Coat o airms o Finland

The Coat o airms o Finland is a crouned lion on a reid field, the richt forepaw replaced wi an armoured haund brandishin a sword, tramplin on a saber wi the hindpaws. Offeecial anerlie syne 1978, the coat o airms wis oreeginally creatit aroond the year 1580.

Backgrund

The Lion in Nordic heraldry

Figure 2: Coat o airms o Valdemar Birgersson

The heraldic lion is quite common in Wastren Europe, an several European kintras incorporate it intae thair naitional coats o airms. In Nordic heraldry, the lion is first-foond in the coat o airms o Denmark in the later pairt o the 12t century.

Stairtin in the 12t century, the territory o the day's Finland wis gradually incorporated intae the Swadish kinrick, an this coincidit wi the period when coats o airms first came intae uise in northren Europe. The first kent uise o the lion in Swaden wis on the ryal seals o Erik Knutsson (dee'd 1216) an Erik Eriksson (1216–50), who uised twa an three lions on thair seal, respectively. The first king o the Folkunga faimily, Valdemar Birgersson (1239–1302), an aa uised 3 lions on his seal (Figure 2).

Finland as a Duchy

Figure 3: Folkunga coat o airms

Figure 4: Seal o duke Valdemar

Bengt Birgersson, the first Duke o Finland (1254–91, Duke frae 1284 till 1291), an Valdemar Magnusson, the seicont Duke (dee'd 1318, Duke o Finland frae 1302 till 1317), baith uised the later Folkunga coat o airms, which wis a crouned lion rampant wi three bends sinister, the main difference bein that Valdemar's airms haed the field strewn wi herts (Figure 3). This version o the airms wis quite seemilar tae the modren coat o airms o Finland, but the lion did no yet brandish ony wappen.