Gent

The arms from 1817 The arms from 1817

GENT Country: Belgium Province: Oost-Vlaanderen Additions: 1965 Desteldonk 1965 Mendonk 1965 Sint Kruis-Winkel (partly) 1975 Afsnee 1975 Drongen 1975 Gentbrugge 1975 Ledeberg 1975 Mariakerke 1975 Oostakker 1975 Sint-Amandsberg 1975 Sint Denijs-Westrem 1975 Wondelgem 1975 Zwijnaarde Loading map... {"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"250px","height":"250px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":7,"defzoom":14,"layers":["OpenStreetMap"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":51.05380000000000251247911364771425724029541015625,"lon":3.724699999999999899813474257825873792171478271484375,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}

Official blazon

Dutch	(1817) Van sabel, beladen met een klimmende leeuw van zilver, getongd van keel, gekroond, genageld en hangende om deszelfs hals een lint, waaraan een kruis, alles van goud. Het schild gedekt met een kroon van goud met vijf fleurons van hetzelfde. (1990) In sabel een leeuw van zilver, getongd van keel, geklauwd, gekroond en gehalsband van goud, de halsband voorzien van een kruisje van hetzelfde. Schildhouders: de zittende Maagd van Gent van natuurlijke kleur, de linkerarm rustend op de linkerschouder van een zittende leeuw van Gent, de banier van Vlaanderen tussen beiden. Het geheel geplaatst op een grasgrond omheind met een palissade met hekken van natuurlijke kleur. Wapenspreuk: TROUW EN LIEFDE in letters van zilver op een lint van sabel.
French	(1811) De sable au lion d'argent, la queue fourchée, armé, lampassé et vilenné de gueules, au chef cousu des bonnes villes de l'Empire qui est de gueules à trois abeilles en fasce d'or, et pour livrée noir blanc rouge jaune; voulons que les ornements extérieurs des elites armoiries consistent en une couronne murale à sept créneaux sommée d'une aigle naissante, le tout d'or, pour cimier, soutenu d'un caducée du même posé en fasce au dessus du chef, auquel sont suspendus deux festons servant de lambrequins, l'un à destre de chêne, l'autre à senestre d'olivier d'or, noués et rattachés par des bandelettes de gueules.
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on October 9, 1990.

The lion as the arms of the city of Gent probably dates from the early 13^th century and is likely derived from the arms of the Counts of Vlaanderen (Flanders), who used a black lion in a golden field. The colours black and white, are probably derived from the arms of the Margraves of Gent in the 13^th century. These used a shield divided per fess of silver and black.

The great seals of the city never used the lion, but used the image of St. John, the patron saint of the city, with the Paschal Lamb. Similar seals have been used until the 18^th century. The smaller seals, however, do show a shield with the lion. The oldest surviving seal dates from 1276, but the seal is likely older.

The great seal of Gent with St. John.

The seal from 1276 with the lion.

At the end of the 14^th century the seals show a shield with the lion, with two female figures as supporters and the shield held by an eagle standing behind it. During the 15^th century this was reversed, a female figure behind the shield and two eagles as supporters. Smaller seals only show the female figure, not the eagles.

The seal from 1430.

In 1482 two lions appear as supporters, together with the female figure. In the 17^th century the arms were crowned as well. This was not in accordance with the rules at the time, and in 1632 the city was reprimanded by the Luxemburg King of Arms. The crown was removed again and the arms remained unchanged until the Napoleonic era. As a city of the first rank, Gent was granted a chief with three bees. The lion remained as the main symbol on the arms. The supporters and crown disappeared, according to the new laws.

After the independence of the Netherlands, the city received the upper arms above in 1817. According to the Dutch law, the arms were crowned with a crown with five leaves. The city did not apply for supporters, which were thus not granted (see image below). The arms remained unchanged until 1990, when the additional elements were granted (see above).

