Armorial of Europe explained

This is a list of the national coats of arms or equivalent emblems used by countries and dependent territories in Europe.

Sovereign states

CountryCoat of arms or emblemBlazonMotto/TextArticle
AlbaniaGules, a two-headed eagle Sable; in chief the helmet of Skanderbeg or.None Coat of arms of Albania
AndorraQuarterly

I Gules, a bishop's mitre or lined Argent (for La Seu d'Urgell); II Or, three pales Gules (for Foix); III or, four pallets Gules (for the Crown of Aragon); IV or, two cows passant per pale Gules (for Béarn).

Virtus unita fortior (Latin)
United virtue is stronger
Coat of arms of Andorra
ArmeniaFour symbols of Armenian dynasties (Artashesian, Arshakunian, Bagratuni, and Rubinian); In the center of a shield is a depiction of Mount Ararat with Noah's Ark sitting atop it.None Coat of arms of Armenia
AustriaGules a fess Argent, escutcheon on the breast of an eagle displayed Sable, langued Gules, beaked or, crowned with a mural crown of three visible merlons or, armed or, dexter talon holding sickle, sinister talon holding hammer, both talons shackled with chain broken Argent.NoneCoat of arms of Austria
AzerbaijanFire with stalk of wheat and oak on escutcheon.NoneNational emblem of Azerbaijan
BelarusGlobe, rising sun and an outline of Belarus in Or.Рэспубліка Беларусь (Belarusian, Respublika Bielaruś) Republic of BelarusNational emblem of Belarus
BelgiumSable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules.L'union fait la force (French) Eendracht maakt macht (Dutch) Coat of arms of Belgium
Bosnia and HerzegovinaPer bend enhanced or and azure, a bend of mullets palewise argent.NoneCoat of arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina
BulgariaGules, a crowned lion rampant or.Съединението прави силата (Bulgarian, Saedinenieto pravi silata)
Unity makes strength
Coat of arms of Bulgaria
CroatiaChequy gules and argent.NoneCoat of arms of Croatia
Czech RepublicQuarterly

1 and 4 Gules, a lion rampant queue fourché in saltire argent armed, langued and crowned or (for Bohemia); 2 Azure, an eagle Chequy gules and argent armed, beaked, langued and crowned or (for Moravia); 3 or, an eagle Sable charged with a crescent trefly Argent ending in crosses armed, beaked and langued gules crowned or (for Silesia).

NoneCoat of arms of the Czech Republic
CyprusOr (specified to be copper-yellow), a dove rising proper, in its beak argent an olive branch proper vert.1960. Year of declaration of independence.Coat of arms of Cyprus
DenmarkOr, three lions passant in pale Azure crowned and armed or langued Gules, nine hearts Gules.None. Each monarch chooses a personal motto.Coat of arms of Denmark
EstoniaOr, three lions passant guardant azure.NoneCoat of arms of Estonia
FinlandGules, a crowned lion rampant or striking a sword Argent on armoured dexter arm, trampling on a sabre Argent; surmounted by nine roses Argent.Vapaa, vankka, vakaa (Free, steadfast, stable)Coat of arms of Finland
FranceA shield at the corners of the head of a lion and an eagle with the monogram RF, standing for French: République française. A shield is placed on a fasces with crossed laurel branch and an oak branch, all or.RF (République française) (French) French RepublicCoat of arms of France
GeorgiaGules, with an image of Saint George, riding a horse trampling upon a crawling dragon, whose head is pierced by the saint's spear, all of them Argent.ძალა ერთობაშია (Georgian, dzala ertobashia)
Strength is in unity
Coat of arms of Georgia
GermanyOr, an eagle sable, armed, beaked and langued gules.None Coat of arms of Germany
GreeceAzure, a Cross Argent.NoneNational emblem of Greece
HungaryPer pale

1 barry of eight Gules and Argent; 2 Gules, on a mount Vert a crown or, issuant therefrom a double cross Argent.

NoneCoat of arms of Hungary
IcelandAzure, a cross gules fimbriated argent.NoneCoat of arms of Iceland
IrelandAzure, a harp or stringed argent.NoneCoat of arms of Ireland
ItalyThe Stella d’Italia, which is the oldest national symbol of Italy, since it dates back to ancient Greece,[1] supported by branches of olive and oak. The cogwheel surrounding the star refers to Article 1 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic, which states: "Italy is a democratic republic, built on labour."REPVBBLICA ITALIANA (Italian) Italian RepublicEmblem of Italy
KazakhstanA Sky-blue yurt with a yellow pentagonal star in the top, Shanyrak in the centre-half, two tulpars in the right and left, and motto of Kazakhstan in the bottom.QAZAQSTANEmblem of Kazakhstan
LatviaAt left: A red lion rampant sinister against a silver background (for Kurzeme and Zemgale); At right: A silver griffon rampant with a silver sword in its right paw against a red background (for Vidzeme and Latgale); At top: A golden rising sun against a blue background.None Coat of arms of Latvia
LiechtensteinQuarterly

