The Great Seal of the State of Hawaii was designated officially by Act 272 of the 1959 Territorial Legislature and is based on the territorial seal.
/ref> Modifications to the territorial seal included the use of the words "

State of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

" at the top and "1959" within the circle. Provisions for a seal for the state of Hawaii were enacted by the Territorial Legislature and approved by Governor William F. Quinn on June 8, 1959.Pamphlet that accompanied ”The Official Statehood Medal Commemorating the Admission of Hawaii as the 50th State of the United States of America, August 21, 1959”, Medallic Art Company, New York The passage of the Admission Act in 1959, admitted Hawaii as the 50th State of the United States of America on August 21, 1959. The seal of the

Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...

was the same as the seal of the republic, except that it had "Territory of Hawaii" placed at the top and "1900" (signifying the year that the territorial government officially was organized) within the circle. The 1901 Territorial Legislature authorized the modified republic seal as the Seal of the Territory of Hawaii. The seal of the

Republic of Hawaii The Republic of Hawaii ( Hawaiian: ''Lepupalika o Hawaii'') was a short-lived one-party state in Hawaii between July 4, 1894, when the Provisional Government of Hawaii had ended, and August 12, 1898, when it became annexed by the United State ...

had the words "Republic of Hawaii" at the top and "MDCCCXCIV" within the circle. The year 1894 signified the date that the republic was established. The republic seal was designed by Viggo Jacobsen, a Honolulu resident, and itself was derived from the Royal Arms of the Kingdom of Hawaii used during the reigns of

King Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name is Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kī ...

, King Kalākaua and

Queen Liliuokalani Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mo ...

, which had been designed by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...

in London in 1842 and officially adopted in 1845. File:Royal Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hawaii.svg, Royal Arms of the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent islan ...

as designed by the

File:Royal Coat of Arms of Hawaii.svg, Version of the Royal Arms later adopted by the Kingdom around 1850

State Seal

The Great Seal of the State of Hawaii is circular in shape, two and three-quarters inches in diameter, and of the design being described, with the tinctures added as the basis for the coat of arms. The Hawaii state seal represents Hawaii's nation.

Coat of arms

In the center of the seal is a heraldic shield which is quartered. The blazon is as follows ''Quarterly, 1st and 4th, barry of eight Argent, Gules, and Azure; 2nd and 3rd, Or, a puloulou or sacred staff proper; en surtout, an inescutcheon Vert charged with a mullet Or.''

Supporters design

On the left side is King Kamehameha I, standing in the as represented by the bronze statue in front of Ali'iolani Hale, Honolulu. His cloak and helmet (a mahiole) are in yellow. Kamehameha I's figure is in proper. Kamehameha I unified the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost ...

into a single united kingdom. On the right side is goddess Liberty also wearing a Phrygian cap and laurel wreath. She is holding ''Ka Hae Hawaii'' in her right hand that is partly unfurled.

Crest design

A rising sun irradiated in gold surrounded by the legend "State of Hawaii, 1959" on a scroll in black lettering.

Motto design

The state motto: ''

Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono ''Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Āina i ka Pono'' is a Hawaiian phrase, spoken by Kamehameha III, and adopted in 1959 as the state motto. It is most commonly translated as "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." A alternate translation, whic ...

'' is on the scroll on the seal's bottom in gold lettering. ''Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono'' is roughly translated into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

as "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." The motto was adopted by the

in 1843 and was used in an address by

at ceremonies following the return of his kingdom from the British. British captain

Lord George Paulet George Paulet CB (12 August 1803 – 22 November 1879) was an officer of the Royal Navy. He entered the navy shortly after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and after some years obtained his own command. He served off the Iberian Peninsula durin ...

of demanded that Hawaii was ceded to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

in response to claims of political abuses against British residents made by British Consul Richard Charlton. After Kamehameha III notified

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

of the captain's actions,

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

Richard Darton Thomas Admiral Richard Darton Thomas (3 June 1777 – 21 August 1857) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and went on to become Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station in the 1840s. Biog ...

returned sovereignty back to the King. The motto is also featured in Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's song "Hawaii '78" and is used on the Hawaii state quarter.

Compartment design

Below the heraldic shield, the bird phoenix has it wings outstretched arising from flames. The phoenix's body is black and wings half yellow and half dark red. Below the heraldic shield are eight taro leaves having on either side banana foliage and sprays of

maidenhair fern ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place it in its own family, Adiantaceae. The genus name comes from Greek, meaning "un ...

trailed upwardly.

Symbolism

*1959 represents the year of admission into the Union as a state. *The rising sun replaced the royal crown from the original coat of arms. This represents the birth of a new state. * King Kamehameha the Great and the Goddess of Liberty holding the Hawaiian flag replace the two warriors on the Royal Arms. This may represent the old government leader (King Kamehameha the Great) and the new government leader (The Goddess of Liberty). *The quartered design of the heraldic shield is retained from the original coat of arms. *The eight stripes in two of the quarters of the shield represent the eight main islands. *The '' Puloulou'', or '' tabu ball and stick'', in the second and third quarters was carried before the king and placed before the door of his home, signifying his authority and power. In the seal it is a symbol of the authority and power of the government. *The star in the middle of the shield signifies the fiftieth star added to the United States flag. *The phoenix, symbol of death and resurrection, symbolizes the change from an

absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constituti ...

to a free, democratic form of government. *The eight taro leaves, flanked by banana foliage and

are typical Hawaiian flora and represent the eight main islands. Taro is the traditional staff of life and has great spiritual significance. Taro is also still cultivated and is the ingredient of the popular dish called poi. *The state motto, "''

''", "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness," is retained from the royal coat of arms.

Government seals of Hawaii

File:Seal of the Hawaii Department of Transportation.svg, Seal of the

Hawaii Department of Transportation The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is a state government organization which oversees transportation in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The agency is divided into three divisions dealing with aviation, maritime, and roads. HDOT Divisions A ...

References

External links

The Great Seal of the State of Hawai'i
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seal Of Hawaii Symbols of Hawaii

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...