Besides arms with a lion, two different medieval arms were attributed to Gent. In the late 16^th century a black shield with a silver glove was mentioned as the ancient arms for Gent. The glove, gant in French, was a canting element (the French name for the city is Gand). The name was traced to some Roman legend, likely made up by the author to extend the history of the city.

Similarly another 'Roman' shield was mentioned by the same author as historical arms. It was a black shield with in a silver bend the letters SPQG, or Senatus PopulusQue Gandavensis. This was obviously derived from the arms of Rome.
There is no historical evidence for any of these arms.

The 'arms' with the glove, from a book dating from 1574.

The 1990 arms add the Virgin of Gent, a lion and a 'Garden of Holland' to the arms.

The Virgin of Gent first appears in a song written during the war with the Counts of Vlaanderen and the city of Brugge in 1381-82. In this song Gent is defended by a virgin and a lion, which is sitting next to her. Both sit in a small enclosure. Whether this song was based on a local tradition is not known, but the composition of Virgin, lion and enclosure starts to appear in all kind of sources, such as paintings, books and architectural ornaments. Except the official seal, where the female figure probably was derived from the Virgin. In the 16^th century she was first shown with the banner of the city, later in the century with the banner of Vlaanderen. The latter probably indicating that Gent was the capital of Vlaanderen. Once, in 1641 the banner shows the legendary glove again...

The Virgin, lion and banner of Vlaanderen in 1578.

Similarly, in the 16^th century the Virgin and lion were combined with the true arms. She now acts as a supporter sitting next to or behind the shield. The enclosure disappears temporarily. In some images the shield is held by two lion supporters as well, creating a composition of a shield with a lion, held by two lions and a Virgin next to the shield, with a (natural) lion resting on her lap.

A coin from 1583.

In the 17^th century the whole composition was placed in a so-called Hollandse Tuin (Garden of Holland), a typical fence used by many cities in Vlaanderen and the Netherlands. Originally a symbol used by the cities in Holland proper, it is now only used by Gent (in Belgium) and Geertruidenberg in Noord-Brabant, not in Holland as such.
At first the shield with the lion was placed on the fence itself, with the Virgin, lion and banner inside the fence. Finally the whole composition was placed inside the fence.

A composition from 1636 with the official arms on the gate.

Even though the official arms during these years never showed the Virgin, lion or fence, the composition appeared everywhere in the city. Not until 1990 the city adopted the whole composition as its new arms.

The motto Trouw en Liefde (Dedication and Love), first appears in the 16^th century and has been used either in Latin (Fides et Amor) or in Dutch.

During the Napoleonic era, Gent was ranked as a city of the 1st Class and thus the city was entitled to use a red chief with three bees. These arms were granted by Royal Decree on June 6, 1811 and used until 1813.

Image gallery

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  The arms in the Armorial Gorrevod (1460)

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  The arms in 1459

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  The arms in the Armorial Jörg Rügen (1495)

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  The arms in the late 15th century

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  The arms in the late 15th century

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  The arms around 1500

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  The arms in a manuscript from 1514

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  The arms with the glove in a manuscript from 1558

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  The arms in a manuscript from 1558

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  The arms in 1562

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  The arms in 1576

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  The arms in 1578

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  The arms in the 16th century

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  The arms in the Armorial Ribeaupierre (16th century)

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  The arms in 1650

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  The arms in the Wapen- en Vlaggenboek van Gerrit Hesman (1708)

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  The arms in Traversier (1842)

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  The arms on a police badge (source)

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  The arms from 1811-1813

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  The arms on the statue of Jacob van Artevelde on the Vrijdagmarkt

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  The arms on the shutters of the Belfort (belfry)

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  The arms on a streetsign

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  The arms on an old statue in the belfry

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  The arms on a small pole in the street

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  The arms on a large paining in the belfry

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  The arms on a local coin from 1917

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  The arms in the Koffie Hag/Café Hag albums +/- 1930

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  The arms on a Dutch Willem II cigar band

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  Arms on a municipal cover 1978

Literature: Zutter, J. De, 1990; Scan from Napoleonic time from Gemeentewapens in Belgie, 2002

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