The bat (also called the , , or ) is a heraldic symbol sometimes used as a

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

, but most prominently used as a crest on or around the

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

in municipal arms of the former

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of ...

—specifically in

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

and the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

Origins

The heraldic use of the bat has its origins in the "royal dragon" crest (') of the coat of arms of the Kings of Aragon. The royal helmet has a ', a traditional Catalan dragon, emerging from a crown as its crest. Although traditionally the dragon helmet is ascribed to king

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 12 ...

(1208 – 1276), reliable documents state that the winged dragon didn't appear over the helmet until

Peter IV of Aragon Peter IV, ; an, Pero, ; es, Pedro, . In Catalan, he may also be nicknamed ''el del punyalet'': "he of the little dagger". (Catalan: ''Pere IV''; 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''el Cerimoniós''), w ...

's reign (1319 – 1387). This crest was then transformed into a bat by municipalities. There is also a legend of a bat that landed on the flag of King James I of Aragon in 1238 before he won a crucial battle against the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...

s in which he captured Valencia for his kingdom. In another legend, a bat landed on his tent; James I ordered it to be killed but it was not; later, the bat alerted the king to the Saracens’ surprise night raid. Another version has it that bats’ nighttime routines inspired James I to attack the Saracens at night. Or perhaps a bat flew in front of him as he entered Valencia after capturing it. In any case, the bat, formerly a sign of bad luck, became a symbol of good fortune. However, original documents state that the animal was a

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

and not a bat.Luis Tramoyeres Blasco, ''Lo Rat Penat en el escudo de armas de Valencia''
/ref> The heraldic bat of

Albacete Albacete (, also , ; ar, ﭐَلبَسِيط, Al-Basīṭ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete. Lying in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, t ...

has a different origin. It comes from the transformation over time of two "winged hands", the heraldic emblem of the lords of

Villena Villena () is a city in Spain, in the Valencian Community. It is located at the northwest part of Alicante, and borders to the west with Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia, to the north with the province of Valencia and to the east and south with the ...

. Because bats eat mosquitos, a notable pest in these regions of Spain, some authors propose that bats on crests honor this ecological role in the local

food chain A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms (such as grass or algae which produce their own food via photosynthesis) and ending at an apex predator species (like grizzly bears or killer whales), de ...

The bat in official heraldry

The coats of arms of certain cities in eastern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, like

Palma, Mallorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca ...

and Fraga have the bat over the shield. Some smaller towns, like

Catarroja Catarroja (, ) is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Horta Sud in the Valencian Community, Spain. Toponym The town name is originally a hybrid between the Arabic term إقطاع ("iqṭā"), which means "land", and the Valencian term "ro ...

and

Novallas Novallas is a municipality located in the Zaragoza (province), province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. It belongs to the "comarca" (county) of Tarazona y el Moncayo. According to the 2004 census (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain), INE), th ...

, also use this symbol. Formerly the

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

city coat of arms had a bat crowning it as well, but the bat was removed at the beginning of the 20th century for unknown reasons. The city of

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,675 in 2014 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate, with ...

used to have the bat surmounting the coat of arms' crown. There the bat represents a commemoration of the role of this city in the conquest of Valencia. The bat now rests just below the crown in Teruel's seal. While the use of the bat as a heraldic symbol is prevalent in the territories of the former Crown of Aragon it is rarely used elsewhere. However, it can be found in a few places, including in the coats of arms of the city of

in Spain, the town of Montchauvet, Yvelines in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Fiefbergen in

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

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 betwee ...

and the former Borough of Brecknock and historic county of

Brecknockshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, UK. Outside of Europe, the coat of arms of

Santa Fe de Antioquia Santa Fe de Antioquia is a municipality in the Antioquia Department, Colombia. The city is located approximately north of Medellín, the department capital. It has a population of approximately 23,000 inhabitants. History Founded in 1541 by ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

includes multiple bats; it was granted to the town in 1545 by Charles I of Castile and Aragon and his mother,

Joanna of Castile Joanna (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad ( es, link=no, Juana la Loca), was the nominal Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was married by arrangement to P ...

Other uses

Based on the heraldic symbol of their city, certain Spanish

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

club badges, like

Albacete Balompié Albacete Balompié is a Spanish football team based in Albacete, in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. Founded on 2 August 1940, it currently plays in Segunda División, the second tier of Spanish football, holding home matches ...

CD Alcoyano Club Deportivo Alcoyano, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Alcoy, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1928 it plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 2, holding home games in '' Estadio El Collao'', with a 4,850-sea ...

