Sun (heraldry) on:
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A representation of the sun is used as a
Accessed 13 December 2009 The alternating straight and wavy rays are often said to represent the light and heat of the sun respectively. It was used as a badge byBanbury Faith Trail
Accessed 13 December 2009 It is a common charge in the heraldry of many countries, regions and cities: ''e.g.'' the bearings o
Armstrong
Canada; the Sun in Splendour appears superimposed on the Cross of St. George and behind the White Rose of York on the flag of West Riding of Yorkshire; and on the arms o
England. It also often appears as a rising sun as in the arms o
England, and as a demi sun as in the coat o
Aitchison
Canada. The
Image:Blason famille fr Amelot.svg,
Image:Flag_of_Argentina.svg,
Image:Blason Arraincourt 57.svg,
Image:Blason ville fr Auzeville-Tolosane (Haute-Garonne).svg,
Image:Basse terre blason.png,
Image:Blason ville-fr Bassurels (Lozère).svg,
Image:Blason Creisset.svg,
Image:CUB-cuba.png,
Image:Blason ville fr Dole (Jura).svg,
Image:Escudo de Ecija.svg,
Image:CHE Ennetburgen COA.svg,
Image:Blason ville fr Fontaines-Saint-Martin (Rhône).svg,
Image:Wappen Kaenerkinden.png,
Image:Kampod_r.gif,
Image:Coat_of_Arms_of_Khmelnytskyi_Oblast.svg,
Image:Loukov znak.png,
Image:Blason Mende.svg,
File:Flag of Peru (1822).svg,
File:Philippines flag original.png,
Image:Wappen at st gilgen.png,
Image:Escut del Soleràs.svg,
Image:POL województwo tarnopolskie II RP COA.svg,
Image:Flag_of_Uruguay.svg,
Image:Vedomice znak.jpg,
Image:Věžky PR znak.png,
Image:Coat_of_Arms_of_Vinnytsa_Oblast.svg,
Image:Coat_of_Arms_of_Zhytomyr_Oblast.svg,
;Sun in splendour, without face
Image:Escudo de Archena.svg,
Image:CH Arosa COA.svg,
Image:Blason ville fr Barbâtre (Vendée).svg,
Image:Blason ville fr La Baule-Escoublac (Loire-Atlantique).svg,
File:Flag of Colorado Party (Uruguay).svg,
;Straight rays ( mullet)
File:Escudo de Beriáin.svg,
File:DEU Dobel COA.svg,
File:Escudo de Galar.svg,
File:Flag of Greek Macedonia.svg,
File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg,
File:Flag of Tibet.svg,
;Wavy rays ( estoile)
Image:Göteborg stift vapen.svg,
Image:Escut Jekabpils rajonas.jpg,
Image:Flag_of_Kazakhstan.svg,
Image:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg,
;Without rays (
File:Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg,
Image:Flag_of_Japan.svg,
Image:Flag_of_Bangladesh.svg,
;Other forms
File:Naval Ensign of Japan.svg,
File:Coat of arms of Latvia.svg,
File:Flag_of_North_Macedonia.svg,
File:Flag_of_Philippines.svg,
File:Naval Jack of the Philippines.svg,
Image:Seal of the First Philippine Republic.svg,
File:Flag of Szekely Land.svg,
Image:Armorial Bearings of British Airways.svg,
A representation of the sun is used as a heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
charge. The most usual form, often called sun in splendour or in his glory, consists of a round disc with the features of a human face surrounded by twelve or sixteen rays alternating wavy and straight.Dictionary of VexillologyAccessed 13 December 2009 The alternating straight and wavy rays are often said to represent the light and heat of the sun respectively. It was used as a badge by
Edward II of England
Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...
, and was later adopted by Edward IV
Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...
following the appearance of a parhelion or "sun dog" before his victory at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross
The Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought on 2 February 1461 near Kingsland, Herefordshire (between Leominster and Leintwardine, by the River Lugg), not far from the Welsh border. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses. The opposing ...
in 1461.
It also had significance in alchemy
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim wo ...
, and may be a symbol of the Roman deity
The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts (see ''interpretatio graeca''), integrating Greek myths, iconography, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including Latin litera ...
''Sol Invictus
Sol Invictus (, "Unconquered Sun"), sometimes simply known as Helios, was long considered to be the official sun god of the later Roman Empire. In recent years, however, the scholarly community has become divided on Sol between traditionalists ...
'' (Unconquered Sun).Accessed 13 December 2009 It is a common charge in the heraldry of many countries, regions and cities: ''e.g.'' the bearings o
Armstrong
Canada; the Sun in Splendour appears superimposed on the Cross of St. George and behind the White Rose of York on the flag of West Riding of Yorkshire; and on the arms o
England. It also often appears as a rising sun as in the arms o
England, and as a demi sun as in the coat o
Aitchison
Canada. The
Sun of May
The Sun of May () is a national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, and appears on the flags of both countries.
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History
According to Diego Abad de Santillán, the Sun of May represents Inti, the Incan god of the sun.
The specificatio ...
shown on the national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours a ...
s of Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
(1818), Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
(1828); in the flag and shield of the South-Peruvian State (1836 - 1839); on the flag and shield of the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation (1836 - 1839); in the flag of Peru of 1812; in the current flag of the Peruvian Navy (1821); and in the current flag of the Argentine Army (1810)and that represents the Inca indigenous culture; specifically the Inca god of the sun "Inti" or also called "Sun of May", all of them identical in shape to the "Sun in Splendour" .
Examples
;Sun in splendour, with faceroundel
A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of dif ...
)
See also
*Solar symbol
A solar symbol is a symbol representing the Sun.
Common solar symbols include circles (with or without rays), crosses, and spirals.
In religious iconography, personifications of the Sun or solar attributes are often indicated by means of a hal ...
* Splendor Solis
References
{{Reflist Heraldic charges Sun Sol Invictus fr:Liste des meubles héraldiques#Soleil