South Africa's coat of arms, or state emblem, is the highest visual symbol of the state. Its central image is a secretary bird with uplifted wings, a sun rising above it. Below the bird is the protea, an indigenous South African flower, representing the aesthetic harmony of all cultures and the country flowering as a nation.
The ears of wheat are emblems of the fertility of the land, while the tusks of the African elephant symbolise wisdom, steadfastness and strength.
At the centre stands a shield signifying the protection of South Africans, above which are a spear and knobkierie. These assert the defense of peace rather than a posture of war.
Within the shield are images of the Khoisan people, the first inhabitants of the land. The figures are derived from images on the Linton Stone, a world-famous example of South African rock art. The motto of the coat of arms -!ke e:/xarra//ke- is in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people, and means "diverse people unite", or "people who are different joining together".
WOW, Sara! Thank you for this bit of history. I also enjoyed the information on the link you posted. Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this - I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteProtea are such beautiful flowers, and they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. (Do you remember I used to be a florist?)
The SA national motto sounds similar to the US motto - "e pluribus unum" - "Out of many, one".