NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Coat of Arms of Lithuania

The Coat of Arms of Lithuania is called Vytis (the Pursuer). It is one of the oldest Coat of Arms in Europe. Article 15 of the Constitution of Lithuania, approved by national referendum in 1992, stipulates, "The Coat of Arms of the State shall be a white Vytis on a red field". Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Lithuania. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Lithuania. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania defines the legal foundation for all laws passed in the Republic of Lithuania. ... Ballots of the Argentine plebiscite of 1984 on the border treaty with Chile A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...

The modern heraldic shield adopted in September, 1991 features an armored knight on a silver (white) horse on the red field. The man is holding a silver sword in his right hand above his head. A blue shield hangs on the left shoulder of the charging knight with a double gold (yellow) cross on it. The horse saddle, straps, and belts are blue. The hilt of the sword and the fastening of the sheath, the knight's spurs, the curb bits of the bridle, the horseshoes, as well as the decoration of the harness, are gold. Statue showing a Gallic shield with a butterfly boss. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

History

According to some sources the knight on horseback was mentioned in some early chronicles, but the charging knight is known to have been first used as the state emblem in 1366 on the seal of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Algirdas. Earliest coins featuring Vytis come also from the second half of the 14th century. The other side of these coins depicts Columns of Gediminas. The emblem was handed down through the generations, from Algirdas to his son, Grand Duke Jogaila, then to Grand Duke Vytautas and others. In the 14th century, the knight was featured on a heraldic shield, first on Jogaila's seal in 1386 or 1387, and also on the seal of Vytautas in 1401. As early as the 15th century, the heraldic knight became the Coat of Arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and of its central part - the Duchy of Vilnius. It is known that at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, a major victory of the united Polish-Lithuanian army against the Teutonic Knights, thirty Lithuanian regiments out of the total forty were flying the banner of the Vytis. Pogon LItewska Coat of Arms This work is copyrighted. ... Pogon LItewska Coat of Arms This work is copyrighted. ... PogoÅ„ Litewska - is a Polish Coat of Arms. ... The title Grand Prince (Latin, Magnus Princeps; German, GroÃŸfÃ¼rst, Finnish Suuriruhtinas, Swedish Storfurste, Lithuanian Didysis kunigaikÅ¡tis, Russian Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¸Ð¹ ÐºÐ½ÑÐ·ÑŒ Velikii kniaz) ranks in honour below Emperor and Tsar but higher than a sovereign Prince (FÃ¼rst) or Royal Prince. ... Columns of Gediminas Algirdas (approximate English transcription [ËˆaËl(É™).gÄ±r. ... Columns of Gediminas (Lithuanian Gedimino Stulpai, Polish Słupy Giedymina) are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania, one of its historical coats of arms, mostly used in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania initially as a state symbol and later as a part of heraldic signs of leading aristocracy... ... Vytautas the Great - engraving of XVI ct. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... In heraldry, the shield is the principal portion of a heraldic achievement or coat of arms. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... The presumable banner of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the coat of arms, called ÐŸÐ°Ð³Ð¾Ð½Ñ in Belarusian, Vytis in Lithuanian and PogoÅ„ in Polish Another version of the Lithuanian banner The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos DidÅ¾ioji KunigaikÅ¡tystÄ—, Belarusian: Ð’ÑÐ»Ñ–ÌÐºÐ°Ðµ ÐšÐ½ÑÌÑÑ‚Ð²Ð° Ð›Ñ–Ñ‚Ð¾ÌÑžÑÐºÐ°Ðµ (Ð’ÐšÐ›), Ukrainian: Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐµ ÐšÐ½ÑÐ·Ñ–Ð²ÑÑ‚Ð²Ð¾ Ð›Ð¸Ñ‚Ð¾Ð²ÑÑŒÐºÐµ (Ð’ÐšÐ›), Polish: Wielkie KsiÄ™stwo Litewskie) was an... Combatants Kingdom of Poland Grand Duchy of Lithuania Teutonic Order Commanders WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw II JagieÅ‚Å‚o, Vytautas the Great Ulrich von Jungingen Strength 39,000 27,000 Casualties Unknown 8,000 dead 2,000 captured The Battle of Grunwald or Battle of Tannenberg took place on July 15, 1410... The Teutonic Knights or Teutonic Order (Ordo domus SanctÃ¦ MariÃ¦ Theutonicorum Ierosolimitanorum, Order of the Teutonic House of Mary in Jerusalem) is a German Roman Catholic religious order formed at the end of the 12th century in Acre in Palestine. ...

At first, the charging knight was depicted riding to left or right, and sometimes holding a lance. But by the first half of the 15th century, he is always shown riding to the left (as seen by the viewer) with a sword in his raised hand and a shield in the left hand (if he rode to the right, the shield would be concealed by the rider). During the 15th century, the colors of the seal became uniform: a white (silver) charging knight on a red field of the heraldic shield. The shield was blue with a double (gold) cross. The double cross has no explanation and its meaning is unknown. It was found on Jogaila's seal for the first time. The cross is constructed in such a way that all six ends are equal in length. The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different pole weapons based on the spear. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ...

