Coat of arms of El Salvador

Coat of arms of El Salvador
Versions
Seal of the President
Details
Armiger	Republic of El Salvador
Adopted	15 September 1912
Motto	Dios, Unión, Libertad "God, Union, Liberty"

The coat of arms of El Salvador has been in use in its current form since 15 September 1912.

Features

The coat of arms of El Salvador has Medieval Gothic influences, as well as geographical, biblical, and Native American Indigenous symbolic representations, all which come together in a distinctive, stylized shield design. Its center consists of a bold golden amber triangle outline, in which a row starting from the left side, of five mighty and proud green forested coned volcanoes, depicting a tropical Jurassic landscape, rise out of the massive cobalt blue pacific ocean swells, symbolizing the fellowship of the five original isthmian member states of the United Provinces of Central America.

The volcanoes are all illuminated yellow on their right side by sunshine. Above the volcanoes is a crimson red Phrygian cap on a staff before an amber sun with spiraling swirling rays, with a brilliant volcanic "red sky at morning" under the sun in the horizon. The date (15 September 1821), Independence Day of El Salvador, in black letters over the sun, midway a top there is a rainbow arch in an azure sky which Biblically symbolizes peace. The colors in the rainbow usually depict from top to bottom five colors only: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

Behind the coat of arms there are five cobalt blue and white striped flags representing the flags of the Federal Republic of Central America, one flag is risen straight up behind and over the triangle, hanging loosely around the spear, and the other four flags are risen half way and stretch out far like wings from behind the triangle sides, two on each side, one over another, the flags hang loosely on their sides, creating almost a horn-like effect with their ends being tied up behind the triangle's bottom.

All of the five flags are each held up and raised with Native American Indigenous wooden war spears, with obsidian Clovis Projectile points, and tied with American Indigenous feathers, symbolizing El Salvador's American Indigenous ancestry and heritage, the spears also are a reference of the Lenca and Pipil warriors, who defeated the first European Spanish conquest in this Mesoamerican region. Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado wrote he was awestruck and spooked in great fear when he saw the massive numbers of American Indigenous warriors with large spears and bow arrows as their weaponry standing their ground in their battle against the invading Spaniards.

The Native Indigenous shock troops made an unexpected decisive military attack on the Spaniards who fled from this strong Indigenous resistance. The Lencas of El Salvador were led by their mighty Warrior Princess Antu Silan Ulap who made a Guanacasco (botherhood fellowship) with chief Lempira of Honduras, against the Spanish. The nickname Guanaco which means (brother) in Lenca language is coined to present day Salvadorans. The Pipil were led by their Warrior Prince, who defended the Cuzcatan nation. The spears in the coat of arms of El Salvador are a representation of the nation's indigenous heroes and spirit.

Under the triangle, there is a golden Amber (color) scroll which states the national motto of El Salvador: Dios, Unión, Libertad (Span., "God, Union, Liberty") in capital and bold black letters.

All of this is surrounded by a green Laurel wreath, which is tied together with a cobalt blue and white striped ribbon of the national flag symbolizing unity. The laurel wreath is divided into 14 different parts, which symbolize the 14 Departaments, the Salvadoran subnational administrative units. All this is surrounded by golden Amber (color) letters, which form the Spanish words REPÚBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMÉRICA CENTRAL (English: Republic of El Salvador in Central America) in capital and bold letters. For special occasions the whole entire coat of arms of El Salvador is stylized in amber gold color with a white or royal cobalt blue background. The coat of arms of El Salvador is also recognizable in silhouette.

References