Gierle

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GIERLE

Province : Antwerpen
Incorporated into : 1977 Lille

Official blazon

(1819) Van lazuur beladen met de moeder Gods houdende het kindeke Jezus alles van goud.
(1841) Een blaeuw veld met het gulden beeld van de Heylige Maegd Maria, draegende op den regten arm het kindje Jesus, ook van goud.
(1899) Van lazuur met de Maagd van goud, houdende op den rechterarm het Kind Jezus, insgelijks van goud en hebbende aan hare voeten een zilveren schild, bezet met eenen stijgenden gier van natuurlijke kleur.

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on April 28, 1899.

The arms show the Madonna with child standing behind a small shield with a vulture. The latter is a canting element (vulture=gier in Dutch).
The combination already appeared on the seal of the local council from 1600. The Madonna is the local patron saint.

The old arms were granted on October 6, 1819 and again on April 12, 1841.

The arms were identical in both cases, but both did not show the small shield with the vulture, which was restored in 1899.

The colours are the Dutch national colours, as in 1813 the mayor applied without indicating the colours. The arms were thus granted in the national colours. When the arms were confirmed after the Belgian independence, the colours were not changed.