The Coat of Arms of Norway is one of the oldest in Europe. It originated as a personal coat of arms for the royal house. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 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. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...

In 1280 King Eirik Magnusson added the crown and silver axe to the lion. The axe is the martyr axe of St. Olav, the weapon used to kill him in the battle of Stiklestad. For broader historical context, see 1280s and 13th century. ... Eirik Magnusson (c. ... Illustration in wrought-iron of Olavs life on the door of a Stave church in Hardemo, Nerike, where Olav baptized locals during his escape Olav II Haraldsson ( 995 – July 29, 1030), king from 1015–1028, (known during his lifetime as the Stout and after his death as Saint Olav... The Battle of Stiklestad (Old Norse Stiklarstaðir) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. ...

The design of the Norwegian arms has changed through the years, following changing heraldic fashions. In the late middle ages, the axe handle gradually grew longer and came to look like a halberd. The handle was usually curved in order to fit the shape of shield preferred at the time, and also to match the shape of coins. The halberd was officially discarded and the shorter axe reintroduced by royal decree in 1844, when an authorized design was instituted for the first time. In 1905 the official design for royal and government arms was again changed, this time reverting to the medieval pattern, with a triangular shield and a more upright lion. The present design was approved by the king 20 May 1992. 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 20 May is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

According to the rules of heraldry, any design is acceptable and recognizable as the arms of Norway, provided it fits the blazon "gules a lion rampant or, crowned and bearing an axe with blade argent".