Coat of arms of Bermuda
| Coat of arms of Bermuda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armiger | Bermuda |
| Adopted | 1910 |
| Shield | An antique shield azure thereon a representation of the wreck of the ship Sea Venture proper. |
| Supporters | Argent, a lion sejant affronté Gules. |
| Compartment | A mount vert |
| Motto | Quo Fata Ferunt "Whither the Fates carry (us)" |
| Earlier version(s) |  |
The coat of arms of Bermuda depicts a red lion with a shield that has a depiction of a wrecked ship upon it. The red lion is a symbol of Great Britain and alludes to Bermuda's relationship with that country. The Latin motto under the coat of arms, Quo Fata Ferunt, means "Whither the Fates Carry [Us]".[1] The wrecked ship is the Sea Venture. The arms were formally granted by Royal Warrant on 4 October 1910, but had been in use since at least 1624. The coat of arms first appears on the cover of the 1624 edition of The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles. The "Somers Isles" is another name for Bermuda, named after Sir George Somers, the colony's founder. [2]
Blazon
[edit]The heraldic blazon is: Argent, on a mount vert a lion sejant affronté gules supporting between the fore-paws an antique shield azure thereon a representation of the wreck of the ship Sea Venture proper.[citation needed]
Sea Venture shipwreck
[edit]On 10 April 1591, three ships sailed from Plymouth, England for the East Indies. They were the Penelope, the Merchant Royal, and the Sea Venture. On 2 June 1609, Sea Venture set sail from Plymouth as the flagship of a seven-ship fleet (towing two additional pinnaces) destined for Jamestown, Virginia as part of the Third Supply, carrying 500 to 600 people. On 24 July, the fleet ran into a strong storm, likely a hurricane, and the ships were separated. Sea Venture however, fought the storm for three days. Admiral Sir George Somers, piloting the ship, wedged the Sea Venture onto the reefs eastern Bermuda. This allowed 150 people, and one dog, to be landed safely ashore. The survivors, including several company officials (Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Gates,[3] the ship's captain Christopher Newport, George Yeardley, Silvester Jourdain, Stephen Hopkins, later of Mayflower, and secretary William Strachey), were stranded on Bermuda for approximately nine months.
In 2009, a thesis and documentary was published that gave evidence that the shipwreck on the original crest (as seen on the 1624 Generall Historie) was actually a Dutch vessel.[4][5][6] In 1593, the unnamed Dutch ship, with a French crew, wrecked on North Rock, miles north of the main archipelago. That shipwreck marooned the first Englishman on Bermuda--Henry May. This would help explain the "cliffs" visible on the crest, as the sea level was much lower in the 1500s.[6]
Flag of Bermuda
[edit]On 4 October 1910, the coat of arms (without the banner holding the motto) was added to the Red ensign to create the current Flag of Bermuda. The coat of arms replaced a badge which had been in use on the Bermuda red ensign before October 1910. The badge was based on a sketch, made in 1869, of the 1817 seal, which depicted a wet dock of the time showing with some boats in the background. It is assumed that the scene alludes to the fact that the islands were a stopover base for the sailing ships[7] when the badge was approved by the Admiralty.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Lot more to our Island's motto | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda Letters to the Editor". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ de Vries, Hubert. "Bermuda". National Arms and Emblems. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ Thomas, Edison H. (1972). "The Thomas and Bridges Story, 1540-1840".
- ^ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/501134e9c4aa430673203999/t/595109912e69cf68c7570c20/1498483096043/Riddel+of+The+Crest+-+Rouja.pdf
- ^ Library, Bermuda National. "FAQs – Bermuda National Library".
- ^ a b "The Riddle of the Crest". The Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 4 February 2011.
- ^ "Bermuda". Rbvex.it. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
External links
[edit]- Coat of arms of Bermuda – national-symbol.com (archived 15 August 2011)
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