Coat of arms of Montenegro

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The Coat of Arms of Montenegro was changed by an act of Parliament in 1993. It replaced the insignia of the former Socialist Republic of Montenegro to the present traditional insignia. It is now the central motif of the Flag of Montenegro, changed in 2004.

Image:Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg

It represents the two-headed eagle in flight, of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, a symbol of Byzantine and ultimately Roman origin. Its symbolizes the unity of Church and state, that is: either the unity, or the close connections between the Church and the state. The motif was used by the medieval rulers of Zeta - the House of Crnojević, as well as various other European dynasties. The layout of the Montenegrin coat is copied from that of the Russian Empire, with which the ruling family of Montenegro had close dynastic and political ties in the 19th century when the coat was adopted.

The lion passant in the centre is a sign of episcopal authority and represents the Biblical theme of the Resurrection, or Christ Victorious (Christos Pantakrator, the Lion of Juda). It is derived from the same motif present in the arms of Venice, which had considerable influence in the history of the area. After Montenegro regained its independence and was liberated from the failing Serbian state, it gradually became a theocracy in order to preserve unity before numerous Turkish invasions of the country. For this reason, the authority of the church was reflected in various insignia of the age. After the establishment of the secular dynastic succession in 1851, the lion was placed beneath the eagle, while the initials of the ruler stood on the shield: notably, that of Danilo I, Prince of Montenegro, Danilo II, Prince of Montenegro and King Nicholas I of Montenegro. Curiously, Danilo I was still a prince-bishop while the standard bearing his initials was used. The modern coat of arms placed the lion d'or back on the shield, erasing that monarchic symbol. Today, Montenegro is a secular, democratic republic, so the fact that the crown of the Petrovic-Njegos dynasty was also represented created some controversy at the time of its adoption. However, this solution proved extremely popular and the coat of arms can be seen not only in schools, government offices, etc., but in many private houses, places of business, and private universities and is a common display of national pride.

1 Trivia
2 Coat of Arms of Socialist Montenegro (1946-1992)
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Trivia

The use and public display of the Montenegrin coat of arms was punishable by law following the forcible annexation of Montenegro by Serbia and its incorporation into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia beginning with the Karadjordjevic dictatorship of 1929) in the aftermath of World War I. As Montenegro was a country allied to Serbia during the war, this caused outrage and revolt. The War Flag, bearing the coat of arms of Kingdom of Montenegro, was used by the resistance following the Christmas Uprising against Serbian occupying forces in Cetinje. Montenegrin Chetniks also used a similar coat of arms to that of Montenegro, except it had a skull in the middle, the two-headed eagle was white and held two swords.

[edit] Coat of Arms of Socialist Montenegro (1946-1992)

Image:Montenegro-coa.jpg

On a grey rock rising from sea, the Njegoš mausoleum, surrounded with golden laurel wreath with ribbon in national tricolour. Above golden outlined red star. The Njegoš mausoleum in Cetinje on Mount Lovćen, is one of the symbols of the Montenegrine sovereignty. The emblem was probably adopted in the same time as the socialist flag of Montenegro, on December 31 1946<ref>FOTW Montenegro</ref>.