Saxon Horse
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Braunschweig |
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Lüneburg |
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The Saxon white
horse is common to the Duchy of Westphalia, Engern and Eastphalia and
therefore must be seen as the general symbol of the Duchy of Saxony. Such a
symbol termed a crest in heraldry The two representatives of
the white horse are the Brunswick horse, which therefore mainly relates to
Eastphalia in which the possessions of the Welfs were located; and the
Westphalian horse. This should actually relate to Engern but is usually used
for Westphalia due to the sound similarity between "falen" and
german "Fohlen". In fact, however, the arms with the three hearts
or waterlily leaves must be regarded as the arms of Westphalia. These arms
were borne by the counts of Tecklenburg, the fortress that was in Westphalia.
Such a coat of arms was also borne by the Archbishops of Cologne who owned
the southern part of Westphalia. The arms with
the horse does not occur until the 13th century. It was then first used by
the Dukes of Brunswick, the Archbishop Electors of Cologne from the end of
the 15th century and later by the Electors of Hannover. Notwithstanding,
there are already earlier mentions of a horse in connection with Saxony. |
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Münzstätte UNBESTIMMT 188.75 Um 1200 Seega 346 0,75 g KMH 1929, 200 The author
of Der Erfurter Pfennig und seine Münzstätten in Die Zeit
der Staufer (I, pp.135-141), Elisabeth Nau, is of the opinion that there is a
lion on this uninscribed bracteate and adapts her comment to this opninion. It is however
very clear that this lion is actually a horse, and, beause of the pattern on
the thigh, even a dapple grey horse (preferred by the
nobilty at the time). The horse has no bridle and saddle. Because of the
missing inscriptions an exact determination of the place of manufacture of
this bracteate is unfortunately impossible. |
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1240 In
the Clipearius Teutonicorum is for the “King of Hungary” a
white bridled and saddled horse in a red field Albus equus
rubeo clipeo regis solet esse / Ungarici, nec equo frenum, nec sella deesse. 4. In the red
shield of the king of Hungary is a white horse not lacking bridle nor saddle But for Ungarici has
to be read Angarici and then the coat of arms
is the arms of the duchy of Engern which matches with the later
use [1] |
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In 1267 the welf
possessions were divided between Albrecht I and John with John receiving
Luneburg and Albrecht Brunswick. After that, the Welf countries are constantly
distributed among the various heirs, which results in a very confused
picture. Constitutionally, however, the unity of the House was not affected
by these divisions. There was only one duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg as a
general fief from the House of Welf. The areas that resulted from the
divisions should be referred to more as principalities than as duchies, and
the princes used the same ducal title and the same coat of arms. From this date a
white horse on a red field is documented |
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Le
Roy de Poulenne 1269 Gules, a
rearing horse Argent. L.: le
Roy de poulenne. (Wijnbergen n° 1296, fig. 106). This is probably
the coat of arms of the poulains, (Saxon-) knights in
the Holy Land Less probable is
the horse in Walfords Roll:
1273 Le
roy de Norwey, gulez un chivall d’or sellé (Walfords n° C.16). The king of
Norway at that date bore: Gules a lion Or (with and axe) |
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In any case the
Saxon Horse occurs from the fourteenth century in different contexts
1361 Seal of
Albrecht II of Brunswick-Grubenhagen. Crest:
Horse. (Schnath
14, Schmidt Phiseldeck 98, StA. Wolfenbüttel) 1361 Seal of
Johan of Brunswick-Grubenhagen: Figure: Horse and lions’mask. (Schnath 15, Schmidt
Phiseldeck 101, StA Wolfenbüttel).