The Renaissance introduced minor stylistic changes and variations: long feathers waving from the tip of the knight's helm, a long saddle-cloth, the horse tail turned upwards and shaped as nosegay. With these changes the Vytis Coat of Arms remained the State symbol of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until 1795, when Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire. The Vytis was abolished. However, in 1845 tsar Nicholas I confirmed a Coat of Arms for the Vilnius Guberniya that closely resembled the Vytis. At first, the charging knight was interpreted as the ruler of the country. As time passed, he became a knight who is chasing intruders out of his native country. Such an interpretation was especially popular in the 19th century, and the first half of the 20th century, when Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire and sought its independence. Image File history File links Vytis_COA_Lithuania. ... Image File history File links Vytis_COA_Lithuania. ... Image File history File links Vilnius_COA_1845. ... Image File history File links Vilnius_COA_1845. ... A bouquet of roses A nosegay, posey, flower bouquet or tussie-mussie is a small bunch of flowers, typically given as a gift. ... Official language Russian Official Religion Russian Orthodox Christianity Capital Saint Petersburg (Petrograd 1914-1924) Area Approx. ... Monomakhs Cap symbol of Russian autocracy, the crown of Russian grand princes and tsars Czar and tzar redirect here. ... Nicholas I of Russia (Russian: ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°Ð¹ I ÐŸÐ°Ð²Ð»Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡, Nikolai I Pavlovich), July 6 (June 25, Old Style), 1796â€“March 2 (February 18, Old Style), 1855), was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855 and king of Poland from 1825 until 1831. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Official language Russian Official Religion Russian Orthodox Christianity Capital Saint Petersburg (Petrograd 1914-1924) Area Approx. ...

When Lithuania restored its independence in 1918-1920, several artists produced different versions of the Coat of Arms. Almost all versions included a scabbard, which is not found in earliest speciments. A romanticized version by Antanas Žmuidzinavičius became the most popular. The horse appeared to be flying in the air. The gear was very decorative. For example, the saddle blanket was very long and divided into three parts. There was no uniform or official version of the Coat of Arms. To address popular complaints, in 1929 a special commission was set up to analyze the best 16th century specimens of Vytis to design an official state emblem. Mstislav Dobuzhinsky was the chief artist. The commission worked for 5 years, but their version of the Vytis was not officially confirmed. A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword. ... Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... A saddle blanket is the woven blanket, usually made of wool, which is folded and inserted under the Western Saddle in order to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and help it conform to the horses back. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Self-portrait. ...

The Vytis was the state emblem of the Republic of Lithuania until 1940, when the Republic was annexed by the Soviet Union and all national insignia were outlawed. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Vytis, together with the Columns of Gediminas and the national flag, became symbols of the independence movement in Lithuania. In 1988, the Vytis was legalized. On March 11, 1990 Lithuania declared its independence and restored all of its pre-war national symbols, including the Vytis. On March 20, 1990 the Supreme Council of Lithuania approved the description of the State's Coat of Arms and determined the principal regulations for its use. The design was based on Juozas Zikaras design that was used on all litas coins in the interwar period. This was to demonstrate that Lithuania was continuing the traditions of the State that existed between 1918-1940. On September 4, 1991, a new design was approved based on recommendations of a special heraldic committee. It abandoned romantic interwar traditions and went back to the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It re-established the original colors. However, early coins of centas still bear the old Zikaras' design. Image File history File links Older_version_of_Lithuania_COA.png This is picture of the Coats of Arms of Lithuania used in the first years of independence. ... Image File history File links Older_version_of_Lithuania_COA.png This is picture of the Coats of Arms of Lithuania used in the first years of independence. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... Columns of Gediminas (Lithuanian Gedimino Stulpai, Polish Słupy Giedymina) are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania, one of its historical coats of arms, mostly used in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania initially as a state symbol and later as a part of heraldic signs of leading aristocracy... National flag and civil ensign. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... This article is about the year. ... Statue of Liberty in Kaunas designed by Zikaras as featured on modern 20 litas banknote Juozas Zikaras (1881-1944) was a Lithuanian sculptor and artist, who created the design for pre-war Lithuanian litas coins. ... The litas (ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; Lithuanian plural form is litai) is the official currency of Lithuania. ... The litas (ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; Lithuanian plural form is litai) is the official currency of Lithuania. ...

In 2004, the Seimas confirmed the new national symbol and the historical flag of Lithuania. It depicts the Coat of Arms on a rectangular red fabric. It did not replace the tri-color national flag of Lithuania. It is used only by official institutions for special occasions and anniversaries. It is currently proposed that a larger version of the Coat of Arms should be adopted. It would have a line from Tautiška giesmė, the national anthem of Lithuania, "Vienybė težydi" (Let Unity Flourish). Seimas is the Lithuanian parliament. ... A national flag is a flag that symbolises a country and that can usually be flown by citizens of that country. ... TautiÅ¡ka giesmÄ— is the national anthem of Lithuania. ...

