Last modified: 2001-05-18 by jarig bakker
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![[Slovakian Coat of Arms]](../images/s/sk).gif)
by Jarig Bakker, 12 May 2001
There is no doubt about the use of the arms with the Lorraine cross by Arpad and further dynasties ruling the Hungarian territories. But there is archaelogical evidence that this symbol was used in the area inhabited by Slav (later Slovak) population before the Hungarians conquered the Carpatian Basin. This old Christian symbol was brought to Great Moravia by the Byzantine priests Constantine (Cyrill) and Method. This doesn't refute the theory that the pope donated the cross to king Stephen but shows that Slovaks have certain rights to consider this cross as theirs. In Hungarian history this cross is first noticed on the shield of king Bela III. in 1189 and it is a frequent symbol in Slovak municipal heraldry. Ludovit Stur (1815 - 1856) took the Hungarian royal coat af arms and used it with an appropriate change of colours as a Slovak national symbol. The main fact why Slovaks used Hungarian coat of arms was that they simply felt a historical bond with the Hungarian state - the coat of arms belonged to them as well as to Hungarians or for example Serbians who lived within the boundaries of Hungarian kingdom. They only painted it with the colours they liked more because they represented the pan-Slav or Austro-Slav idea.
The present-day form of the Slovak state coat of arms was enacted on
1st March 1990 in the constitutional law of Slovak National Council and
was confirmed by the law from 18th February 1993. It's author is the painter
Ladislav Cisarik, jr. The official interpretation is that the Lorraine
cross symbolizes three important saints - St. Benedict, St. Constantine
and St. Method. Three hills are taken from the arms of Hungarian kings,
where it was green and was interpreted as three mountains Tatra, Matra
and Fatra. Since 1920 this coat of arms was depicted on the small Czechoslovak
state coat of arm on the chest of Czech lion rampant to express respect
and importance of Slovakia in the newly formed multi-national state. In
1960 the Slovak coat of arms in the arms of the Czechoslovak Socialist
Republic was changed with an inappropriate, newly created emblem - golden
fire in front of the silhouette of Mt. Krivan.
Jan Kravčík, 6 June 2000
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