The coat of arms of Haiti is the

national coat of arms A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag is usually used by the population at large and is flown outside and on ships, a national coat of arms is normally ...

of the

Republic of Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and so ...

. It was originally introduced in 1807, and it has appeared in its current form since 1986. Since this Haitian

national symbol A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...

does not conform to the rules of heraldry for a traditional

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

, then it could be considered a

national emblem A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag A national flag is a flag that represents ...

instead.

Overview

It has six draped flags of the country, three on each side, which are located behind a

palm tree The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm ...

and

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

s on a green

lawn A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses and other durable plants such as clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawnmower (or sometimes grazing animals) and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes. ...

. Upon the lawn are various items, including a drum,

bugle The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure. History The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...

cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...

s and ship

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄ� ...

s. Above the palm tree, there is a liberty cap placed as a symbol of freedom. The ribbon bears the motto (), which is also the motto of several other countries. This should not be confused with the

national motto This article lists state and national mottos for the world's nations. The mottos for some states lacking general international recognition, extinct states, non-sovereign nations, regions, and territories are listed, but their names are not bold ...

of Haiti, which according to the

Constitution of Haiti The Constitution of Haiti (french: Constitution d'Haïti, ht, Konstitisyon Ayiti) was modeled after the constitutions of the United States, Poland and France. The latest version of the document was approved by Parliament in March 2011 and came ...

is ''

Liberté, égalité, fraternité ''Liberté, égalité, fraternité'' (), French for "liberty, equality, fraternity", is the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti, and is an example of a tripartite motto. Although it finds its origins in the French Revolution, i ...

'' (French for 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity').

History

The oldest use of a symbol for Haiti is known since 1807. The symbol shows several national flags, with two cannons and palm trees. The symbol indicates the battle for independence of the republic. The motto, in French, means 'Strength through unity'. The use of the symbol was interrupted twice; once was during the period of Henri I. The then president

Henri Christophe Henri Christophe (; 6 October 1767 – 8 October 1820) was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution and the only monarch of the Kingdom of Haiti. Christophe was of Bambara ethnicity in West Africa, and perhaps of Igbo descent. Beginning with ...

declared himself as the King of Haiti and adopted a Royal Coat of Arms. On the yellow shield of the arm there was a phoenix rising from its flames with five-pointed stars around it, and the motto ' (I will rise in my ashes) inscribed on a ribbon outlining the shield. Two royally crowned lions supported both sides of the shield, and the motto ' (God, my cause and my sword) was placed on another ribbon at the bottom. In 1814 Henri I slightly changed his Royal Arm, the lions were removed and the motto was changed to a Latin one: ' (Reborn from the ashes). Another change occurred in 1849, when President General

Faustin Soulouque Faustin-Élie Soulouque (15 August 1782 – 3 August 1867) was a Haitian politician and military commander who served as President of Haiti from 1847 to 1849 and Emperor of Haiti from 1849 to 1859. Soulouque was a general in the Haitian Army w ...

crowned himself as Emperor Faustin I. He adopted new Imperial arms, showing two cannons and a French imperial eagle. Two lions were again used as supporters and the whole was placed in a purple mantle, with a motto similar to the one Henri I used: ' (God, my country and my sword). The emperor was forced to leave the country in 1859, and the old symbol was later restored. Ever since the composition has been the same, but the colors and items have changed somewhat. The coat of arms is on the national

flag of Haiti The flag of Haiti (Haitian French, French: , ht, drapo Ayiti) is the national flag of the Haiti, Republic of Haiti. It is a Bicolour (flag), bicolour flag featuring two horizontal bands coloured blue and red, emblazoned by a white rectangular p ...

, but not on its civil flag.

Historical coats of arms

File:Grand Royal Coat of Arms of France & Navarre.svg, Coat of arms before the French Revolution (1625–1803) File:Seal of the State of Haity (Haiti), 1807-1811.png, Coat of arms of the

State of Haiti The State of Haiti (french: link=no, État d'Haïti; ht, Leta an Ayiti) was the name of the state in northern Haiti. It was created on 17 October 1806 following the assassination of Emperor Jacques I and the overthrow of the First Empire of Hai ...

(1807–1811) File:Royal Coat of arms of Haiti (1811–1814).svg, Coat of arms of the

Kingdom of Haiti The Kingdom of Haiti (french: Royaume d'Haïti; ht, Wayòm an Ayiti) was the state established by Henri Christophe on 28 March 1811 when he proclaimed himself King Henri I after having previously ruled as president of the State of Haiti, in th ...

(1811–1814) File:Coat of arms of Kingdom of Haiti.svg, Coat of arms of the

(1814–1820) File:Imperial Coat of Arms of Haiti (1849-1859).svg, Coat of arms of the

Second Empire of Haiti The Second Empire of Haiti, officially known as the Empire of Haiti (french: link=no, Empire d'Haïti, ht, Anpi Ayiti), was a state which existed from 1849 to 1859. It was established by the then-President, former Lieutenant General and Supreme ...

(1849–1859) File:Coat of arms of Haiti.svg, Coat of arms of the Republic of Haiti (1859–1964); (1986-present) File:Coat of arms of Haiti (1964-1986).svg, Coat of arms used by

Duvalier Duvalier is a French and Haitian surname, and may refer to: * François Duvalier (1907–1971), nicknamed "Papa Doc", President of Haiti 1957–71 * Jean-Claude Duvalier Jean-Claude Duvalier (; 3 July 19514 October 2014), nicknamed "Baby Doc" ( h ...

(1964–1986)

Notes

{{Coat of arms of North America National symbols of Haiti Haiti Haitian coats of arms Haiti Haiti Haiti Haiti Haiti Haiti Haiti Coats of arms with horns (instrument)

Overview

History

Historical coats of arms

See also

Notes