The Coat-of-Arms of Newfoundland and Labrador
Origins of Coat-of-Arms
(1) A coat-of-arms is a badge or crest used by
individuals, families and even countries as an
official symbol. Coat-of-arms were first used
during the crusades; a time, about eight
hundred years ago, when Christian and Muslim
armies fought for control of the Holy Lands.
Displayed on badges, shields and armour, a
coat-of-arms helped to identify a knight, his
country of origin and for which king he fought.
(2) After the crusades, a coat-of-arms became a
sign of power and authority and were
recognized by the laws of the land. When John
Cabot explored the ‘new founde land” in 1497, for example, he
raised the Arms of the Royal Banner of England to officially claim
ownership of the land in the name of the King of England.
Parts of a Coat-of-Arms
Most coats-of-arms, consists of four parts; the Shield, the Crest,
the Supporters and the Motto.
Our Provincial Coat-of-Arms
(3) Newfoundland’s Coat of Arms, as pictured above, have symbols
linked to our past. The original one was granted to Newfoundland
in 1637 by King Charles I of England and Scotland, when the island
was owned by the British and was not yet a nation or part of
© Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland
-1-
Canada as it is today.
(4) The centre part of Newfoundland’s coat-of-arms is
the Shield. The shield contains a silver cross on a
red background. The cross is taken
from the Arms of the Knight of St.
John. These Arms were adopted
because Newfoundland was
explored by John Cabot on June
24, 1497, the same date as the feast of
St. John the Baptist.
(5) The cross of St. John divides the
Shield into four sections or quarters.
The first and fourth quarters of the
shield each contain one golden lion. The
lion wears the Imperial Crown of Great Britain, representing the
authority of the reigning monarch. The second and third quarters
contain the mythical creature the unicorn. Its mane, tail, hooves,
spiral horn, chain and collar are gold coloured. The lion and the
unicorn symbolize the Royal Arms of Scotland and England and
represent the authority and power of the King of England and
Scotland. The shield is the official symbol of the Government of our
province. You will see it displayed at many events supported by
our Government and on the properties it owns. The largest Shield
in the province is displayed in marble and granite in front of the
Confederation Building in St. John’s.
(6) The Crest of the coat-of-arms is located above the Shield. It
shows an elk in its natural brownish colours. It is standing on a red
and gold wreath. Since elk have never existed in Newfoundland
and Labrador, the animal probably represents the woodland
caribou which is native to both parts of our province. The caribou
was an important animal to the Beothuks and the early European
© Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland
-2-
settlers. It is still hunted for food today.
(7) On each side of the shield stand the
Supporters. They represent the original, but now
extinct, inhabitants of Newfoundland- the Beothuk
Indians. The Beothuks are shown in customary
dress and are armed with a bow and quiver of arrows.
There is some debate about how accurate of the
clothing. There is no evidence that the Beothuks
worn armor.
(8) The Motto of the coat-of-arms is written on a scroll below the
Shield. It is written in Latin and taken from the Gospel of St.
Matthew in the Bible. It means “Seek first the Kingdom of God”. It is
a reflection of the strong religious beliefs of our ancestors.
(9) The existence of this coat of arms was forgotten sometime after
Cabot’s voyage. It was uncovered in the 1920s and then officially
adopted by Newfoundland.
© Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland
-3-
Coat of Arms
Finding Facts
Write a fact for each of the following statements on loose leaf in your Social Studies
duo-tang.
1.
The year the Coat-of-Arms was presented to Newfoundland.
2.
The name of the King who presented the Coat-of-Arms.
3.
Where the motto of the Coat-of-Arms comes from.
4.
When the present Coat-of-Arms became official.
5.
The date Newfoundland was explored by John Cabot.
6.
Newfoundland original inhabitants.
7.
The animal represented on the crest of the Coat-of-Arms.
Comprehension Questions
Answer the following questions on loose leaf in your Social Studies duo-tang.
1.
What is a coat of arms?
2.
How were coat-of-arms first used?
3.
4.
What are the four parts of all coat of arms.
What do each of the following symbols on our province’s coat of arms represent.
a. the lion and unicorn:
b. the elk:
c. Beothuks:
5.
What is the English translation of the motto of our coat-of-arms?
© Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland
-4-
Art Activity
A coat of arms is developed around a shield. Draw a shield and create a coat of arms
for your family. Remember: yours should contain images that say something about
your family.
© Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland
-5-
Labeling a diagram
There is an old saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words”. This is why
diagrams are often used to support the description of a topic. Seeing the object
described helps us better understand it. There is another saying, probably not as old
that goes: “a labeled picture is worth ten thousand words”. This is why many
diagrams and pictures in our textbooks often contain labels.
Labeling the parts of our coat-of-arms using the following.
motto
crest
shield
© Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland
supporters
-6-
Word Search
c
o
u
c
e
c
n
t
b
l
u
b
a
d
g
e
s
c
o
p
a
r
m
o
u
r
n
f
e
s
r
e
t
r
a
u
q
d
e
r
u
r
e
a
t
o
c
r
u
s
a
d
e
s
i
o
n
g
o
e
n
v
e
s
r
s
n
m
e
n
t
s
u
p
b
p
a
s
t
s
i
e
o
t
t
s
c
a
r
i
b
o
u
h
u
k
s
h
l
e
c
i
o
n
u
i
n
n
o
i
c
o
r
e
n
t
r
m
o
t
s
l
h
i
n
e
n
l
e
d
s
p
e
c
o
i
c
a
l
l
y
b
i
x
o
s
p
e
n
e
l
k
u
d
b
e
r
o
s
n
n
u
i
p
w
t
r
i
t
c
b
a
l
h
a
g
r
f
l
r
a
u
g
h
o
a
l
b
l
i
a
v
g
a
n
n
y
e
e
w
y
k
o
t
r
e
n
g
l
a
n
d
f
k
e
l
a
t
i
n
s
s
t
s
e
c
s
u
p
p
o
r
t
e
r
s
o
n
d
x
y
o
c
o
a
t
-
o
f
-
a
r
m
s
x
s
u
p
q
w
m
e
g
o
v
e
r
n
m
e
n
t
o
s
f
u
t
u
r
e
elk
shield
country
supporters
knights
caribou
motto
crest
crusades
badges
unicorn
England
present
past
future
cross
lion
Beothuks
bible
Latin
quarters
government
coat of arms
© Prepared by Jim Cornish, Gander, Newfoundland
-7-