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The meaning of the national emblem of Finland

The National Coat of Arms of Finland (Finnish: Suomen vaakuna) was adopted at the funeral of Gustav I in 1560 and is also the national coat of arms of the Republic of Finland and the Grand Duchy of Finland.

The National Emblem is described in the Finnish National Emblem Act as: “Red, among nine silver roses, a roaring crowned lion, the right front hoof is a man covered in armor, brandishing a long sword, and the foot is on an overturned Machete.”

It is speculated that the lion on the coat of arms comes from the Fulcon family, which also appears on the Swedish coat of arms. The sword and machete are similar to the coat of arms of the Republic of Karelia. The Russian machete under the lion’s feet reflects the political situation at that time. At that time, the Swedish Empire was in a long war with the Russian Empire. The nine roses are supposed to represent the nine provinces of Finland in history, but the number of roses has changed several times.

The national coat of arms of Finland is also reflected on the flags of the Finnish state organs.

The National Coat of Arms of Finland (Finnish: Suomen vaakuna) was adopted at the funeral of Gustav I in 1560 and is also the national coat of arms of the Republic of Finland and the Grand Duchy of Finland. It was established in 1919.

Official description

The National Emblem is described in the Finnish National Emblem Act as: “Red, among nine silver roses, a roaring crowned lion, the right front hoof is a man covered in armor, brandishing a long sword, and the foot is on an overturned弯刀（Punaisessa kentässäkruunupäinen leijona,joka pitääoikean etujalan sijalla olevassa haarniskoidussa kädessäiskuun kohotettua miekkaa ja polkee takajaloillaan sapelia,leijona kruunuineen ja varuksineen,aseiden kahvat ja käsivarsihaarniskan nivelet kultaa sekäaseiden terät ja käsivarsihaarniska hopeaa;kenttään siroteltu yhdeksän hopearuusua.）。”

Establish the cause

When Finland became a Grand Duchy under the rule of Sweden in the 16th century, King John III awarded Finland a shield-shaped emblem with a golden lion on a red background. In 1919, Finland adopted its own constitution and declared the independent Republic of Finland.

Symbolic meaning

The newly established republic reaffirmed the original coat of arms as the national emblem, but canceled the duke’s crown as the crest in the original design. The upright golden lion wears a crown on its head and wields a silver sword on its armored right forelimb, which symbolizes the expulsion of all invading enemies; the golden lion steps on a scimitar to express its contempt for the enemies from the east; Nine white roses are dotted around the golden lion, representing the nine provinces that make up Finland.

Background

The national emblem of the Republic of Finland is a grand duchy under the rule of Sweden in the sixteenth century. King John III awarded Finland a coat of arms with a golden lion on a red background. The leaping golden lion wears a crown on its head and wields a silver sword on its armored right forelimb, symbolizing that it wants to drive away all invading enemies; the golden lion steps on a scimitar to express its contempt for the enemies from the east The golden lion is surrounded by nine roses representing the nine provinces that make up Finland.

After the independence of Finland on December 6, 1917, the newly independent republic reaffirmed the original coat of arms as the national coat of arms, but canceled the crown of the duke as the crest from the original design.