Interpretations

Jonas Trinkūnas, the leader of a neo-pagan movement Romuva, believes that in the Lithuanian mythology Vytis represents Perkūnas, the god of thunder. It is believed that Perkūnas was also a war god and has been depicted as a horseman since ancient times. Gintaras Beresnevičius also points out that a white horse had a sacral meaning to Balts. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism [1] is any of a heterogeneous group of new religious movements, particularly those influenced by ancient, primarily pre-Christian and sometimes pre-Judaic religions. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Lithuanian mythology is an example of pagan mythology containing archaic elements. ... Lithuanian PerkÅ«nas, Latvian PÄ“rkons, Prussian Percuns was the common Baltic god of thunder, one of the most important deities in the Baltic pantheon. ... In Daoism, the god is in charge of thunder. ... The following is a list of war deities. ... Gintaras BeresneviÄius (born July 8, 1961 in Kaunas â€” died August 6, 2006 in Vilnius) was a Lithuanian historian of religions specializing in Baltic mythology. ... The Baltic Sea The Balts or Baltic peoples (Latvian: balti, Lithuanian: baltai), defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European language family, are descended from a group of Indo-European tribes who settled the area between lower Vistula and upper Dvina and Dneper. ...

Origins of the word Vytis

The origin of the word Vytis is not quite clear. The word itself was used for the first time in 1846, by Simonas Daukantas. He used it to refer to knights and horse riders. Some linguists believe that Daukantas invented the word by translating Polish pogoń. However, other disagree because Lithuanian language has a common verb vyti meaning to chase. The verb vyti and noun Vytis pair seems to follow semantic rules. Compare: pykti (to get angry) and pyktis (anger), krypti (to lean) and kryptis (direction). Simonas Daukantas was a famous Lithuanian historian, wrote several stories about the living of Lithuanians, Highland People (KalnÄ—nai), and Å½emaiÄiai. ... Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. ... PogoÅ„ coat of arms PogoÅ„ may refer to: PogoÅ„ (Knight-in-pursuit), coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and of several of its noble families: PogoÅ„ Litewska, the original variant PogoÅ„ Ruska, used by the Sokolski family Vytis, coat of arms of modern Lithuania Pahonia, former coat... Lithuanian is the official language of Lithuania, spoken by about 4 million native speakers (Lithuanians). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

It is likely the word Vytis to describe the Coat of Arms, was popularized in 1884, in the newspaper Aušra. AuÅ¡ra, in Lithuanian, literally means sunrise. ...

Similar coats of arms

The former coat of arms of Belarus - last used 1991 – 1995 - was very similar to the Vytis, with one difference only - the cross on the shield was a patriarchal cross with arms of uneven length. This symbol is known as the Pahonia. Several Polish and Lithuanian szlachta families adopted the earlier versions of the Vytis. This shows that the image of the knight was widely spread. Recently adopted coats of arms of Vilnius and Panevėžys Counties use different color schemes and add additional details to the basic image of the knight. Patriarchal cross Websters 1913 dictionary defines the patriarchial cross as a cross, the shaft of which is intersected by two transverse beams, the upper one being the smaller. ... The Pahonia (Belarusian: , translated as Chase) is a historical symbol of Belarus. ... Polish szlachcic. ... Administrative divisions ISO_3166-2 code LT-VL Number of municipalities 8 Number of elderates 107 General information Capital Vilnius Major cities Vilnius (pop. ... PanevÄ—Å¾ys County (Lithuanian: PanevÄ—Å¾io apskritis) is one of ten counties in Lithuania. ...

Several towns in Lithuania use similar motifs as the Vytis. For example, the coat of arms of Liudinavas is parted per pale. One half depicts the Vytis and the other - Lady Justice. The coats of arms of Prienai and Varniai show Saint George slaying a dragon. The saint is depicted in a very similar fashion as the Vytis and some suggest that this is just a christianized version of the Vytis. Divisions of the field is a heraldic term referring to the pattern on a shield. ... Lady Justice Lady Justice (or the Goddess of Justice) is a personification of the legal system. ... Coat Of Arms Prienai is a town in Lithuania situated on Neman River. ... Location Ethnographic region Samogitia County TelÅ¡iai County Municipality TelÅ¡iai district municipality Elderate Number of elderates Coordinates General information Capital of Varniai rural elderate Population (rank) 1,310 in 2005 (90th) First mentioned 1314 Granted city rights 1950 Varniai is a city in western Lithuania, TelÅ¡iai County. ... Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life, death, resurrection, and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ...

Contents

History

Interpretations

Origins of the word Vytis

Similar coats of arms

See also

References