Coat of arms of Oslo ( Nor. Oslo ) - a symbol, an identification mark of the capital and largest city of Norway - Oslo .
| Coat of arms of the city of Oslo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Approved by | 1892 year |
| Motto | OSLO UNANIMITER ET CONSTANTER |
Description
The coat of arms was officially approved in 1892 . The current coat of arms is a 1924 version developed by Børre Ulrichsen and Carsten Lien.
It is a modern version of the ancient medieval seal of the city of Oslo, which dates back to around 1300 .
This is one of the oldest symbols of Norway. Even after the introduction of the Protestant Reformation on its lands , it continued to be used as the seal of St. Hallvard, albeit with changes.
The image is based on the legend of the holy Roman Catholic Church Hallvard , the martyr , patron saint of Oslo , who is revered in the Catholic Church as a protector of innocent people.
The coat of arms depicts Saint Hallvard, dressed in a red tunic , hood and helmet, who sits on a throne with lions, holding in his hands his attributes: millstone and arrows. At his feet is a dead naked woman turned left. In the background is a blue sky with four golden stars.
Along the edge of the seal is an inscription in Latin that reads: “OSLO UNANIMITER ET CONSTANTER” (Oslo, uniform and permanent). The emblem is crowned with a crown of five towers.
Oslo is the only city in Norway whose emblem uses a shield that is not generally recognized in the heraldic tradition, but has an oval shape.
Legend
Hallvard, sailing on the Drummenfjord ship, defended the life of a woman (most likely a slave), who received asylum on his ship, it was also mentioned that she was pregnant. The crew of the ship unjustly accused the woman of theft. Defending the life of the baldly accused, Hallvard was killed with her, being mortally wounded: furious criminals shot them with bows. The woman was buried on the shore, and the killers tried to hide the body of the murdered Hallvard, tied the millstone, to hide in a deep sea near the Drammen fjord , but the remains of the saint miraculously did not sink, despite the load. As a result, Hallward's murder was uncovered.
Hallward veneration arose in the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. He is considered the protector of innocent people. In 1130, a cathedral was built in Oslo, bearing his name, where the relics of the saint were stored.