What is the symbol of Wales? Flower symbols of the kingdom

Special relationship with heraldry. For example, the capital of the state does not have its own official symbol, unlike the historical and business center of the City and other counties that are part of it. Or the so-called coat of arms, which is not a national coat of arms in the literal sense, but is considered a royal sign.

Wealth and pomp

These are the associations that the royal sign of Wales evokes, thanks to its numerous symbols and color palette. Three primary colors are present on the heraldic symbol - red, gold, emerald.

In addition to them, there are other colors, which are very rarely used for images of coats of arms and emblems, for example, purple or dark pink. The royal sign of this region of Great Britain has a very complex compositional structure; several important parts can be distinguished:

• shield cut into four parts;
• a green ribbon with the motto bordering the shield;
• crown of St. Edward;
• a kind of wreath made from plants known in the English heraldic tradition.

In turn, each of the parts has its own symbolic images. For example, in each of the four fields of the shield there is a walking lion. In a red field the lion is golden, in a golden field it is red. The claws and tongues of animals are painted azure. The motto is written on the emerald ribbon; it is a line from the Welsh anthem; the main meaning of the inscription is “loyalty to one’s country.”

The crown is a symbol of the monarchy

The official badge of Wales is surmounted by the crown, a symbol of the headdress used at the coronation of new English monarchs. The Crown of St. Edward was created in 1661, especially for Charles II.

There is a version that it received this name because it was created using gold from an older royal headdress, namely the crown of Edward the Confessor. He was revered as a saint and ruled England in the 11th century.

Heraldic flora

A rather unusual wreath surrounds the shield on the Royal Badge of Wales. But everything becomes much clearer if you know the symbolic connections between the constituent parts of Great Britain and plants.

The wreath features thistle, which is associated with Scotland. The green shamrock is the most famous symbol in the world, clearly indicating. The double Tudor rose is, naturally, . Perhaps the funniest thing in this “bouquet” is the symbol of Wales itself – the leek.

The daffodil did not immediately become a symbol of Wales. There is a legend according to which in the distant 6th century a decisive battle was to take place between the Welsh - the inhabitants of Wales - and the Saxons. An onion field was chosen as the location for the battle. Taking advantage of the terrain, Saint David, who was the patron saint of Wales, ordered his soldiers to attach parts of leeks to their headdresses. In this way, it was easier for the Welsh to distinguish their soldiers from enemy soldiers in battle. The Welsh warriors were victorious in that battle.

Saint David is a real person shrouded in legends. One of the legends says that three decades before the birth of David, a heavenly man appeared to St. Patrick, heralding the emergence of a strong patron of Wales. There were rumors that at the moment of Saint David's birth, lightning flashed across the sky, splitting a massive rock in half.

Subsequently, green and white colors, symbolizing leeks, were used in their clothing by Welsh archers. In March, when the day of honoring St. David arrived, the Welsh attached this plant to items of clothing. The leek, which once brought victory in the battle, also appeared on the coat of arms of Wales. It is included in a wreath of several symbolic plants bordering the sign of princely power.

Yellow daffodil as a symbol of Wales

The one described above is directly related to the floral symbol of the Welsh. The legendary leek unwittingly became the reason for the appearance of the yellow daffodil in the symbolism of Wales. The fact is that in Welsh the words leek and daffodil are spelled and sounded similar. Researchers of symbolism and heraldry believe that it was this fact that became the reason for the establishment of the yellow daffodil as another symbolic designation of Wales.

In spring, a huge variety of yellow daffodils bloom in the fields of Wales. These flowers have a wide variety of shapes, shades and sizes. Breeders love to work with daffodils, thanks to whose efforts you can find very beautiful flowers with bright and rich tones. Artistic photographs depicting yellow daffodils are used to design greeting cards.

In Wales, for more than two centuries, St. David's Day has been widely celebrated on March 1, recognized as a national holiday. On this day, the Welsh take to the streets, organizing colorful festivals and street celebrations. According to folk tradition, Welsh people attach yellow daffodil flowers and leek leaves to their clothes.

Flowers are perhaps the most beautiful and unusual representatives of the world's flora - they have been admired and extolled as divine symbols since time immemorial. Why are certain flowers chosen as the national emblems of countries? Some of them are traditionally an important element of religious rituals, others are quite rare and widespread in a limited territory of a certain state, and still others are associated with legends and traditions.

Traditional flowers - symbols of Great Britain

Flowers are an important link in the history of Great Britain, its culture and ceremonies - they are associated with the national legends and fairy tales of the country, serving as an important element of English traditions. Each historical province of the United Kingdom used to be a separate country, and therefore has its own emblem flower, the “roots” of which extend back to ancient times.