Levante UD Levante Unión Deportiva, S.A.D. (, ca-valencia, Llevant Unió Esportiva ) is a Spanish football club in Valencia, in the namesake autonomous community. Founded on 9 September 1909, Levante play in Segunda División, holding home games at Ciu ...

and

Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol (, ca-valencia, València Club de Futbol ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF (or simply Valencia) is a professional football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top flight of the Spa ...

, have a bat on them. The oldest badge of

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...

used between 1899 and 1910 had a small bat crowning it as well. Valencia FC first used the bat on its badge from its foundation in 1919.

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

has raised suits against Valencia FC with the

European Union Intellectual Property Office The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO; french: links=no, Office de l'Union européenne pour la propriété intellectuelle), founded in 1994, is the European Union Agency responsible for the registration of the European Union trad ...

in 2013 and 2019, claiming commonality with the

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

logo, but these have not been successful. The

Burgee A burgee is a distinguishing flag, regardless of its shape, of a recreational boating organization. In most cases, they have the shape of a pennant. Etiquette Yacht clubs and their members may fly their club's burgee while under way and at ...

of the Royal Valencia Yacht Club (Reial Club Nàutic de València) displays a bat on a golden field in its center. Lo Rat Penat, a political organization based in Valencia in 1878, was named after the heraldic bat. Established by Constantí Llombart, Teodor Llorente and Fèlix Pizcueta, its aim was originally to foster a movement similar to the Catalan

Renaixença The ''Renaixença'' (; also written ''Renaixensa'' before spelling standardisation), or Catalan Renaissance, was a romantic revivalist movement in Catalan language and culture through the mid 19th century, akin to the Galician ''Rexurdimento ...

in the region of Valencia. The No. 9 Squadron RAF adopted the bat badge in 1917 along with the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

motto ''Per Noctem Volamus'' "We fly through the night". The badge was approved by King

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 1 ...

in November 1936.

Gallery

File:Armorial Achievement of the Wakefield Baronetcy of Kendal.svg, Armorial Achievement of the Wakefield Baronetcy of Kendal File:Escut de València.svg,

city's arms File:Coat of Arms of the City of Palma, Majorca.svg, Present-day arms of

Palma de Mallorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca ...

File:Novallas antiguo.svg, Old coat of arms of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to s ...

File:Coat of Arms of Teruel City.svg,

city coat of arms File:Coat of Arms of Fraga.svg, Coat of arms of Fraga File:Escut de Catarroja.svg, Coat of arms of

File:Flag of rcnv.png, Burgee of the Royal Valencia Yacht Club File:Escudo de Munera.svg, Coat of arms of Munera File:Escudo de Novallas.svg, Coat of arms of

File:Escut d'Emperador.svg, Coat of arms of Emperador File:Coat of Arms of Albacete.svg, Coat of arms of the city of

File:Coat of Arms of Albacete Province.svg, Coat of arms of the

Province of Albacete Albacete ( es, Provincia de Albacete, ) is a province of central Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. As of 2012, Albacete had a population of 402,837 people. Its capital city, also called Albacete, is ...

File:Blason Montchauvet Yvelines01.svg, Coat of arms of Montchauvet, France File:Fiefbergen Wappen.png, Coat of arms of Fiefbergen, Germany File:Escudo de Pácora.svg, Coat of arms of Pácora, Colombia File:Escudo de Santa Fe de Antioquia.svg, Coat of arms of

, Colombia File:Brecknockshire arms.png, Coat of arms of the historic county of

Brecknockshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...

, Wales File:488 Intelligence Squadron patch.jpg, 488 Intelligence Squadron patch File:GRU emblem.svg, Emblem of the Voennaya Razvedka File:Historic Coat of Arms of the City of Palma, Majorca.svg, Former arms of Palma de Mallorca with the winged dragon crown known as ''Cimera de la Festa de l'Estendard'' without the

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

. 17th century File:Coat of Arms of Barcelona (17th-18th Centuries).svg, Barcelona coat of arms (17th-18th Centuries) with the Royal Winged Dragon (Vibra) crown and the helmet File:Coat of Arms of Barcelona (c.1790-c.1870).svg, c.1790-1870 coat of arms already displaying a bat instead of a dragon on top of the helmet File:Escut-barcelona1882a.JPG, Late 19th century Barcelona coat of arms at Mercat de Sant Antoni, Barcelona File:Escudo del cantón de Tibás.svg, Coat of arms of Tibás Canton, Costa Rica

References

Barça N. 20

External links

* Blason de Valence * Cimera del Casal de Barcelona * Cimera de la Festa de l'Estendard * Barcelona coat of arms
FC Barcelona, old badges

Lo Rat Penat

{{Heraldic creatures Heraldic beasts Bats and humans Catalan symbols Legendary mammals Bats in popular culture Fictional bats