The Russian Herald: An English Supplementary to The Gerboved #3, 1996 : History of the _Royal Arms of the Kingdom of Serbla

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History of the Royal Arms of the Kingdom of Serbla 1882 19 18
Ьу Мг. Ojordje J. Andriс, SerЬian Heraldry Soсiety White Eagle
Medieval SerЬia, сoпsideriпg her geograpl 1iсal position, was under the influenсe
of the Anсient Byzantine Empire as well as Westem Енrор е. Even tlюugh the
intluenсe о East was naturally more strong апd appreсiated, none of those had the
strengtl 1to ovemlle eaсh other. Various influenсes took р 1асе in many aspeсts of
politiсs and eсonomy, шilitary and trading and, last but not least, in heraldry.
Origins of heraldry in Serbia сan Ье traсed baсk to the 12th сentury. That was а
tiшe the medieval Serbian aristoсraсy started to organize the westem way, whiсh
resulted in need of heraldry. More serious interest for heraldry took plaсe in the midl
4th сenturv under the influenсe of German, Austrian Hungarian and ltalian armorial
aсl 1ievements.
SerЬian niler Stephe Urosh IV Dushan The Po Nerful l 308 1355, King 133 345, Eшperor 1345 1355 сonsidered himself and his State to сontinue the
power and the glory of Byzantium. Therefore, he adopted а douЬle headed eagle,
Byzaпtine oшament and sign of Imperial signifiсanсe introduсed Ьу Komnins dynasty,
as his insigпia, but with а slight сha ge iпstead of the Byzantine douЫe headed
eagle Or on Gules, Emperor Dushaп used it Argent on Gules. This symbol later
reсeived more proper heraldiс fom 1and beсame known as the Arms of SerЫa and her
rulers. It might Ье interesting to point out that the douЫe headed eagle Gules on
Or represented SerЬian towп, later сapital, of Skopje today the сapital of the
RepuЫiс of Maсedoпia оп а portolan шар of сatalonian sailor апd сartographer
Angeliпo Dulsert in 1338.
Later 0 the SerЫan rulсrs also used thсse armorial aсhievements as the annoruш insigпia of tl 1eшsel ves and the land they n 1led. The Ulriсh Riсhental s
armorial сONсПJUМ DE сONSTANсZ 14 14 14 18 shows tl 1e Arms of SerЫan
Priпсe Despot Stephen Lazareviсh The Tall 137 7 1427, Prinсe 1389 1402, Despot 1402 1427 Gules, а douЫe headed eagle Or mistake Ьу Riсhental
between two bull s horns Or bull s homs were used as сrest in some earlier Arms
of this family Some armorials, espeсially Шyrian ones, repeated the douЫe headed
eagle Argent on Gules as The Arn 1s of the Royal and Imperial house of Neшanyiсh SerЫan rulers 66 13 7 1
Тhе fall of the Anсient Byzantine Empire and SerЫan State under the OttonшnTurkish
oссupation in 1459 n 1arked the епd of heraldry in SerЬia, sinсe the feudal
systeш of the Ottomans was based on Islan 1ideology and did not have the need f or 154
The Arms of Kingdom of Serbla, 1882 19 18 155
use Anns. However, tl 1e douЫe headed eagle сoпtinued it s heraldiс lite in tl 1e Алпs
of Montenegrian Zetiaп family ot сhamoyeviсh. The previously шentioned Illyrian annorials, starting troш the 16th сentury
slюwed aпotl 1er S bol сщ 1ш 10 lу reсognized as The National Aлns ot Serbs
пашеlу Gules, а сross Argent between four furisons Argent optionally Or or
Azure This speсitiс sign also has Byzantine baсkgro nd it as first introduсed Ьу
the Byzantiпe dynasty of Paleologues ruled in 12th 14th сenturies It was used on the
Iшperial flaшulon baimef авd the West сoнsidered it the Am 1s of сonstantinople today s Istanbul as well as the Am 1s of Paleologues themselves.
The true шeaпing of tl 1is syшbol has long been f orgotteп sоше think that the
Byzantiпes сoшbined а сross, а sigп of сhristianity, with fire steels, symbols of light,
iп order to шark the differeпсe troш the Westem сrusaders wl 1iсl 1had опlу а сross
on their Am 1s tl 1e most popular апd рrоЬаЫу сorreсt interpretation was tl 1at the tiresteels
vere aсtually Greek Beta letters апd that tour В s stood for BALIЛEYI
BA I ЛЕОN ВАПЛЕУОN ВА IЛЕУОП I translated as КING OF ТНЕ КINGS
REIGNS OVER ТНЕ КINGS Anyway, this symbol was aссepted Ьу t 1e Serbian
Orthodox сhurсh and the Serbs iп exile many of the Serbs fled to the AustroHtmgarian
Eшpire away from tl 1e Turkish terror and, through the сeпturies, all of the
Serbs began to identify theшselves with this sушЬоl. Besides, the fire steels of
Paleologнes f ound their plaсe iп the Am 1s of the Marquees of Moпferrat, BourЬon
Dukes of Panna, BourЬon Dukes of Guasta the Prinсes Di Тассо of Montemillet,
on the Ga tia Gate in Istanbul etс. 1n 170 1а Dalшatian puЫiсist and historian Paul Ritter Vitezoviсh 1652 17 13
p Ыished his annorial STE MMA TOGRAPНIA SIVE ARМORUМ RIсORUМ
DELINEA ПО, DESсRIPПO ЕТ RESТIТU O witl 1The Natioпal Am 1s of Serbs
anюng over 60 other domestiс and foreign Aлns. Ап artist and iсon painter
сhristopher Zhefaroviсh 1700 1753 puЫished iв 174 1tl 1e Serbian traпslation of
Vitezoviсh s annorial апd сalled it simply STEМATOGRAFIA This revised and
traпslated annorial beсame one of the most important means of сultural struggle of
Serbs agaiвst the foreigп power.
