If you are a Trini living abroad(Germany lets say) and you saw me walking down the street wearing the t-shirt below, I am sure you would instantly recognize the picture on it as belonging to your country.You might even stop me and ask...'hey!... are you from Trinidad?...I see that you are wearing a Trinidad shirt! ' Of course you would be right on both counts.
The design on the shirt is the unique and strikingly beautiful coat of arms of the republic of T & T.But have you always like most others just given it a passing glance?Not ever taking the time to inspect it ? Are you familiar with all of the parts that make up it's design and do you know what they symbolize? Also,what exactly is a coat of arms in the first place?
After reading this post you will know the answers to these questions.I will list the different elements from the top of the design to the bottom and explain what they represent.I will explain in simple terms, what a coat of arms is.Below is a brief history lesson on coat of arms.If you aren't interested,you can skip ahead and go to T&T coat of arms.Let's get to it!
Coat Of Arms - A Brief World History
In general,a coat of arms is a unique design that's drawn onto a shield.The design may be inherited, passed down from generation to generation Many centuries ago,these designs could be seen on real shields made of metal,but today they are found mostly on paper items such as money,stamps etc.They are utilized not only by the government of different countries,but by families and institutions as well.The University Of The West Indies here in Trinidad have their own special coat of arms.
Their usage began way back with with the ancient Romans in the 1st and 2nd century A.D.to identify their different military divisions on the battlefield.They were simple crosses painted on shields.By the 13th century, they began to be also used as a flag or emblem by the upper class families of Europe.This then spread to churches,villages and institutions.
Coat Of Arms - Trinidad & Tobago
The T&T coat of arms was created in 1962 upon attaining our independence from Britain.I have a picture of it below that you can follow along to as I describe it's various parts
Tobago had its own coat of arms before being unified with Trinidad.The palm tree you see at the top was taken from their coat of arms and added on.
Below the palm tree is a shield in the same colours as the national flag-red,white and black.
At the top of the shield are two gold hummingbirds.T&T is sometimes referred to as the 'Land Of The Hummingbird' because more than 16 different variations of them have been spotted here on our twin islands.
Below these two birds we find three ships,also golden in colour representing the ships Christopher Columbus used on his voyage from Spain to the 'New World' These ships were called the Santa Maria,La Niña and La Pinta.Columbus arrived and explored Trinidad and Tobago in 1498.
Take a look on both sides of the shield and you will see two more birds,large ones.They are the national birds of T&T.To the left we have the red Scarlet Ibis and to the right is the Cocrico.
Below the Scarlet Ibis are three hills,representing the Trinity hills found in a south-eastern part of Trinidad.Trinity is a Spanish word that means Trinidad in English.Legend has it that Columbus spotted these hills on his approach and thus named the island Holy Trinity or Trinidad.
Look below the Cocrico and you will see an island rising out of the blue waters.This also represents Tobago along with the palm tree at the top.
Finally at the very bottom there is our nations motto: 'Together We Aspire Together We Achieve' This is a short phrase encapsulating the beliefs and ideals of our country.
So there you have it! A quick lesson on T&T's coat of arms.Now you are in the know and can pass on your knowledge to others :) Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment