Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

The heraldry of the Baltic States
Jonathan Webster
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Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Jonathan Webster » 16 Jan 2013, 01:41

In line with similar threads about the arms of the Presidents of various nations; does anyone know if any of the Presidents of Estonia to date have been armigerous?

Marcus Karlsson
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 17 Jan 2013, 20:41

The Late Lennart Meri (1929-2006), President 1992-2001 used as Knight of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim the State Arms of Estonia. He did however possess another more "Personal" which I found in Liehuvat Värit (Magazine of the Finnish Scout Heraldy Association Partioheraldikot). Unfortunately I can't find where I had writen down the Blason of this Arms so I have to get back to you with that one.

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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Jonathan Webster » 17 Jan 2013, 20:59

I know as a Knight of the Order of the Elephant he used 'personal' arms and not those of Estonia itself.

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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Jonathan Webster » 18 Jan 2013, 11:31

Found it!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecrimsoncomet/3425693227/in/faves-kelisli/

-is that the one mentioned in the magazine, Marcus?

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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 18 Jan 2013, 21:39

Jonathan Webster wrote:Found it!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecrimsoncomet/3425693227/in/faves-kelisli/

-is that the one mentioned in the magazine, Marcus?


Yes indeed it was Jonathan.

Jonathan Webster
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Jonathan Webster » 18 Jan 2013, 21:46

Any idea where the arms come from? Were they his family arms? At any rate, they are very attractive.

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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 21 Jan 2014, 09:19

Well Jonathan, I think they where created for Him. Bur have no further information.

Now to a more recent arms. President Toomas Hendrik Ilves' Arms are in the process of beeing painted. A attempt of a blason:
Azure an Oak tree Or the top splitted into two branches, in chief a Lynx Head afronté Argent.

It can be seen last in the row of Work examples by Leif Ericsson (the Order's present Heraldic Painter) http://www.leifericsson.se/portfolio_category/heraldik/

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Chris Green
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Chris Green » 21 Jan 2014, 11:52

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves' Arms are in the process of beeing painted. An attempt of a blazon:
Azure an Oak tree Or the top split into two branches, in chief a Lynx Head afronté Argent.


I think you need to say that the tree is showing its roots - "eradicated". So perhaps:

Azure an oak-tree eradicated and of two branches Or, in chief a lynx head affronte Argent.

I must say that a two branched oak-tree is very unusual - in real life two-branched oak trees would be very sick indeed if not already dead. Perhaps the intention was merely an artistic way of ensuring that the lynx's head got enough space.
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Jeremy Kudlick
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Jeremy Kudlick » 22 Jan 2014, 15:06

Wouldn't the lynx head be caboshed?
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Chris Green
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Estonia

Postby Chris Green » 22 Jan 2014, 16:11

Wouldn't the lynx head be caboshed?


Boutell reserves caboshed for the head of a stag "or similar beast", by which I surmise he means (natural) deers, antelopes, elks, moose and possibly elands and other deer-like animals.

Again, to interpret Boutell, couped or erased seems to be intended for animals heads in profile, in particular but not exclusively boars and bears.

Earlier in the chapter (VIII) he gives a human example: Gules a Saracen's head affronte erased at the neck proper .... and says that the lion's face is always affronte, including the beard but not the neck.

I conclude from all this that the good President's lynx should simply be blazoned: a Lynx's face since, like the lion example above it does not depict the neck and is affronte. My previous blazon leaves a question mark over whether the lynx head is intended to have a neck or not.

PS: I consider myself very fortunate in having seen a wild lynx, if only for a moment, out of my future mother-in-law's living-room window here in Western Sweden. They are very few, but still the hunters must have their quota.
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