1362 Heraldic
seal of Otto der Quade of Brunswick-Göttingen Arms: Two
lions passant guardant Crest:
Horse and peacock feathers (Schnath 16,
Schmidt Phiseldeck 182, StA Hannover Dep. 19 v. Grote-Jühnde A1) 1369 Figuurzegel van Magnus II: helm met paard en pluim. (Schnath 17, Schmidt
Phiseldeck 197, StA Wolfenbüttel). 1370 Seal of
Balthasar of Brunswick-Grubenhagen: Horse within hexagon . (Schnath 18,
Schmidt Phiseldeck 97, StA Wolfenbüttel). 1373 Seal
Friedrich II of Brunswick-Grubenhagen. Figure: Horse
and star (Schnath 19; StA
Hannover, Cal. Or. 100, Osterode St Jacobi 133)
Seal of
Duke Ernst of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, 1374 Seal: Helmet,
crested of Brunswick
1379 Arms: Gules
a harnessed Horse Argent Crest:: Lambrequined
Gules a crown and a horse’s head issuant Argent. L.: Dald
waepen va bruynswich. Wappenbuch von der Ersten fol. 28 n° 5. (Hildebrandt A.M. & G.A. Seyler eds.: Codex Seffken, Berlin,
1892.) |
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Gravestone
of Prince Bruno von Braunschweig-Göttingen (†1306), 1400ca Formery
Franziskanerkirche Göttingen Arms of
Brunswick with crest. In the corners the arms of Saxony and Göttingen Gravestone
of Elizabeth of Brunswick-Göttingen (*1390-†1444) formerly in
the Franziskanerkirche Göttingen (Neues Vaterländische Archiv I (1820) p.
320). Arms: (Brunswick;
Lüneburg) Horse
1472
Seal of Sofia of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, abbess of Gandersheim. Arms: 1.
Brunswick; 2. Horse; 3. A parted per pale (Halberstadt) (Schnath 39,
Schmidt Phiseldeck 136, StA Wolfenbüttel).
Wedekint
koniungh to engern hertog to sassen Gena koninghynne to dennemarke. From: Bote, Konrad: Chronecken der
Sassen. [1] 1492 Arms.: 1.
½ A running horse and three waterlily leaves 2 and 1. (Westfalen-Engern); 2.
Three crowned lions passant guardant (Denmark); 3. A rearing horse Sable (Wipert
der son (= Egbert ?). |
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NVNQVAM RETRORSVM (Never Backwards). |
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Official seals after 1815
The duchy of Braunschweig
1885-1906
1885-1906
Emblem on passports 19th century |
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Dienstsiegel der Behörden des Herzogtums
Braunschweig 1912 Design of O. Hupp.
(Heraldische Mitteilungen des Vereins zum Kleeblatt. Hannover, 24 (1913)
gegenüber S 32.) “Verordnung wegen Form und Fürung der
Dienstflaggen der Herzoglich Brauschweigischen Behörden” dd. 05.10.1913: § 1. “... Flagge, deren Mitte in einem von
der Herzogskrone bedeckten roten Oval das springende weiße Pferd zeigt.”.
Official
seal on passport, 1915 Herzogl. Br. L. Kreisdirektion Gandersheim |
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Freistaat Braunschweig |
1918-1933 |
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Arms of Freistaat Braunschweig, 1922 Wappen und Flaggen des Deutschen Reiches und der Deutschen
Länder. Min. des Inneren, Berlin, 1028 In de grondwet van de Vrijstaat Brunswijk van 6 januari 1922
staat: Art. 1. Abs. 2. “Die Landesfarben sind blau-gelb. Das
Landeswappen ist das weiße Sachsenroß im rotem Felde”. The white ground
on which the horse used to stand with its hind legs has therefore
disappeared. |
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District
Süd Hannover-Braunschweig. In 1933, Brunswick
was merged with the eastern part of Hannover to form the District Süd
Hannover-Braunschweig. After the war, this district became a part of the
state of Lower Saxony. |
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Lüneburg / Hannover |
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Tomb
of Otto the Strict (1266-1330) and his wife Mechthild of Bavaria in the
Michaelis Church in Lüneburg Constructed
1432-34 1432-1434 Arms:
Gules a prancing horse Argent (blackened). |
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Hannoversch
Münden, Welfenschloß Arms: Gules,
a prancing horse bridled Argent on a ground Vert. Supporters: Two
lions proper. Motto: INVITVS
MORDENS 1562 CVR
MORDEOR (If I don't want to bite, why am I bitten?) |
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Het Brunswijker paard werd nadat Luneburg tot het Keurvorstendom
Hannover werd verheven door Hannover overgenomen. In 1815 keerde het weer in
Brunswijk terug met dien verstande dat vanaf die tijd het paard zowel in
Hannover als in Brunswijk als rijkswapen werd gebruikt.
