In addition to the many depictions of the Glasgow coat of arms, we saw a number of portrayals of the Royal Arms, sometimes the quarterly arms of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (often as displayed in Scotland, with Scotland in the first and fourth quarters rather than the three lions of England in those quarters), and sometimes the arms of Scotland alone (the lion rampant within a double tressure flory counterflory).
As before, some are newer, some are older, but all carved with skill.
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| This is the unicorn supporter holding the shield on the Mercat Cross in Glasgow. |
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| This one, while not the Royal Arms, does quarter the French lily, Scottish thistle, Irish shamrock, and English rose. |
The last coat of arms with the fleur de lys, thistle, shamrock and rose is likely the Montreal coat of arms. The Bank of Montreal has a coat of arms similar to Montreal's original coat of arms.
ReplyDeleteThe first version of the Montreal coat of arms is different from that of today, with the French-speaking population represented by a beaver instead of the lily, in the bottom quadrant of a saltire. Before reading anything into the bottom placement of the beaver, note that it was designed by the francophone Jacques Viger, Montreal's first mayor. I have always appreciated the spirit of unity and respect for diversity both the arms and motto espouse. This earlier the version seems to have somehow been usurped by the Bank of Montreal.
The bank's arms are registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority, whereas the city's are not. Perhaps they were registered in England or Scotland prior to patriation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority?
Historically, Montreal had a great deal of influence from Scotland (as has Canada as a whole), which would go some way in explaining the presence of the arms in Glasgow, although I am now curious what the building's original purpose was.
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5977,42249635&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
http://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=1554
While there is some superficial resemblance to the old arms of Montreal, the lack of the prominent cross and the changes in placement of the thistle, shamrock, and rose lead me to believe that this is a case of independent design rather than one influencing the other. I could always be wrong, of course, but if these "arms" had been influenced by Montreal's, I would have at least expected to see more than a single depiction in Glasgow.
ReplyDeleteJust my two cents' worth.