of Aolcrann died out. In accordance with Rockallic heraldic tradition, the mantling is joined together in front of the base of the escutcheon by a ribbon when a family dies out, indicating that there are no heirs to the arms.
Motto[]
The motto reads: "OMNIBUS". This is the official motto of the city, meaning "everything". This was adopted in 1580 as the motto as a symbol for the city's goal to gather all knowledge.
History[]
Part of a series on the |
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| History of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine |
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Upper Paleolithic
Earthwork |
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Duchy of Núrdbéaia
An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine under Banangreinian Rule |
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Kingdom of Lewvale
An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine under the House of Lewdale War of Lovers Night of the Darkened Skies Rebellion of the Unfortunate An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine under the House of Cáilleoch Siege of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine of 733 An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine under the House of Aolcrann Great Fire of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Curse of the Oak War of the Evenstars An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine under the House of Meóirr-Lúinaigh |
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Viscounts of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine under the Viscounts |
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List of leaders of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine
Universities University of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine University of Léacheannelochián University of Rockall University of the Islands Rockall University of Technology Flag and coat of arms Wards |
An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine did not bear a coat of arms until 965 AD, however, the escutcheon itself existed before that, as records have shown.
First records and early use[]
The first recorded usage of the coat of arms stems from ca. 150 before Christ, and consists of a depiction similar to the current escutcheon on a shield of stone carved into a building stone for what is thought to be the ancient home of the House of Aolcrann, inhabited already during the Era of Clans. The escutcheon is believed to be the same one, as it shows a line similar to the current version, and a similar division per pale.
Another early depiction was found engraved onto an iron sword from ca. 70 BC, found in Iònnáid nan Cháitear, which is thought to be the original location of the family home. This depiction shows a total of seven embattlements, wherein the middle one is, as per usual, divided at the pale.
The Lewhorn Valley Armorial, which was drawn in around 5 AD, shows the escutcheon with two oak branches. The description underneath is as follows:
- "The shield divided by a line of embattlements on the upper third line and along the central vertical, and coloured left to right and upper to lower blue like twilight, white like cloud, black like night, and red like blood. Along its sides straddled by two oak branches of natural colour, each bearing four acorns."
Adoption by the city[]
Coat of arms of the House of Mellin with a differentiated inescutcheon. Lord Provost Gréaighe XI of Mellin used the same arms but without the bend Or, bearing the inescutcheon indifferentiated.
The arms were adopted by the city and the Kingdom of Lewvale - of which it was the capital - in 965 AD, when Áille the Suffering of Aolcrann ascended the throne after the extinction of the House of Cáilleoch with the death of Deorr the Unfortunate, grandfather of Áille the Suffering.
Upon ascension of the throne, the House of Aolcrann became the ruling royal family of the city and the kingdom, and as such they achieved the right to bear a barred helm Or, the symbol of royalty. The same escutcheon and helm were also used for the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Lewvale, without the oak branches, which were instead replaced by mantling Purpure and Argent and two dragons Vert armed and langued Gules as supporters.
The coat of arms was used as the city's "trademark", appearing on every governmental building, every weapon and object made in the city, and was mounted in colour above the city gates. It also appeared on waymarkers to the right of the written name for recognition and to help illiterate travellers, or travellers who spoke a different language wherein the name of the city was significantly different from elsewhere on the island. It was also flown as a standard above the Royal Castle and on the towers located on the corners of the city walls.
By royal decree issued by Áille IV the Listener in 1065, the Lord Provost was allowed to use the undifferentiated arms of the city as an inescutcheon on his or her personal coat of arms until death. The right to bear the arms as an undifferentiated inescutcheon was not hereditary; however, descendants of Lord Provosts are allowed to bear the arms as an inescutcheon differentiated by a bend Or.
Extinction of the House of Aolcrann[]
A 1505 map of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, showing the coat of arms with mantling in extinction position.
The House of Aolcrann suffered many losses due to an unidentified disease or infection during its last century of reign, known colloquially and historically as the Curse of the Oak. Elverion the Last took the throne in 1323 as the last remaining member of the House, and upon his death 1363 the mantling of the coat of arms, in accordance with Rockallic tradition, was tied together across the base of the escutcheon with a ribbon Azure and Argent, symbolising that the arms were no longer inheritable as the House that borne them was extinct.
During the War of the Evenstars, the Kingdom of Lewvale and thus the city of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine had no reigning monarch, and was thus directly subject to the Lady Provost, from 1660 till 1680 Élina of Céaoilligh. It was her decision upon the death of King Elverion the Last that the city continued bearing the arms of the House of Aolcrann despite said House's extinction, unabated the extinction position of the mantling. Future Lords Provost also continued to have the right to bear the escutcheon undifferentiated as an inescutcheon on their personal coat of arms, and the rules for descendants of Lords Provost also remained unchanged.
Upon ascension in 1375, Lúin Evenstar affirmed the city's right to bear the coat of arms with the barred helm Or and the mantling in extinction position. The city held the right to the barred helm Or due to the fact that the House to which the arms originally belonged was extinct, a fact - as noted - symbolised by the tying of the mantling. The coat of arms was, upon ascension of Lúin Evenstar, no longer used as the official representation of the Kingdom of Lewdale, which was replaced by the coat of arms of the House of Meóirr Lúinaigh.
Additions to the achievement[]
During the 16th century, the city had become an insular metropolis for scholars, scientists, astronomers and other researchers, attracting many students from within and without the Kingdom of Lewvale to its university. To reaffirm the city's position as an important cultural and scientific centre, Lúina V the Dark-eyed added a bicephalic eagle to protect the barred helm Or in 1534.
Eagles in Rockallic symbolism have two different meanings depending on the direction that the eagle looks. An eagle displayed (thus watching towards the dexter side) symbolises protection, often against evil spirits or demons. An eagle displayed regardant, thus with its head turned towards the sinister side, symbolises knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. A bicephalic eagle combines these two symbolisations, thus standing as a symbol to protect the city and its inhabitants, whilst also symbolising the intellectual and scientific importance that the city had achieved at that time. The motto OMNIBUS, Latin for "everything", was added to the achievement in 1580 for similar reasons.
The Kingdom of Lewvale ceased to exist in 1670, when it was converted into a viscountcy under the Earl of Rockall. Upon its conversion into a viscountcy, the coat of arms of the former kingdom were granted by the Earldom the right to two dragons rampant as supporters. This same right was extended to the capital city of each viscountcy, thus granting An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine the right to them as well. As such, they were added to the achievement in 1670 by the Lord Provost following the incorporation of the Kingdom into the Earldom.
Use[]
The coat of arms as used by the Order of the Vineyard.
The coat of arms is used by the baronetcy of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, as well as by the city, which includes four other baronetcies united under the Lord Baronet. It is also in its full achievement borne by both the Baronet and the Lord Baronet of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine. Furthermore, former Baronets and Lord Baronets are allowed to add the escutcheon onto their own personal coat of arms in the form of an inescutcheon or a canton.
The coat of arms is also used by the Order of the Vineyards, the order of the city to which great contributors to the prosperity and progression of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine can be invited to become members by the Baronet, Lord Baronet, or the Viscount of the Rockallic Federal District. The coat of arms used by the Order of the Vineyards has the same escutcheon, but its full achievement does not include the supporters, crest, helm, motto and oak branch mantling, replacing it all by two connected grapevines.