Christian Ludwig, Taler, 1663 1690 ca. Token
with horse on his way to an electorscap on a column. L.: UNUS AMOR PALMÆ. (Only
Love the Palm) (Schnath 57,
Fiala VII2 Taf. XXIII 6).
1691 Thaler of
Georg Wilhelm of Celle: Prancing horse. L. QUO
FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT Where right and Glowy Lead (Schnath 55,
Fiala VII 1, Taf. XIV 8).
1692
Thaler of Ernst August. Crest: Prancing
horse. L.: SOLA
BONA QUAE HONESTA (Solely legitimate) On the other
side the 16-fielded arms of Ernst August with the prancing horse in the
second. |
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Horse
and Hannover city, motto
1731
Thaler of King George II. Crest: Prancing
horse. L.: NEC ASPERA
TERRENT (Schnath 56.
Fiala VII 2 Taf. XXXV) |
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In the
nineteenth century the saxon horse was also adopted by Prussia, the new owner
of saxon territories: in 1817 for the province of Westfalen and in 1866 for
the province of Hannover For all these
owners of parts of Saxony alias Lower Saxony, that is to say: Saxony-Schwerin
(†1357) , Saxony-Brunswick (†1946) and Saxony-Cologne (= Westfalen-Engern
†1946), Saxony was the common denominator symbolized by the horse. |
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Charles II |
1815-1830 |
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Lesser arms 1815-1866
Sign
board British-Hannoverian Post, ca. 1825 Arms: Gules,
a prancing horse Argent on a grassy groud Vert Crown: A
royal crown Motto.: NEC ASPERA TERRENT (The Strong do not
fear Anything) in golden
lettering on a blue ribbon. 1815-1866 |
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Prussian Rule in Hannover 1866-1945 |
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Arms of Saxony 1898 Gerberstraße 3, Hannover |
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Westfalen |
1815-1946 |
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Seal
of Westfalen Province 1881 Arms: Gules,
a prancing horse Argent Crest: The
horse from the arms issuant Supporters: Two
savages with oak leaves around their loins, the dexter with a spear with a
banner of Prussia, the sinister with a banner of Westfalen.
1910
1929 |
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Westfalen N.S. era |
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District Westfalen, 1933-‘45
Seal 1945-‘46 |
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Lit.: Böttger, Heinrich Das Braunschweig-Lüneburgische Wappen. Hannover, 1861. Fiala, Eduard Münzen und Medaillen der Welfischen Lande. T. I-VIII. 1904-1917 Grote, Hermann Geschichte der Welfischen Stammwappen. Leipzig, 1863. Hagemann, Anton Das westfälisch-niedersächsisches Wappenbild. In: Zeitschrift
der Savigny Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte. Germanische Abt. 69, 1952, pp.
340 ff. Hövel, Ernst Vom Wappen der Provinz Westfalen. In: Die Heimat,
Monatschrift für Land, Volk und Kunst in Westfalen
und am Niederrhein. 11 Jahrgang Nr. 6, Juni=heft 1929.
Pp. 161-163 Philippi, Friedrich Die Entwicklung des westfälischen Wappens. In: Festschrift
zur Weihe des neuen Landeshauses. Münster 1901. Pp. 19.e.v. Schnath, Georg Das Sachsenross. Entstehung und Bedeutung des Niedersächsischen
Landeswappens. 2e Vermehrte u. verbesserte Auflage. Schriftenreihe der
Landeszentrale für politische Bildung in Niedersachsen. Reihe B Heft 6.
Hannover, 1961. Veddeler, Peter Das Westfalenross. Geschichte des westfälische Wappens. Selbstverlag
Nordrhein-Westfälisches Staatsarchiv Münster, 1987. |
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©
Hubert de Vries
[1] The confusion
between an A and an U iis possible with the 12th and 13th
century capitals 
en 
but
also with the german capitals in frakur script 
en 
in
incunables from the beginning of the 16th cent. . (ð Faulmann p. 197 &
205).