If you make a request through the world wide web "coat of arms of Liverpool", then there will be several thousand answers, but they will tell about the main symbol of the famous English football club. While the official heraldic symbol of the city also has a rather interesting history and extraordinary elements.
A drop of history
Connoisseurs of the city's history claim that Liverpool received its heraldic symbol in 1797, many of the elements present in the image are made in the traditions of classicism, which was most developed in the 17th century.
But individual symbols have a much older history, they are directly related to King John, who founded the city in the 13th century. For example, a bird holding a gorse twig in its beak is associated with the Plantagenet dynasty; it recalls that at one time Liverpool was known as a fish center.
Major and minor roles
If you carefully examine the color photos of the coat of arms of Liverpool, you will notice that the central places are assigned to representatives of the avifauna, mythological characters play a secondary role. In general, there was no place for a person on the main symbol of the city.
The second feature of the heraldic symbol of the English city is that there is no modern processing of the image, it is stylized like medieval engravings, which emphasizes its centuries-old history. The following details can be noted on the coat of arms:
- a shield depicting a cormorant with a twig in a key and folded wings;
- another bird, turned in the same direction, but with its wings raised high;
- supporters in the form of characters of ancient Greek mythology with banners in their hands;
- ribbon in red and white with a motto taken from the texts of Virgil.
The color palette of the Liverpool coat of arms is also interesting, there are no clear, clean tones typical for world heraldry. All colors are washed out, half erased, shades of blue are visible in the transmission of waves, green in the elements of clothing, brown, beige, red.
Symbols and meaning
The images of ancient Greek mythology are closely intertwined with the history of Liverpool. Their presence on the coat of arms is explained by the geographical location of the city, its significance as a port and a center for fishing.
The appearance of a cormorant is called an accident. Initially, an eagle was depicted on the coat of arms, but the image of the seal was lost. The artist who created the new heraldic symbol depicted the cormorant, a bird more common in these places.
