Coat o airms o Iceland

The Coat o airms o Iceland or Skjaldarmerki Íslands is a cross o siller on a sky-blue shield, wi a fire-red cross inside the siller cross (seemilar tae the Icelandic banner). The shieldbearers are the fower protectors o Iceland (landvættir) staundin on a pahoehoe lava block. The bull (Griðungur) is the protector o soothwastren Iceland, the eagle or griffin (Gammur) protects northwastren Iceland, the draigon (Dreki) the northeastren pairt an the Rock-giant (Bergrisi) is the protector o sootheastren Iceland. Great respect wis gien tae thir creatures o Iceland, sae muckle that thare wis a law durin the time o the Vikings that nae ship shoud bear grimacin seembols (maist aften draigonheids on the bou o the ship) when approachin Iceland. This wis sae the protectors wad no be provoked unnecessarily.

The landvættir an aa decorate the obverse (front) o the Icelandic króna coins but ainimals o the ocean (fish, crabs an dolphins) appear on the reverse (back). 
The Icelandic presidency uises a swallaetailed Icelandic banner wi the Coat o airms. The Naitional Commissioner o Icelandic Polis uises a white banner wi the Coat o airms, when the uise o the state banner is no warrantit, an sae mey some ither state services dae as well.

The shield mey be blazoned, Azure, on a cross argent a cross gules.

 History 

Iceland heas haed various distinct coats o airms throu the ages: depictit belaw.
 The first oae is believed tae hae been a shield wi sax blue stripes an sax siller stripes, possibly signifyin the 12 þings o the Icelandic Commonweel.
 The seicont ane is believed tae be the ane that wis gien tae Earl Gissur Þorvaldsson bi the King o Norawa, Hákon Hákonarson, durin 1258. It wis patterned on the Keeng's awn coat o arms, exchnging the colors o the shield wi the colour o the lion an addin the blue an siller stripes o the previous coat o airms.
 Aroond or efter 1500 the Icelandic coat o airms became a crouned stockfish on a reid shield. It is kent as the Þorskmerkið (the cod markins) an the fish wis depictit occasionally in a variant form.
 On October 3, 1903 the coat o airms o Iceland wis chynged tae a white falcon on a blue shield. It remained in uise till the first version o the Coat o airms wi the landvættir became offeecial on Februar 12, 1919 as the Coat o airms o the Kinrick o Iceland. The falcon still remained in the Ryal coat o airms throughoot the reign o Keeng Christian X even tho Iceland haed acome a Republic in 1944.
 When unthirldom wis declared on 17 Juin 1944, the present coat o airms wis adoptit.

 See an aa 
 Banner o Iceland
 Icelandic heraldry

 Freemit airtins 
 The Icelandic Prime Minister's Office on the Coat of Arms
 Official website of the President of Iceland on national heraldry 

Iceland
Category:Naitional seembols o Iceland