Bohemian lion

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The double-tailed Bohemian lion in the small coat of arms of the Czech Republic

The Bohemian lion is a common figure in heraldry . It is the heraldic animal of Bohemia documented from the 13th century and is now a national symbol of the Czech Republic .

Presentation and meaning

First known color representation of the Bohemian Lion in the Gozzoburg in Krems, Lower Austria

Blazon :

On a red shield as a silver double-tailed, gold- or red-tongued, gold-armored and equally crowned rising lion .

The particular difference to the other lions in heraldry is its double-tailed shape, which is otherwise not common. In some coats of arms it is turned the other way around, that is to say that it is heraldically to the left. He is also known as the masked lion from the coat of arms of Ústí nad Labem .

history

The first state symbol of rule for Bohemia was not the lion, but the flame eagle of the Přemyslids , later called the Wenceslas eagle . It can already be found on coins from the time of Prince Bedřich in the 12th century. The Dalimil Chronicle connects the heraldic lion with the award of the royal title to Vladislav in 1156. However, the lion is only reliably documented on the seal of the Moravian margrave Vladislav Heinrich in 1213.

Seal of Ottokar II Přemysl

The two-tailed appearance is documented from 1248. With the rise of Přemysl Ottokar II as king, the heraldic animal established itself as a symbol of the kingdom. The lion, which began in the coats of arms of various rulers, spread to many coats of arms with the expansion of the Bohemian sphere of influence. Examples are Görlitz , Löbau , Plech and Spremberg . Löbau can already prove the lion on a seal from 1254. The Bohemian coat of arms can also be found in the coat of arms hall of the Wenzel Castle in Lauf an der Pegnitz , which demonstrates the former size of the domain.

The Bohemian lion outlived the Přemyslid dynasty and remained the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia until the end of 1918. It was included in the coat of arms of Czechoslovakia. It occupies an appropriate place in the Czech national coat of arms , as it is one of the national symbols , like the Moravian eagle .

The Bohemian lion is used as the Czech national allegory.

Examples

As a state symbol

In communal heraldry

The Bohemian lion as a sovereign symbol appears in city and municipal coats of arms in the historical countries of the Bohemian crown .

Germany

Czech Republic

Poland

In family coat of arms

literature

  • Ladislav Baletka, Jiří Louda: Znaky měst Severomoravského kraje. Profil, Ostrava 1980.
  • Walter Leonhard : The great book of heraldic art. Development, elements, motifs, design. License issue. Bechtermünz, Augsburg 2001, ISBN 3-8289-0768-7 .
  • Milan boys : heraldry. Edited edition. Albatros, Prague 1987.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ History of the heraldic lion , Český rozhlas April 27, 2015
  2. ^ Maximilian Gritzner : Regional and heraldry of the Brandenburg-Prussian monarchy, Berlin, 1894

Web links

Commons : Bohemian and Double-Tailed Lions  - Collection of Images