The Coat-of-Arms of Newfoundland and Labrador Origins of Coat-of-Arms (1) A coat-of-arms is a badge or crest used by individuals, families and even countries as an official symbol. Coat-of-arms were first used during the crusades; a time, about eight hundred years ago, when Christian and Muslim armies fought for control of the Holy Lands. Displayed on badges, shields and armour, a coat-of-arms helped to identify a knight, his country of origin and for which king he fought. (2) After the crusades, a coat-of-arms became a sign of power and authority and were recognized by the laws of the land. When John Cabot explored the new founde land in 1497, for example, he raised the Arms of the Royal Banner of England to officially claim ownership of the land in the name of the King of England. Parts of a Coat-of-Arms Most coats-of-arms, consists of four parts; the Shield, the Crest, the Supporters and the Motto. Our Provincial Coat-of-Arms (3) Newfoundland s Coat of Arms, as pictured above, have symbols linked to our past. The original one was granted to Newfoundland in 1637 by King Charles I of England and Scotland, when the island was owned by the British and was not yet a nation or part of Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland -1-
Canada as it is today. (4) The centre part of Newfoundland s coat-of-arms is the Shield. The shield contains a silver cross on a red background. The cross is taken from the Arms of the Knight of St. John. These Arms were adopted because Newfoundland was explored by John Cabot on June 24, 1497, the same date as the feast of St. John the Baptist. (5) The cross of St. John divides the Shield into four sections or quarters. The first and fourth quarters of the shield each contain one golden lion. The lion wears the Imperial Crown of Great Britain, representing the authority of the reigning monarch. The second and third quarters contain the mythical creature the unicorn. Its mane, tail, hooves, spiral horn, chain and collar are gold coloured. The lion and the unicorn symbolize the Royal Arms of Scotland and England and represent the authority and power of the King of England and Scotland. The shield is the official symbol of the Government of our province. You will see it displayed at many events supported by our Government and on the properties it owns. The largest Shield in the province is displayed in marble and granite in front of the Confederation Building in St. John s. (6) The Crest of the coat-of-arms is located above the Shield. It shows an elk in its natural brownish colours. It is standing on a red and gold wreath. Since elk have never existed in Newfoundland and Labrador, the animal probably represents the woodland caribou which is native to both parts of our province. The caribou was an important animal to the Beothuks and the early European Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland -2-
settlers. It is still hunted for food today. (7) On each side of the shield stand the Supporters. They represent the original, but now extinct, inhabitants of Newfoundland- the Beothuk Indians. The Beothuks are shown in customary dress and are armed with a bow and quiver of arrows. There is some debate about how accurate of the clothing. There is no evidence that the Beothuks worn armor. (8) The Motto of the coat-of-arms is written on a scroll below the Shield. It is written in Latin and taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew in the Bible. It means Seek first the Kingdom of God. It is a reflection of the strong religious beliefs of our ancestors. (9) The existence of this coat of arms was forgotten sometime after Cabot s voyage. It was uncovered in the 1920s and then officially adopted by Newfoundland. Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland -3-
Coat of Arms Finding Facts Write a fact for each of the following statements on loose leaf in your Social Studies duo-tang. 1. The year the Coat-of-Arms was presented to Newfoundland. 2. The name of the King who presented the Coat-of-Arms. 3. Where the motto of the Coat-of-Arms comes from. 4. When the present Coat-of-Arms became official. 5. The date Newfoundland was explored by John Cabot. 6. Newfoundland original inhabitants. 7. The animal represented on the crest of the Coat-of-Arms. Comprehension Questions Answer the following questions on loose leaf in your Social Studies duo-tang. 1. What is a coat of arms? 2. How were coat-of-arms first used? 3. What are the four parts of all coat of arms. 4. What do each of the following symbols on our province s coat of arms represent. a. the lion and unicorn: b. the elk: c. Beothuks: 5. What is the English translation of the motto of our coat-of-arms? Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland -4-
Art Activity A coat of arms is developed around a shield. Draw a shield and create a coat of arms for your family. Remember: yours should contain images that say something about your family. Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland -5-
Labeling a diagram There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is why diagrams are often used to support the description of a topic. Seeing the object described helps us better understand it. There is another saying, probably not as old that goes: a labeled picture is worth ten thousand words. This is why many diagrams and pictures in our textbooks often contain labels. Labeling the parts of our coat-of-arms using the following. motto crest shield supporters Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland -6-
Word Search c o u c e c n t b l u b a d g e s c o p a r m o u r n f e s r e t r a u q d e r u r e a t o c r u s a d e s i o n g o e n v e s r s n m e n t s u p b p a s t s i e o t t s c a r i b o u h u k s h l e c i o n u i n n o i c o r e n t r m o t s l h i n e n l e d s p e c o i c a l l y b i x o s p e n e l k u d b e r o s n n u i p w t r i t c b a l h a g r f l r a u g h o a l b l i a v g a n n y e e w y k o t r e n g l a n d f k e l a t i n s s t s e c s u p p o r t e r s o n d x y o c o a t - o f - a r m s x s u p q w m e g o v e r n m e n t o s f u t u r e elk shield country supporters knights caribou motto crest crusades badges unicorn England present past future cross lion Beothuks bible Latin quarters government coat of arms Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland -7-