A Moor's head, since the 11th century, is a

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

depicting the

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

of a black moor.

Origin

The precise origin of the Moor's head is a subject of controversy. But the most likely explanation is that it is derived from the heraldic war flag of the Reconquista depicting the Cross of Alcoraz, symbolizing Peter I of Aragon and Pamplona's victory over the "Moorish" kings of the Taifa of Zaragoza in the Battle of Alcoraz in 1096. The blindfold may originally have been a headband. Another theory claims that it is the Nubian Saint Maurice (3rd century AD). The earliest heraldic use of the Moor's head is first recorded in 1281, during the reign of

Peter III of Aragon Peter III of Aragon ( November 1285) was King of Aragon, King of Valencia (as ), and Count of Barcelona (as ) from 1276 to his death. At the invitation of some rebels, he conquered the Kingdom of Sicily and became King of Sicily in 1282, pres ...

and represents the Cross of Alcoraz, which the King adopted as his personal coat of arms. The Crown of Aragon had for a long time governed Sardinia and Corsica, having been granted the islands by the Pope, although they never really exercised formal control. The Moor's head became a symbol of the islands.

Flags, seals, and emblems

This symbol is used in heraldry, vexillography, and political imagery.

Flag of Corsica

The main charge in the coat of arms in

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

is a ', Corsican for "The Moor". An early version is attested in the 14th-century Gelre Armorial, where an unblindfolded Moor's head represents Corsica as a state of the Crown of Aragon. Interestingly, the Moor's head is attached to his shoulders and upper body, and he is alive and smiling. In 1736, it was used by both sides during the struggle for independence. In 1760, General Pasquale Paoli ordered the necklace to be removed from the head and the blindfold raised. His reason, reported by his biographers, was ''""'' ( en, "The Corsicans want to see clearly. Freedom must walk by the torch of philosophy. Won't they say that we fear the light?") The blindfold was thereafter changed to a headband. The current flag of Corsica is the co, label=none, Bandera testa Mora, lit=Flag with head of Moor), is male rather than female, and has a regular knot at the back of the head.

Flag of Sardinia

The flag of Sardinia is informally known as ''the Four Moors'' (, , ) and comprises four Moor heads.

African Unification Front

The "Maure" is the

African Unification Front The African Unification Front (AUF) is an organisation aiming to promote the political, social and economic union of Africa. History AUF was formed in August 1996. The AUF advocates for transformation of Africa into a federation, with the Pan A ...

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

and emblem. The head is blindfolded representing the impartiality of justice, and the knot is tied into a stylized Adinkra symbol for omnipotence (

Gye Nyame GYE or Gye may refer to: People * Gye of Baekje (died 354), king of Baekje 344–346 * Gye of Samhan, king of Mahan confederacy 33 BC–17 BC * Frederick Gye (1810–1878), English opera manager * Harold Frederick Neville Gye (1888–1967), Aus ...

Modern controversy

Modern anti-racism efforts, coupled with increased

African immigration to Europe African immigrants in Europe are individuals residing in Europe who were born in Africa, this includes both individuals born in North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. History The Roman Emperor Septimius Severus was born in Leptis Magna in North Af ...

and a growth of the Afro-European population, have led to controversies around ancient "Moor's head" symbols. For example, the Austrian company Mohrenbrauerei was asked to remove the "Moor's head" from its bottles.

Gallery

File:Gelre Folio 62r.jpg, Gelre Armorial, Folio 62r, 14th century File:Linkebeek vlag.svg, Flag of Linkebeek, Belgium File:Tucher Vrsel SIACOBS.jpg, Tucher von Simmelsdorf in Antwerp File:Coat of arms of Joseph Ratzinger.svg, Coat of arms of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, with Moor of Freising File:Escudo de Alcanadre-La Rioja.svg, Coat of arms of

Alcanadre Alcanadre is a town and municipality in La Rioja province in northern Spain. The town is located along the Ebro River, between Logroño and Calahorra. Alcanadre has a temperate, Mediterranean climate. Its major agricultural products are wine, ol ...

. La Rioja, Spain, depicting heads of slain Muslims after the Reconquista File:CoA Georg Gänswein.svg, Coat of Georg Gänswein during the Papacy of Benedict XVI File:Official-Avenches-coat of arms.png, Coat of Avenches,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

File:DEU Stuttgart-Möhringen COA.svg, Female Moor's head on the coat of arms of the district of Möhringen in Stuttgart, Germany File:CLAN MACLELLAN.jpg, The Scottish crest badge of Clan MacLellan featuring the head of

Black Morrow Black Morrow, also known as Black Murray and Outlaw Murray, is the name given to a late 15th century Scottish outlaw. A popular ballad makes the bandit as living in Ettrick Forest, while a recorded oral tradition, a wood in Kirkcudbrightshire. ...

File:Escudo d'Aragón.svg, The current coat of arms of Aragon features four heads of Moors. File:Flag of Sardinia, Italy.svg, The flag of Sardinia File:Flag of Sardinia, Italy (1950–1999).svg, The Sardinian Flag until 1999 File:Flag of Corsica.svg, The Flag and coat of arms of Corsica File:Schwarzhäupter 09.jpg, The coat of arms of the Brotherhood of Blackheads File:Complete Guide to Heraldry Fig254.png, "A Blackamoor's Head" (''Complete Guide to Heraldry'', 1909) File:Kingdom of the Algarve CoA.svg, Coat of the

Kingdom of the Algarve The Kingdom of the Algarve (Portuguese: ''Reino do Algarve'', from the Arabic ''Gharb al-Andalus'' ), after 1471 Kingdom of the Algarves (Portuguese: ''Reino dos Algarves''), was a nominal kingdom within the Kingdom of Portugal, located in the sou ...

, within Portugal

References

External links

* {{commons category-inline, Moor heads in heraldry Heraldic charges Symbols Black symbols Black people in art