The national flower of England is the red Tudor rose, which has been the country's emblem since the civil war of 1455-1485 between the House of Lancaster, whose symbol was the red rose, and the royal family of York, who used white roses in their heraldry. When the future king of England, Henry VII, whose father was Edmund Tudor of the House of Richmond and whose mother was Margaret Beaufort of the House of Lancaster, won the crown from Richard III in battle, he put an end to the Wars of the Roses. Having married Elizabeth of the York family in 1486, Henry forever united the two royal families and the Tudor rose has since become white and red, adorning the coat of arms of the ruling dynasty.

The national symbol of Ireland, as well as its officially registered trademark, is the clover flower, which is usually depicted as three connected heart-shaped leaves. In ancient times, Celtic priests - Druids, used clover, which, in their opinion, symbolized natural balance, for their magical rituals - for example, they used it to drive out the devil. Like the Slavs, the Celts considered the number “3” to be a lucky number, which is why clover was held in special esteem. According to legend, when Saint Patrick came to Ireland to convert it to Christianity, he used the clover shamrock as a symbol of the Holy Trinity.

Another popular flower in Ireland is the bluebell - a rarity for the rainy climate of Ireland and England. According to legend, bells that bloom in April-May attract fairies with their ringing, who dance around the flower in a magical dance that can enchant forest travelers.

The thistle flower has been the national symbol of Scotland since the 15th century, which, according to Celtic legends, blocked the path of the Viking army when they wanted to pass through a meadow strewn with holly weeds as tall as a man - so the Scottish army avoided a bloody battle with the formidable conqueror. Since then, the lilac buds of thistle have been revered among the Scots as amulets.

The flower that serves as the symbol of Wales is the yellow daffodil, which has become the national emblem of the English province since the battle with the Saxons at Agincourt in 1415. To distinguish their enemies from their enemies, the Welsh warriors attached bright yellow flowers to their helmets and won the battle - that’s when people began to consider yellow daffodils a symbol of good luck and victory.

Jasmine is a symbol of purity among African and Eastern peoples

For thousands of years, jasmine has been cultivated not only for the beauty of its tiny white flowers, but also for its intoxicating, subtle scent. Despite the fact that the birthplace of jasmine is the foothills of the Himalayas and the state of Punjab in India, its growing area quickly expanded due to its distribution in the countries of Indochina, the Middle East and other Asian countries. From the East, jasmine was brought to Europe - to France and Italy, from where it migrated to countries around the world. In Pakistan, the jasmine flower (Jasminum officinale or Chameli) symbolizes affection, friendship and modesty - it can be found in every garden, which is why this flower has become the official symbol of this southern country.

In Indonesia, a country of enormous biodiversity, where each of the 33 republics has its own emblem flower, jasmine sambac or Melati putih (Jasminum sambac) has been recognized as a national symbol. This small white flower with a sweet scent has been considered sacred in Indonesia for centuries, symbolizing purity, sincerity, and graceful simplicity. In 1990, by decree of the President of Indonesia, jasmine became the country's legal emblem, having previously existed as an unofficial national flower, traditionally the most important in wedding ceremonies. During the wedding, the bride’s hair is decorated with garlands of jasmine buds, reminiscent of precious pearls, and five garlands of open white melati flowers are obligatory attributes of the groom’s wedding suit. In Indonesian traditions, the symbolism of jasmine is multifaceted - this flower of life and beauty was often associated with divine spirits, as well as with the souls of heroes who fell on the battlefield.

Other varieties of jasmine are symbolic in some other countries - Arabian jasmine is recognized as the national flower of the Philippines, where it is called Sampaguita, and in Tunisia, where the double jasmine buds Jasminum grandiflorum are chosen as the emblem of the country.

Lotus flower - an ancient emblem of Buddhism

Since ancient times, the lotus has been a divine symbol of the Asian peoples, representing virtue and innocence. Hindus considered the pink water lily Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) to be a sign of Vishnu and Lakshmi, an emblem of heavenly beauty. Growing in water, taking root in muddy soil, the lotus symbolized the inviolable soul that resists the temptations of life - growing out of the mud, the lotus always remains unsullied. Most deities in Asian religions were depicted sitting on a lotus, as if floating above the muddy waters of worldly desires, personifying the purity of body, mind and speech. This is why the lotus shape was taken to create the architectural concept.

The lotus is the national floral emblem of not only India, but also the islands of Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Egypt and Macau. In Sri Lanka, where the dominant religion is Buddhism, the blue lotus or water lily (Nymphaea stellata) is a sacred flower, a symbol of discipline, virtue, purity and one of the 108 auspicious signs - according to legend, wherever Prince Gautama Buddha walked, a flower grew lotus

Why did Scotland, for example, choose thistles, and the people of Wales take to the streets on the first day of March pinning daffodils or leeks on their coats? How are the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, and the shamrock related?