1 or, an Eagle displayed Sable crowned and armed or, charged with a crescent trefly Argent ending in crosses (for Silesia); 2 Barry of eight or and Sable charged with crancelin Vert (for the Kuenring family of Saxony); 3 Per pale Gules and Argent (for the Duchy of Troppau); (4) or, a maiden eagle displayed Sable the human part Argent crowned and armed or (for the Cirksena family of East Frisia). In base: Azure, a Hunting Horn stringed or (for the Duchy of Jägerndorf). An Escutcheon per fess or and Gules.

NoneCoat of arms of Liechtenstein
LithuaniaGules, an armoured knight armed cap-à-pie mounted on a horse salient holding in his dexter hand a sword Argent above his head. A shield Azure hangs on the sinister shoulder charged with a double cross (Cross of Jagiellonian dynasty) or. The horse saddles, straps, and belts Azure. The hilt of the sword, and the fastening of the sheath, the stirrups, the curb bits of the bridle, the horseshoes, as well as the decoration of the harness, all or.None Coat of arms of Lithuania
LuxembourgBarry of ten Argent and Azure, a lion rampant queue fourché in Saltire (with tail forked and crossed) Gules crowned, armed and langued or. None Coat of arms of Luxembourg
North MacedoniaTwo curved garlands of sheaves of wheat, tobacco leaves and opium poppy fruits, tied by a ribbon decorated with embroidery of traditional Macedonian folk motifs. In the centre a mountain, a lake and a sunrise.NoneNational emblem of North Macedonia
MaltaPer pale Argent and Gules, a representation of George Cross Argent fimbriated Gules in Dexter Chief.Repubblika ta' Malta (Maltese)
Republic of Malta
Coat of arms of Malta
MoldovaParty per fess, Gules and Azure; an aurochs, an eight-pointed star, a rose, and a crescent moon, all or.NoneCoat of arms of Moldova
MonacoFusily (lozengy) argent and gules.Deo Juvante (Latin)
With God's help
Coat of arms of Monaco
MontenegroAzure, a base Vert, a lion passant or armed and langued Gules; a bordure or.NoneCoat of arms of Montenegro
NetherlandsAzure, billetty or, a lion with a coronet or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together or.Je Maintiendrai (French)
I will maintain
Coat of arms of the Netherlands
NorwayGules, a lion rampant or, crowned and bearing an axe with blade argent.None Coat of arms of Norway
PolandGules, an eagle argent armed, crowned and beaked or, langued argent.None Coat of arms of Poland
PortugalArgent, five Escutcheons Azure, each charged with five Bezants or, crosswise; a bordure Gules charged with seven Castles or, all surmounting an armillary sphere or. NoneCoat of arms of Portugal
RomaniaQuarterly

1 Azure, an Eagle displayed or, beaked and taloned Gules, holding in its beak an Orthodox cross or, between in dexter chief a Sun in splendour and in sinister chief an Increscent, both or (for Wallachia); 2 a Bull's head caboshed Sable, between in dexter base a Rose and in sinister base a decrescent, both Argent, between the Bull's horns, a Mullet of five points or (for Moldavia); 3 Gules, issuant from water in base proper, a Lion rampant or, holding in its dexter paw a Sabre Argent, hilted or, behind a Bridge of two arches embattled or, masoned Sable (for Banat and Oltenia); 4 Per fess Azure, a Demi-Eagle Sable between in dexter chief a Sun in splendour or and in sinister chief a Decrescent Argent; and or, seven Castles Gules, a Barrulet Gules (for Transylvania); Entree en point, two Dolphins urinant respectant or (for Dobruja).

NoneCoat of arms of Romania
RussiaGules, a two-headed eagle each head imperially crowned holding in its dexter talon a sceptre and in its sinister talon a globus cruciger and ensigned with an imperial crown all or. An Inescutcheon Gules, a representation of Saint George upon horseback argent slaying a dragon or.NoneCoat of arms of Russia
San MarinoAzure on three mountain tops vert three towers argent masoned and windowed sable each weather vaned with an ostrich plume argent.Libertas (Latin)
Liberty
Coat of arms of San Marino
SerbiaGules, a two-headed eagle Argent armed or, two fleurs-de-lys or. Overall an escutcheon Gules, a St. George's cross Argent between four firesteels Argent (Serbian cross).NoneCoat of arms of Serbia
SlovakiaGules, on a mount Azure, issuant therefrom a double cross Argent.NoneCoat of arms of Slovakia
SloveniaA representation of Mount Triglav in white on a blue background, with two blue bending lines below and three gold stars above.NoneCoat of arms of Slovenia
SpainQuarterly

