Šahovnica

The Croatian checkerboard or chequy ( hr, šahovnica, ) is the national symbol of Croatia and Croats, it covers the main shield of Croatian coat of arms above which is the crown with five smaller shields. Squares are always arranged correctly and they are red and white, although the order has historically varied.

Name

Croatian checkerboard or chequy and sometimes known as Croatian chessboard is translated from Croatian ''šahovnica'' (from ''šah'', "chess").

History

Origin

There is a legend (probably from the 19th century) telling how Croatian king Stephen Držislav, was captured by the Venetians, and played a chess match in which his opponent was Doge Pietro II Orseolo. He got all three parties and thus gained freedom, and in some versions, power over the Dalmatian cities. He then incorporated the chessboard into his coat of arms.

Earliest documented usage of checkered coats of arms can be traced back to 12–14th century Polish dynasties, and include that of Wczele (silver-gold), related Gurowski (silver-blue), and Piast (silver-red). Coat of arms of Moravia, a modern-day province of Czech Republic, is the oldest coat of arms of a region that contains a silver-red checkered pattern. The pattern was widely adopted by many municipalities and passed down the noble family lines, and has become a prominent feature of West Slavic heraldry.

Use in coat of arms

One of the oldest coats of arms of the Croatian kingdom from 1495 is located in the Austrian town of Innsbruck and is located on the front of the temple hall of Herzog-Friedrichstrasse 35. It is assumed that the creation of the Croatian coat of arms was stimulated by the emperor Maximilian I from whose time it originated the coat of arms of Innsbruck, but also some other coats of arms, preserved in today's Germany and Austria. It is also assumed that the number of preserved Croatian shielded coat of arms from the time of the Habsburg ruler should be thanked to the fact that the Peace of Pressburg from November 7, 1491 gave him and his house the inheritance of the Hungarian-Croatian throne in case Jagiellonian dynasty would not have legitimate male offspring, but also the stipulation that Maximilian I could keep the title of the Hungarian (and Croatian) king. For this reason, it would not be strange that he had just spurred the emergence of a Croatian chess coat, if it did not exist before. The Habsburgs, however, became Hungarian-Croatian kings only a few decades later, with the 1527 election in Cetin, so it is more likely that the then-ruling Jagiellonian dynasty were to commemorate the use of that coat-of-arms.

In some interpretations it is mentioned that the white color indicates White Croatia and Red Croatia. There is also a belief in the meaning of the color of the first field in the coat of arms, according to which the first white field is the independence of Croatia, and the first red field is its subordinate position, but this belief is of the newer date and does not have any confirmation in earlier lore and historical evidence.

Other uses

Typical red-white checkerboard is widely used on airports because of its recognizability and visibility. Checkerboard is used on roofs, water towers and other buildings around the airports. However, the use is not directly connected to national symbol of Croatia and Croats. Croatian Air Force MiG-21 UMD is painted in a red-white Croatian checkerboard. Jerseys and hats using the cheque are widely used by Croatian sport fans. It can also be found as a decoration on various tourist souvenirs.

Gallery

Croatian chequey.jpg, Croatian chequy from the Church of St. Lucy, Jurandvor
Croatian_Coat_of_Arms_1495.JPG, First known example of Croatian chequy as depicted in Innsbruck, Austria (1495).
Croatian coa 1527.png, Coat of arms of Croatia used in 1527 as part of a seal on the Cetingrad Charter.
Wappen_K%C3%B6nigreich_Croatien_%26_Slavonien.png, Kingdom of Croatia (1525-1868).
Wappen_K%C3%B6nigreich_Croatien.jpg, Coat of arms of Croatian Crown land (until 1868).
Coa Croatia Country History (with crown) (1868-1918).svg, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (1868–1918).
Coa Hungary Country History Mid (1867).svg, Coat of arms of Transleithania (1868-1915).
Domoljubna značka 1914.jpg, Patriotic badge from 1914.
Coat of Arms of the Banate of Croatia.svg, Banovina of Croatia (1939–1943).
Greater coat of arms of the Banate of Croatia.svg, Banovina of Croatia greater version (1939–1943).
Coat of arms of the Independent State of Croatia.svg, Independent State of Croatia (1941–1945).
Coat of Arms of Socialist Republic of Croatia.svg, Socialist Republic of Croatia (1947–1990).
Coat of arms of Croatia (white chequy).svg, Early coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia (1990).
Coat of arms of Croatia.svg, Coat of arms of Croatia after 1990.

See also

* Coat of arms of Croatia
* Check (pattern)

References

{{Croatia topics

Croatian culture
History of the Croats
National symbols of Croatia