Burgher Heraldry of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Late Fourteenth–Mid-Seventeenth Centuries

Abstract

The complex of burgher coats of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which dates back to the end of the fourteenth century, is distinguished by the geography of its distribution, variety of heraldic subjects and constituent elements of the coat of arms, dynamism, and complex practices of their use. In addition to the burghers of such large cities as the capital Vilnius, Kaunas, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Kyiv, Pinsk, Grodno, and Novogrudok, the use of coats of arms is also recorded in small urban communities, which indicates the prestige of heraldic signs as universal means of individual, family, and social identification. In terms of their functional purpose and content, burgher coats of arms were similar to the heraldic signs of the nobility. In particular, the main subjects in the coats of arms for both burghers and gentry were various symbols based on geometric, arrow-, cross-, circle- and letter-like figures. They also feature a wide repertoire of armorial figures, such as celestial bodies, animals, plants, defensive structures, weapons, and military equipment. There were many examples of the use of non-protective elements in burgher coats of arms, such as helmets with mantlings, noble crowns, and various crests. For the most of the burgher coats of arms, their hereditary character is evident: for generations, they were used unchanged or with only minor modifications. Besides the custom of using mostly paternal coats of arms, there are examples of inheritance of coats of arms through female lines. In some cases, the use of coats of arms with genealogical programmes is observed. The presence of all these characteristic features allows for considering the complex of burgher coats of arms as an organic component of the heraldic space of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.