In a discussion on another forum came up a question about mural crowns on top of shields in place of helmet and crest. This is customary for cities. But when has the custom started? Is it after the French Revolution when noble crowns were no longer wanted on arms of cities? Or mayby earlier? The idea of a mural crown is traced back at least to the roman times when the first soldier to enter an attacked city was awarded with a mural crown. Has it been a motif on shield before becoming a crest of sorts?
I’ve seen that there’s plenty of knowledge hidden in the members of this forum. As this comes close to the area of funny hats, I’m waiting for intense discussion;)
Dear Jyri,
The idea of using a mural crown (known per se since the antiquity) as a distinctive coronet for cities is rather recent. It was first systematically introduced in this capacity by the Napoleonic heraldry, although there were several earlier ‘experimental’ cases, including an ephemeral version of the arms of Versailles with a mural coronet, adorned with fleurs-de-lis, which version was borne on the eve of the French Revolution.
The concept of a mural=municipal coronet was widely adopted, with numerous local variations, on the continent and in Scotland; within the English system, the mural crown has broader meaning (thus it was granted to Malta - obviously not degrading this nation to the municipal level) and is normally ensigning helmet rather than shield.
The alleged mural crown borne by the medieval [titular] Kings of Jerusalem was, in my opinion, not a crown or coronet at all, but a highly schematised symbolic representation of the Holy City borne as a crest.
the greek goddess fortune was always adorned with a city wall upon her head or as some other employment given her in statues and such. by definition, a mural crown since /murus/ is latin for a city’s wall. i am not sure what the greeks themselves called the device.
the roman use of it was already given, as a prize for the first soldier over a city’s wall.
i would assume the reason cities began using them is because of the large number of nobles granting the use of their crowns and coronets atop their home city’s arms, and those without their own noble wished to provide something similar.
xanderliptak;62311 wrote:
the greek goddess fortune was always adorned with a city wall upon her head or as some other employment given her in statues and such. by definition, a mural crown since /murus/ is latin for a city’s wall. i am not sure what the greeks themselves called the device.
I believe murus means wall in general but, my Latin is pretty weak…
The Greek name of the goddess is Τύχη or "Tyche".
In Greek, "city wall" (or protective wall in general) is τείχος and the plural is τείχη; the latter pronounced like the name of the goddess.
Also, for the sake of completion, the word for a regular wall, such as that of a building, is τοίχος.
I’ve seen or, argent, azure, vert, sable and gules crowns. But the coloured crowns have been mostly part of a crest, not there to replace a helm and the stuff above it. I find it odd that a whole municipality or even a town council would cram into a single armour. I’d take the crown.
Does anyone know if the tincture of the of the crown has some meaning? Red brick crown for a industrial town maybe? Or does the crown follows the main tincture?
Airut;65198 wrote:
Does anyone know if the tincture of the of the crown has some meaning? Red brick crown for a industrial town maybe? Or does the crown follows the main tincture?
Different countries, different customs, I think. The same is true of the number of towers, etc.
Joseph McMillan;65199 wrote:
Different countries, different customs, I think. The same is true of the number of towers, etc.
I second this. Dear Jyri, the discussion could be more fruitful if we could imagine the context. Much (almost all) depends on the country, the local law of arms, traditions, precedents etc.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that the number of towers is indicative of a city, town…etc. Pretty much reflective of the population size. Does that ring a bell with anyone? At least, I seem to remember that being the case in France and Italy, I believe.
According to the Portuguese Wikipedia article on Portuguese heraldry and vexillology, Nos brasões, a regra é que as freguesias urbanas ou povoações simples sejam representadas por uma coroa mural de três torres, as vilas, de quatro torres, e as cidades, de cinco torres, coroa e torres de Argent (heráldica prata), exceptuando a capital Lisboa, cujas coroa e torres se distinguem de Or (heráldica ouro.
That is: In coats of arms, the rule is that urban parishes or simple villages are represented by a mural crown of three towers, towns by four towers, and cities by five towers, the crown and towers being Argent (heraldic silver), except for the capital, Lisbon, whose crown and towers are distinctively Or (heraldic gold).
Several Brazilian heraldists of the last century—notably Arcinóe Antônio Peixoto de Faria and Lauro Ribeiro Escobar—attempted to adapt this system in the arms they designed for Brazilian municipalities, notwithstanding that Brazilian local government structure bears little or no relationship to Portuguese. In Peixoto de Faria and Escobar’s system, the gold crown with five towers is for a state capital, the silver crown with five towers for the capital of a comarca (roughly equivalent to a county or judicial circuit), silver with four towers for seats of other municipios (municipalities), and silver with three towers for districts of municipalities and other towns.
The Irish town of Clonakilty uses arms that are based off of the old Borough of Clonakilty’s seal and go back to 1613. So, it does pre-date Napoleanic norms in at least some examples, though Michael might be right in that it was systematized (?) in Napoleanic times. I’m sure there are older examples.
Clonakilty Coat of Arms
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/8329/clonakiltycoatarmsyl7.gif
You can see them at Inrernational Civic Arms at: http://www.ngw.nl/int/ier/c/clonakil.htm Or at the site driving to stip up tourism for Clonakilty at: http://www.clon.ie/ as well.
Thanks Joe. As always, you have an answer, a thorough one if I may add :D And, thank you Denny for the additional information.
Joseph McMillan;65199 wrote:
Different countries, different customs, I think.
Actually I find very few things in heraldry where this wouldn’t be true. On this forum I learn intresting facts from different heraldic traditions. I thought that different customs could be discussed on the same thread.
Apparently in Portugal metal does matter. Or for capital, argent for "lesser" cities. Makes some sense.
Kelisli;65213 wrote:
...And, thank you Denny for the additional information.
You’re welcome Hassan.
An image hosted by Wikipedia no less. The mural crowns at glance appear to be accurate, and they are specific to towers and tiers when representing different civic entities.
I am not familiar with any set customs in Italy, and often the mural crown is replaced by some noble or royal crown of a past title.
Airut;65214 wrote:
Actually I find very few things in heraldry where this wouldn’t be true. On this forum I learn intresting facts from different heraldic traditions. I thought that different customs could be discussed on the same thread.
They can, of course. I think several of us just weren’t sure whether you were asking about a particular country or exploring the issue more generally.
Donnchadh;65211 wrote:
The Irish town of Clonakilty uses arms that are based off of the old Borough of Clonakilty’s seal and go back to 1613. So, it does pre-date Napoleanic norms [...].
Dear Dennis, what we have is a modern rendering based on and not reproducing the sphragistical prototype; are you sure that the mural coronet was present on the original seal?
