Heraldry of Öland
Encyclopedia
Öland is a province
of Sweden
and at the funeral of Gustav Vasa
in 1560 the province was granted a coat of arms.
in 1560 displayed two red deer
on a field with nine silver roses. In the 1940s the office of the Swedish Herald of the Realm (Riksheraldikerämbetet) discovered that a mistake had been committed, almost 400 years earlier, when the arms had been granted. The arms granted had been blazoned not for Öland, but for the similar sounding island province of Åland. The nine white roses which adorned the field under the two roe deer were none other than the same nine white roses present in the coat of arms of Finland
. At the same time, in the 16th century, Åland had been awarded a coat of arms displaying a deer
. An odd fact since the Åland fauna did not include larger deer, but had the smaller roe deer
. Öland on the other hand was a royal game park, which stocked an abundant supply of deer. The coats of arms had been mixed up and the blunder went unnoticed by the proper authorities for several centuries.
In 1944 the Swedish Herald of the Realm decided to withdraw granted arms and issue a new grant for the coat of arms originally designed for Öland. The proper authorities in Finland were notified, but they ultimately decided not make any changes and not to adopt the coat of arms originally intended with the roe deer and the nine Finnish roses. This decision made it necessary to introduce some minor alterations for the coat of arms for Öland, and it included the introduction of a collar and differentiating the color of its armament, antlers and hoofs.
The arms are displayed with a ducal coronet. The province was originally ranked as an earldom but following a decision by the Privy Council
on January 18, 1884 gave all Provinces the right of use to a ducal coronet for their arms.
Blazon: "Azure a Deer Or attired, hoofed and gorged Gules."
Official blazon in Swedish: "I blått fält en gående hjort av guld med rött halsband och röd beväring, därest sådan skall komma till användning."
Åland is today an autonomous province of Finland. The arms are displayed with a Finnish comital coronet.
Blazon: "Azure a Deer passant Or"
Description: The lion holds a raised sword in its right gauntleted fore leg and is trampling a curved sabre. The lion, the crown and the sword and sabre handles are gold, as are the gauntlet joints. The blades and the gauntlet are silver. The field is adorned by nine silver roses.
The Kalmar County
includes the eastern part of Småland
and the island province of Öland
. The arms are a combination of the arms of Småland and Öland. The arms are displayed with a royal crown, representing the County Administrative Board
.
Blazon: "Quartered, the arms of Småland and Öland"
The arms are displayed with a ducal coronet.
Blazon: "Or a lion rampant Gules langued and armed Azure holding in front paws a Crossbow of the second bowed and stringed Sable with a bolt Argent."
Provinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and at the funeral of Gustav Vasa
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
in 1560 the province was granted a coat of arms.
Öland
The coat of arms originally granted for the island province of ÖlandÖland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
in 1560 displayed two red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
on a field with nine silver roses. In the 1940s the office of the Swedish Herald of the Realm (Riksheraldikerämbetet) discovered that a mistake had been committed, almost 400 years earlier, when the arms had been granted. The arms granted had been blazoned not for Öland, but for the similar sounding island province of Åland. The nine white roses which adorned the field under the two roe deer were none other than the same nine white roses present in the coat of arms of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. At the same time, in the 16th century, Åland had been awarded a coat of arms displaying a deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
. An odd fact since the Åland fauna did not include larger deer, but had the smaller roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
. Öland on the other hand was a royal game park, which stocked an abundant supply of deer. The coats of arms had been mixed up and the blunder went unnoticed by the proper authorities for several centuries.
In 1944 the Swedish Herald of the Realm decided to withdraw granted arms and issue a new grant for the coat of arms originally designed for Öland. The proper authorities in Finland were notified, but they ultimately decided not make any changes and not to adopt the coat of arms originally intended with the roe deer and the nine Finnish roses. This decision made it necessary to introduce some minor alterations for the coat of arms for Öland, and it included the introduction of a collar and differentiating the color of its armament, antlers and hoofs.
The arms are displayed with a ducal coronet. The province was originally ranked as an earldom but following a decision by the Privy Council
Privy Council of Sweden
The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...
on January 18, 1884 gave all Provinces the right of use to a ducal coronet for their arms.
Blazon: "Azure a Deer Or attired, hoofed and gorged Gules."
Official blazon in Swedish: "I blått fält en gående hjort av guld med rött halsband och röd beväring, därest sådan skall komma till användning."
Åland
Blazon: "Azure a Deer passant Or"
Finland
Kalmar County
Kalmar County
Kalmar County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland....
includes the eastern part of Småland
Småland
' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
and the island province of Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
. The arms are a combination of the arms of Småland and Öland. The arms are displayed with a royal crown, representing the County Administrative Board
County Administrative Boards of Sweden
A County Administrative Board is a Government appointed board of a County in Sweden. It is led by a Governor or Landshövding appointed for a term of six years and the list of succession, in most cases, stretches back to 1634 when the counties were created...
.
Blazon: "Quartered, the arms of Småland and Öland"
Småland
Blazon: "Or a lion rampant Gules langued and armed Azure holding in front paws a Crossbow of the second bowed and stringed Sable with a bolt Argent."