The Von Munthe af Morgenstierne family is a Danish and a Norwegian noble family living in Norway and The Netherlands. It descends from Bredo Munthe of Bekkeskov, who on 19 December 1755 was ennobled under the name von Munthe af Morgenstierne. The family is included in the Yearbook of the Danish Nobility.[1] [2]
The noble name von Munthe af Morgenstierne was derived from the surnames of two families, Munthe and Morgenstierne, from which Bredo Munthe had descended. When he applied for ennoblement, he claimed that these two families were originally noble.[3]
Supreme Court Judge Bredo Munthe (1701–1757) was the son of Otto Christophersen Munthe (1659–1733), parish priest at Fron in Gudbrandsdalen and great-grandson of Ludvig Hansen Munthe (1593–1649), Bishop of the Diocese of Bergen. Patrilineality he descended from bailiff Christopher Giertssøn Morgenstierne (1619–79) who married Birgitta Ludvigsdatter Munthe (1634–1708). Their seven children took the surname Munthe.[4] [5]
The arms, which were granted upon the ennoblement, are partly based on Munthe's old arms.
Description: On a shield divided into two fields, whereof the upper is silver and the lower is red, in the 1st field two chopped and crossed brown tree stems under a ten-pointed golden star, and in the 2nd field three silver balls. On the helm a noble coronet and up from this two bear paws holding three silver balls. Supporters: two against each other sitting and onto the shield looking brown bears.