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The great state coat of arms of the Republic of Estonia has three blue lions, passant gardant, on a golden shield. On both sides, and at the bottom, the shield is framed by two golden oak branches that cross at the base of the shield. The lesser coat of arms features no oak branches.
National independence achieved in the Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920) mainly continued with the local historical heraldic tradition. The central motif of the state coat of arms – three lions on a shield – is among the oldest symbols of Estonia. It originates from the coats of arms of the Knighthood of Harrien-Vironia (roughly modern Harju and Viru Counties) and Tallinn, granted by Valdemar II, King of Denmark, after the founding of the Duchy of Estonia during the Northern Crusades.
The story of the Tallinn coat of arms is connected with the birth of another state symbol. According to legend, the Danish flag called Dannebrog fell from the sky during a battle fought between the crusading Danes and Estonians at the foot of the Lindanise stronghold – today’s Toompea Castle – in 1219. While the truthfulness of the legend remains disputable, the royal Danish ancestry of the coats of arms of both Tallinn and Estonia is factual.
It is also likely that the present name of Tallinn derives from the event: garrisoned by the Danes, the stone fortress overlooking the harbour and a trading post became known as castrum Danorum, the Danish castle, or Taani linn (and thereof Tallinn) in Estonian.
The state coat of arms in its current design acquired official status in 1925. Even while banned in Estonia during the years of consequent Soviet-German-Soviet occupation, the coat of arms was used in the free world by a number of surviving diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Estonia and by the government in exile. The historic coat of arms was reinstated on 7 August 1990, and regulated by the Coat of Arms Act of 6 April 1993.
The great state coat of arms of the Republic of Estonia
The great state coat of arms of the Republic of Estonia has three blue lions, passant gardant, on a golden shield. On both sides, and at the bottom, the shield is framed by two golden oak branches that cross at the base of the shield. The lesser coat of arms features no oak branches.
National independence achieved in the Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920) mainly continued with the local historical heraldic tradition. The central motif of the state coat of arms – three lions on a shield – is among the oldest symbols of Estonia. It originates from the coats of arms of the Knighthood of Harrien-Vironia (roughly modern Harju and Viru Counties) and Tallinn, granted by Valdemar II, King of Denmark, after the founding of the Duchy of Estonia during the Northern Crusades.
The story of the Tallinn coat of arms is connected with the birth of another state symbol. According to legend, the Danish flag called Dannebrog fell from the sky during a battle fought between the crusading Danes and Estonians at the foot of the Lindanise stronghold – today’s Toompea Castle – in 1219. While the truthfulness of the legend remains disputable, the royal Danish ancestry of the coats of arms of both Tallinn and Estonia is factual.
It is also likely that the present name of Tallinn derives from the event: garrisoned by the Danes, the stone fortress overlooking the harbour and a trading post became known as castrum Danorum, the Danish castle, or Taani linn (and thereof Tallinn) in Estonian.
The state coat of arms in its current design acquired official status in 1925. Even while banned in Estonia during the years of consequent Soviet-German-Soviet occupation, the coat of arms was used in the free world by a number of surviving diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Estonia and by the government in exile. The historic coat of arms was reinstated on 7 August 1990, and regulated by the Coat of Arms Act of 6 April 1993.
