![Escutcheon in the Seal of the Kingdom of Croatia 1527](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Escutcheon_in_the_Seal_of_the_Kingdom_of_Croatia_1527.svg)
The Croatian checkerboard or chequy ( hr, šahovnica, ) is the national symbol of
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
and
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
, it covers the main shield of
Croatian coat of arms
The coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Grb Republike Hrvatske) consists of one main shield and five smaller shields which form a crown over the main shield. The main coat of arms is a checkerboard ( chequy) that consists of 13 red and ...
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
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
").
History
Origin
![POL księstwo jaworskie COA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/POL_ksi%C4%99stwo_jaworskie_COA.svg)
There is a legend (probably from the 19th century) telling how
Croatian king Stephen Držislav, was captured by the
Venetians, and played a
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
match in which his opponent was Doge
Pietro II Orseolo
Pietro II Orseolo (961−1009) was the Doge of Venice from 991 to 1009.
He began the period of eastern expansion of Venice that lasted for the better part of 500 years. He secured his influence in the Dalmatian Romanized settlements from the Croa ...
. He got all three parties and thus gained freedom, and in some versions, power over the
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
n cities. He then incorporated the
chessboard
A chessboard is a used to play chess. It consists of 64 squares, 8 rows by 8 columns, on which the chess pieces are placed. It is square in shape and uses two colours of squares, one light and one dark, in a chequered pattern. During play, the bo ...
into his
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
.
Earliest documented usage of checkered coats of arms can be traced back to 12–14th century
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
dynasties
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...
, and include that of
Wczele (silver-gold), related
Gurowski (silver-blue), and
Piast
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great.
Branche ...
(silver-red).
Coat of arms of Moravia
The coat of arms of Moravia has been used for centuries to represent Moravia, a traditional province in the present-day Czech Republic. The coat of arms is also present in a field of the coat of arms of the Czech Republic.
The coat of arms of ...
, 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
![Fragment iz crkvice sv Ivana od Nimfeja, Pula, poč](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Fragment_iz_crkvice_sv_Ivana_od_Nimfeja%2C_Pula%2C_po%C4%8D._9._st.jpg)
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
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. It is also assumed that the number of preserved Croatian shielded
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
from the time of the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
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
The Jagiellonian dynasty (, pl, dynastia jagiellońska), otherwise the Jagiellon dynasty ( pl, dynastia Jagiellonów), the House of Jagiellon ( pl, Dom Jagiellonów), or simply the Jagiellons ( pl, Jagiellonowie), was the name assumed by a cad ...
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
White Croatia (also Great Croatia or Chrobatia; hr, Bijela Hrvatska, also ) is the region from which part of the White Croats emigrated to the Western Balkans. Some historians believe that, after the migration of the White Croats in the 7th cent ...
and
Red Croatia
Red Croatia ( la, Croatia Rubea; hr, Crvena Hrvatska) is a historical term used for the southeastern parts of Roman Dalmatia and some other territories, including parts of present-day Montenegro, Albania, the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and He ...
. 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
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
s because of its recognizability and visibility. Checkerboard is used on roofs,
water tower
A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conju ...
s and other buildings around the airports.
However, the use is not directly connected to national symbol of Croatia and Croats.
Croatian Air Force
The Croatian Air Force ( hr, Hrvatsko ratno zrakoplovstvo or HRZ) is a branch of the Croatian Armed Forces whose primary task is to ensure the sovereignty of the airspace of the Republic of Croatia and to provide aviation support to other branc ...
MiG-21 UMD is painted in a red-white Croatian checkerboard.
Jerseys and
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
s using the cheque are widely used by Croatian
sport fans. It can also be found as a decoration on various tourist
souvenir
A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...
s.
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
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
(1495).
Croatian coa 1527.png, Coat of arms of Croatia used in 1527 as part of a seal on the Cetingrad Charter
The 1527 election in Cetin ( hr, Cetinski / Cetingradski sabor, meaning Parliament on Cetin(grad) or Parliament of Cetin(grad), or ) was an assembly of the Croatian Parliament in the Cetin Castle in 1527. It followed a succession crisis in the Ki ...
.
Wappen_K%C3%B6nigreich_Croatien_%26_Slavonien.png, Kingdom of Croatia Kingdom of Croatia may refer to:
* Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), an independent medieval kingdom
* Croatia in personal union with Hungary (1102–1526), a kingdom in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary
* Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) (152 ...
(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
The Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen ( hu, a Szent Korona Országai), informally Transleithania (meaning the lands or region "beyond" the Leitha River) were the Hungarian territories of Austria-Hungary, throughout the latter's entire exis ...
(1868-1915).
Domoljubna značka 1914.jpg, Patriotic
Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or histor ...
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
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in p ...
(1941–1945).
Coat of Arms of Socialist Republic of Croatia.svg, Socialist Republic of Croatia
The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), or SR Croatia, was a constituent republic and federated state of the Socia ...
(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
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
after 1990.
See also
*
Coat of arms of Croatia
The coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Grb Republike Hrvatske) consists of one main shield and five smaller shields which form a crown over the main shield. The main coat of arms is a checkerboard (chequy) that consists of 13 red an ...
*
Check (pattern)
Check (also checker, Brit: chequer) is a pattern of modified stripes consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical lines which form squares. The pattern typically contains two colours where a single checker (that is a single square within the chec ...
References
{{Croatia topics
Croatian culture
History of the Croats
National symbols of Croatia