Shell (heraldic animal)
The shell is in the heraldry an emblem .
The representation is mostly limited to the scallop shell , named after the apostle James the Elder . It is also called the pilgrim's shell and has been an attribute of the saint since 1250 . It has appeared in coats of arms since the Middle Ages , as it was a sign of recognition for pilgrims on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela in Spain . It was worn on the headgear.
Ennigerloh coat of arms
Coat of arms of Jakobwüllesheim
Coat of arms of Mainz-Kastel
(Historical) coat of arms of Bad Mingolsheim
Coat of arms of Selma GR
This common figure is more common in French coats of arms than in German ones. A multiple representation in the shield outweighs the number of individual representations. In many coats of arms the shell is shown in a three pass , i.e. two over one . The threesome is often shown in a pole or bar in the coat of arms . In the main shield itself, the aim is not to be next to each other, but to achieve 2: 1. In the sign board is in large numbers. The joint side up is the rule.
The coloring ( tinging ) is possible in all colors, but the metals silver and gold dominate. Opened mussels are rare. The shell is also used as a symbol .
Pope's coat of arms and pilgrim shell
Benedict XVI. chose, among other things, the large pilgrim clam for his papal coat of arms , which was also included in his coat of arms as Archbishop of Munich and Freising . Several interpretations are offered in the pictorial part of his autobiography:
- as a reference to Benedict's dissertation topic Augustine , in whose vita the shell has a meaning as a sign of God's inexhaustibility. The tinging in the Archbishop's coat of arms in silver- blue and blue-gold shows the shell submerged in water (the sea) with reference to this interpretation,
- as an indication that the life of a Christian can be understood as a pilgrimage to God,
- the hint of a continuity with John Paul II , who also saw himself as a pilgrim in his office,
- as an expression of Benedict's attachment to Regensburg and the local Schottenkirche St. Jakob .
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Examples
It can be found in the national coat of arms of Guinea-Bissau as well as a symbol of the Shell oil company .
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Walter Leonhard : The great book of heraldic art. Development, elements, motifs, design. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Georg D. W. Callway, Munich 1978, ISBN 3-7667-0345-5 .
