Title of the article:

MYTHOLOGICAL BEASTS IN ARMORIAL BEARINGS: RUSSIA VS BRITAIN

Author(s):

Sklizkova, E.V.

Information about the author/authors

Ekaterina V. Sklizkova — PhD in Culturology, Associate Professor, A.N. Kosygin Russian State University, Institute of Slavic Culture, Khibinsky Dir., 6, 129337 Moscow, Russia.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000‑0002‑0135‑8616
E-mail: katunyas@yandex.ru

Section

Theory and history of culture

Year

2024

Volume

Vol. 73

Pages

pp. 60–70

Received

January 01, 2024

Approved after reviewing

May 06, 2024

Date of publication

September 25, 2024

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37816/2073-9567-2024-73-60-70

Index UDK

304.2

Index BBK

71.4

Abstract

In our days long text is losing ground and being replaced by a form that is easier to comprehend. These are so-called creolized texts, where a significant part is occupied by the visual component. Heraldry can be viewed as such variety of texts. As a rule, the description of the coat of arms includes its drawing and verbal description. One of the most impressing and complicated in interpretation aspects of coats of arms are non-heraldic armorial figures, especially mysterious beasts. 

The zoonymic semiotics is an echo of ancient universal beliefs. Heraldry is full of animals’ signs with a quite conventional drawing. Animals of various species appear as almost all elements of the coat of arms, namely, armorial figures, crests, supporters, badges in English heraldry. The range of animals is not related to their actual habitat. 

Beasts’ images, especially mythological monsters, give opportunity to touch very ancient views, analyze and compare cultural interpretation of the world. This aspect is quite significant but not very frequent. Still in Russian and British armorial bearings there is mostly the same list of characters and their pragmatics, although the echo of Eastern concepts is much more prominent in Russian tradition. Russia organically takes an intermediate position in the sphere of monsters. As the kernel the state armorial bearings of Russia and Britain have the double-headed eagle, lion and unicorn.

Keywords

Armorial Bearing, Badge, Coat of Arms, Heraldry, Dragon, Unicorn, Griffin, Monsters, Semantics, Semiotics.

Reference

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