Iп 1804 tl 1e Serbs, led Ьу Karageorge Petroviсh 1768 18 17 upraised against
Turks, weariпg а сross witl 1fire steels on their banners. During the 2 d uprising in 18 15, led Ьу Milosl 1Obrenoviсh 1780 1860 Serbs used the same symbols.
The newly proсlaimed Prinсipality of Serbia adopted its Aпns in 1825 as
fo ws Gules а сross Argent between four furisons of the same, enсirсled with а
wreath сomposed of Dexter oak leaves Vert, and Sinister olive leaves of tbe same,
and plaсed on а Robe of Estate Purpure, douЫed Ermine, surmounted Ьу а
сoronсt of Prinсe. This was the offiсial Aлns in 1834 1882. 156
Оп February 1882 Juliaп сaleпdar the Kingdoш of Serbia as proсlaimed, апd
Prinсe Milari М. Obrenoviсh IV 1855 l 9Ql was also proсlaimed Hi s Maje ty King
Milan I. Ne fom 1of state reqнired new Anns. The intention was to keep the old
A.пns, Ьш to add something сompletely ne The new A.пns of the Kingdom of SerЫa ere Ыаzонеd Ьу Stoyan Novakoviсh 1842 19 15 an historian, phi ogist. herald
and the Seсretary of Eduсatioп 1ho сombined the old am 1s with the douЬ e headed
eagle of Nemanyiсhs, l 1iсl 1Vas to symbolize the po ver and the glory о the former
SеrЫап edieval State, апd а fleur de lis popнlar t 1ower in Sс rbia, сommonly
k.Iю,a, as Yirgш Mary s Flower The Blazon оГ tl 1e Royal Аппs Figure 3 is as
to ws Gules, а douЫe headed eagle displayed Argent, armed Or, aссompanied
in base Ьу two fleurs de lis Or, and сharged on his breast with an esсutсheon
Gules, а сross Argent, bet een four furisons of the same. The shield is ensigned
Ьу а Royal сrown and plaсed оп а Robe of Estate Рuгрuге, douЫed Eгmine, with
а Royal сгown proper. Тhе Royal Ап s were desigпed Ьу Ннgо Gerard vоп Strohl
and adopted oПiсially оп 7 Oсtober 1882.
This Ап s remaшed tl 1e sаше after tl 1e over fow ot tl 1e Obreпoviсh dynasty
апd the сoroпation of Prinсe Peter Karageorgeviсh as His MaJesty Кшg Peter l, but
witl 1а minor сhange the proper Royal сro was applied instead of а heraldiс
Royal сro 1vn. The offiсial use of the Royal Ап s 1vas пр to tl 1e шerge of tl 1e Kingdom
оГ SerЬia iпto the Kingdom of Serbs, сroats and Sloveпes in 19 18
BIВLIOGRAPHY 1Stojaп Novakoviс Heraldiсki oЬiсa Srba и p, imeni 1kn
j
izevnosti, istorzja tradiсzja Heщ diс сustoms of Serbs iп Applianсe and Liteщtu, e. Histo,y and
T, adition Beograd, 1982.
2. Dragomir Aсoviс Stari srpski grbovi Гhе Anсient Herald,y of Serbs,
Hemldiс сalendar for 1990 Grifon, Beograd, 1989.
З. Dragoшir Aсoviс Srpski grb0 1i Г 1е Hem d, y of Serhs. Heraldk сalendar
fm 199 1Grifon, Beograd, 1990.
4. Dragomir Aсoviс K, alje, 1ski dom Karadjordjeviсa genealoski 1heraldiсki
p, egle Royal lюuse of Karageorgei 1iсh genea ogiсal and heraldiс review Grifon,
Beogгati, 199 1
5 Dusan Spasiс Aleksandar Palavestra, Dusan Mrdjeпoviс Rodoslovne taЬliсe 1g 1b0 1i srpskih dinastija i astele Genealogy and Haald,y of Serhian Dynasties
and l 1isfoaaсy Bata. Beog, ad, 199 1
6. SаЬюп Haald,y Soсiety W ite Eag eJ Exhibltionсatalogue, Sabaс. 1994. 157