Shamrock in Ireland

We must start with what the Celts believed: the number 3 is unique because it represents simultaneously the past, present and future, or the firmament, the earth and the underground. The concept of the sacred meaning of this number is reflected in art. Three-headed figurines have been found in Ireland since the Iron Age, as well as the ancient symbolic sign of the triskele (a symbol of the movement of the sun, the “running of time”, representing three connected spirals) and the triskelion (a sign in the form of three running legs emerging from one point).

Based on all of the above, it is not surprising that the shamrock was held in high esteem by the Celts. It seems that St. Patrick, the Baptist of Ireland, was well aware of the significance of the shamrock for the Irish. After all, according to legend, it was the shamrock that he chose as an illustration to explain the trinity of God.

This legend has no confirmation in reality; it does not appear in sources until the 18th century. Whether it is true or not no longer matters, since by that time the shamrock had already become a full-fledged symbol of Ireland. It was depicted on everything from medieval tombs to coins, and a written account from 1681 describes it as a badge attached to the lapel of outerwear on St. Valentine's Day. Patrick - March 17.

A century later, the shamrock was adopted as the emblem of the Irish Volunteers. At the same time, it began to be associated with manifestations of rebellion and nationalist views, which is why, already in the 19th century, Queen Victoria banned the Irish regiments of the British army from wearing it.

These days, the Irish shamrock can be seen everywhere: on pub signs and beer mugs, stamps and coins, and even on lampposts. It is also relatively often present at an altitude of 10,000 m. The fact is that the shamrock is the symbol of the Irish airline Aer Lingus, which places it on the keel of its airliners.

Scented symbol of Wales

It would seem, how can a vegetable such as leeks and one of the regions of Great Britain - Wales - be connected? Now let's try to figure this out.

In fact, Wales has another symbol - the daffodil. But its history goes back a couple of hundred years. With the bow, everything is much more interesting: the roots of its image as a symbol go back to the times of the ancient tribes, before the Norman conquest of Britain.

As you know, at that time each plant or animal was assigned some property. The onion was given a special place - it was believed that it not only cured colds and made childbirth easier, but also drove out evil spirits and even predicted the future. It was even believed that if a girl puts onion shoots under her pillow, she will see her betrothed in a dream.

But how did the leek become a symbol of Wales? An ancient legend tells about this. Once the patron saint of Wales, Saint David of Wales (according to another version, it was King Cadwaladr the Blessed) advised the Celtic warriors going to battle the Saxons to attach bow shoots to their helmets to distinguish their troops from the enemy. According to legend, the battle took place in an onion field. The battle ended in victory for the Celts. The legend has no confirmation, but it is known that the Welsh archers of Edward I, who distinguished themselves in the Battle of Crecy, one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years War, wore white and green clothes to match the color of the bow.

The tradition of attaching a bow to clothing on St. David's Day, March 1, dates back to the 17th century. The king did this for the first time, and after him the court. Very soon this tradition was adopted by the common people. Since then, on March 1, patriotic residents of Wales have been happy to attach leeks to their clothes. His image can also be seen on the caps of the Welsh Guards and on the £1 coin.

It is interesting that the reverent attitude of the Welsh towards onions is reflected in art. Thus, in Shakespeare’s drama “The Life of Henry V,” Captain Fluellen says to the king: “The Welsh serve well in those gardens where leeks grow; they wear helmets with his image, which Your Majesty saw, for the most honorable service.”

As for the narcissist, his story, although short, is no less interesting. Interestingly, in Welsh, “onion” and “daffodil” sound very similar: cenhinen (“onion”) and cenhinen Pedr (“Peter’s bow”, that is, daffodil). Perhaps this is why the flower was chosen as the second most important symbol of Wales. It is believed that it was informally supported in this capacity by the British government, since it did not have a pronounced nationalistic character, as in the case of the bow.

In 1911, the time came for official recognition. David Lloyd George (by the way, the only Welshman to serve as Prime Minister of Great Britain) insisted that the daffodil be used in the ceremony of conferring the title of Prince of Wales at Carnavon Castle. By that time, the flower had long been, since the end of the 19th century, successfully competing with the onion as a symbol of Wales.

The weed as an emblem of Scotland

It is usually heather that is most associated with Scotland. Remember Marshak’s poem “Heather Honey”? But Scotland has a different symbol, and it grows right under our feet - this is an inconspicuous thistle at first glance.

