The modern coat of arms of Somalia can be considered the date of its birth on October 10, 1956, and this happened before the country's independence was declared. The middle of the twentieth century, not only for this state, but also for many other countries of the Black Continent, was marked by liberation from colonial oppression and entering an independent path of development.
But when developing the first official symbol of an independent state, its authors could not go far from the traditional European emblems and rules for constructing a coat of arms.
Azure shield and leopards
The composition of the coat of arms of Somalia is quite traditional. There are several basic elements that are well known to lovers of heraldry:
- an azure shield with a silver five-pointed star in the center;
- a stylized golden crown crowning the shield;
- leopards as supporters;
- crossed palm branches;
- spears as traditional weapons of Somalia.
This composition is typical for many countries in Europe and Asia. Elements of the Somali coat of arms, on the one hand, are based on world heraldic traditions, on the other hand, they emphasize the peculiarities of their state.
Element symbology
The Somalis acquired their emblem even before the country became independent. At that time, the territories were under the protectorate of Britain and Italy, respectively, there were British and Italian coats of arms.
In addition, indigenous Somalis live today in five different countries in Africa. Therefore, the five-pointed star is a symbol of the unification of all aborigines into a single state, which does not yet exist in reality, but already has its own name - Great Somalia.
Leopards in the role of shield holders on the country's coat of arms correspond to heraldic lions, which in Europe are symbols of courage, courage, strength, but do not belong to local animals. Somali leopards carry the same symbolism, while they are vivid representatives of the kingdom of the local fauna. Therefore, they are depicted quite realistically, in contrast to the stylized European lions.
At the base of the Somali coat of arms, there are two symbols that have the opposite meaning. Palm branches are the world's most famous symbols of the pursuit of peace and good neighborly relations. Weapons are a reminder of strong power, defense capability. This is what the authors of the coat of arms of the African country wanted to emphasize - the dream of peace and the readiness to defend the homeland with arms in hand.