1 Gules, a three towered castle or, masoned sable and ajouré azure (for Castile); 2 Argent, a lion rampant purpure (for León); 3 or, four pallets gules (for Aragon); 4 Gules, a cross, saltire and orle of chains linked together or, a centre point vert (for Navarre); En point: Argent, a pomegranate proper seeded gules, supported, sculpted and leafed in two leaves vert (for Granada); Inescutcheon: Azure bordure gules, three fleur-de-lis or (for the House of Bourbon).

Plus Ultra (Latin)
Further Beyond
Coat of arms of Spain
SwedenQuarterly

1 and 4 Azure, three coronets or, placed two above one (the Three Crowns); 2 and 3 Three sinisterbendwise streams argent, a lion crowned with an open crown or armed gules (for the House of Bjelbo). Inescutcheon party per pale Bendwise azure, argent and gules, a vasa or (for the House of Vasa); and Azure, issuant from a wavy base a bridge with three arches and two towers embattled argent, in honor point an eagle regardant with wings inverted resting on thunderbolts or, and in chief the Big Dipper constellation of the same (for the House of Bernadotte).

None Coat of arms of Sweden
SwitzerlandGules, a Cross couped Argent.None Coat of arms of Switzerland
TurkeyA crescent and mullet gulesNoneNational emblem of Turkey
UkraineAzure, a Tryzub (trident) or.None Coat of arms of Ukraine
United KingdomAs used in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and externallyQuarterly

1 and 4 Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or armed and langued azure (for England); 2 or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory-counter-flory of the second (for Scotland); 3 Azure, a harp or stringed argent (for Ireland).

Dieu et mon droit (French)
God and my right

Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French)
Shamed be he who thinks ill of it
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
As used in ScotlandQuarterly

1 and 4 or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory-counter-flory of the second (for Scotland); 2 Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or armed and langued azure (for England); 3 Azure, a harp or stringed argent (for Ireland).

In Defens (Scots)
Abbreviation of In my defens God me defend

Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin)
No one attacks me with impunity
Vatican CityGules, two keys in saltire or and argent, interlaced in the rings gules, beneath a tiara argent, crowned or.NoneCoat of arms of the State of Vatican City

Disputed and/or unrecognised countries

CountryCoat of arms or emblemText Main article
AbkhaziaNoneEmblem of Abkhazia
KosovoNoneCoat of arms of Kosovo
Northern Cyprus1983
South OssetiaOssetian; Ossetic: Республикӕ Хуссар Ирыстон.
Russian: Республика Южная Осетия.
Translated in English: "Republic of South Ossetia"
Emblem of South Ossetia
TransnistriaRomanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Република Молдовеняскэ Нистрянэ|italics=no (in Moldovan Cyrillic)
Russian: Приднестровская Молдавская Республика
Ukrainian: Придністровська Молдавська Республіка
Emblem of Transnistria

Dependent territories

DependencyCoat of arms or emblemBlazonTextMain article
Åland (Finland)Azure a stag trippant Or.NoneCoat of arms of Åland
Azores (Portugal)Argent, a goshawk displayed azure, beaked, langued, taloned and armed gules,a bordure gules, charged with nine mullets of five points Or.Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos ("Rather die free than subjected in peace")Coat of arms of the Azores
Faroe Islands (Denmark)Azure, a ram argent, langued gules, armed and unguled Or.NoneCoat of arms of the Faroe Islands
Gibraltar (UK)Argent, upon a base gules a castle triple-towered of the same ported and windowed sable with a cord issuant from the portal, pendent therefrom a key Or.Montis Insignia Calpe (Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar)Coat of arms of Gibraltar
Guernsey (UK)Gules, 3 lions passant guardant Or, langued and armed Azure.NoneCoat of arms of Guernsey
Isle of Man (UK)Gules three legs in armour flexed at the knee and conjoined at the thigh, all proper, garnished and spurred or.Quocunque jeceris stabit (Latin)
Whichever way you throw, it will stand
Coat of arms of the Isle of Man
Jersey (UK)Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure.NoneCoat of arms of Jersey
Madeira (Portugal)Azure a pale Or charged with the Cross of Christ.Das Ilhas as Mais Belas e Livres (Of all islands, the most beautiful and free)Coat of arms of Madeira

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rossi, Girolamo. Lo scudo crociato. Un simbolo medievale nella comunicazione politica del Novecento. 2014. Armando Editore. it. 978-88-96817-06-3. 38.