There is a legend dating back to the reign of the Scottish king Alexander III. During his reign there was a conflict between Scotland and Norway over the Hebrides. They were home to the Kingdom of the Islands, which recognized the authority of the Norwegian king. Strengthened Scotland attempted to subjugate the Hebrides. Then, in the summer of 1263, Haakon IV, King of Norway, assembled a powerful fleet and sailed to the shores of Scotland. The storm forced the fleet to split up, and a small group of ships landed in Ayrshire at night. There was a detachment of Scots nearby. In order to approach unnoticed and defeat the peacefully sleeping warriors, the Norwegians took off their shoes and began to approach the camp. But to their misfortune, there was a thistle growing on the field, which gave them away when one of the Vikings stepped on its escape and screamed in pain. The awakened Scots utterly defeated the invaders. This is how the common thistle earned its right to become a symbol of Scotland.

The White Rose of York appeared before the war, back in the 14th century, and was, in fact, a Christian symbol, as it denoted innocence and purity. She also personified the Virgin Mary. The Lancasters made a red rose as their emblem already during the war - as a response to the York symbol.

In the end, the Lancasters won the war. By marrying Elizabeth of York, Henry VII (on his mother’s side of the Lancaster family) reconciled the warring houses. United scarlet and white roses acted as a symbol of reconciliation. As they would say now, it was a brilliant PR move.

Today, the Tudor rose, along with the shamrock and thistle, can be seen on the coat of arms of Britain, as well as on the uniform of the Beefeaters, guards of the Tower of London.

Topic: The symbols of the UK

Topic: Symbols of the United Kingdom

Each country has its specific culture and peculiarities which can be found in their symbols. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of them has its symbols and usually there are two types of them official and

Each country has its own characteristics, which can be found in their symbols. The United Kingdom combines England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in its name. And each of these countries has its own symbols, which can be unofficially divided into official and unofficial.

England is the main part of the UK as The floral emblem and at the same time the symbol of England is the red rose. This flower has become a symbol since the Civil war which is called War of roses (1455-1485). The winner was the Royal Family with a red rose as a family symbol. Corrected: This flower became a symbol since the civil war which is called War of roses (1455-1485) was ended and the winner was the Royal Family with the family symbol red rose. Besides the floral symbol England has the national animal of England and it is a lion.

England is the main part of the United Kingdom because it has its capital, London. And the unofficial flower symbol of this city is the red rose. This flower became a symbol of England after the royal family, whose emblem was the red rose, won the civil war of 1455-1485. In historical chronicles, this war was called the “War of the Roses.” In addition to the flower, England has a national animal: the lion.

The national flower in Scotland is the Thistle or sometimes it is called Scottish Bluebell. It when this prickly-leaved violet flower was used as the defense of the border of the country. Scotland also and it is a unicorn

The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, sometimes called the Scottish bluebell. This flower became a symbol in the 15th century, when its thorns were used to defend city borders. But the national animal here is the unicorn.

In Wales, the spring daffodil has become the national flower symbol. There are many opinions about the reason for its becoming a symbol, but the main version is retold in Shakespeare's poem, where he described the Welsh archers who, at the Battle of Agincourt in the 15th century, wore this flower as a distinctive feature from their enemies. In some sources you can find leeks as a symbol of Wales. The national animal here is the red dragon, which is also depicted on the national flag.

And the Northern Ireland also has its own flower symbol it is shamrock. The legend told that with the help of this three-leaf plant St. Patrick explained the Trinity. He said that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit can’t exist separately as the shamrock can’t be with one leave. And later his followers used

Northern Ireland also has its own symbol and here it is the shamrock. According to legend, Saint Patrick compared this plant to the teachings of the Trinity. Thus, he explained the continuity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as in this plant of three leaves. Later his followers wore this plant as a badge of identification.

Besides the flower symbols every part of the UK has its own patron. It is possible to call them the saint symbols.

In addition to flower symbols, each country has its own spiritual patrons, in whose honor national holidays are held.

In England St. George is a patron and in his honor every year The national day in Wales is on the 1st March who is the patron of Wales. The patron of Scotland is St. Andrew and Scotsmen 30th November the national day, St. Andrew day. St. Patrick is a saint patron of the Northern Ireland and on the 17th of March it is a great holiday, the day of St. Patrick. Corrected: St. Patrick is the patron saint of the Northern Ireland and th 17th of March is the great holiday, the day of St. Patrick.

In England, this is St. George, in whose honor the British celebrate a national holiday every year on April 23rd. Wales' national holiday is celebrated on March 1st, and this holiday is dedicated to their patron saint, Saint David. In Scotland, the patron saint is Saint Andrew, in whose honor a national holiday is celebrated on November 30th. In Northern Ireland, a large-scale holiday takes place on March 17th and St. Patrick is honored on this day.