Yesterday (Mon 4), saw the beginning of the “Celebrate Cayman” 60 years celebration of the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms.

Captain Owen Farrington, a Vestryman who was serving in office when the Cayman Islands was granted its own coat of arms in 1958, unveiled the new replacement warrant, which recently arrived from the United Kingdom. The original warrant was lost in the government building fire of 1972.

During the event that was held on the grounds of the old Glass House Building, a new recording of the National Song “Beloved Isle Cayman” was played by a full orchestra, arranged from the original song written in 1930 by Leila Elberta McTaggart Ross Shier. The singer was her great-grand-daughter Lisa Scott.

It is not an easy thing to obtain a Coat of Arms.

They have been around for centuries and I immediately think of knights in shining armor fighting battles on a white steed wearing a Coat of Arms in blazing colours as he fights battles or rescues maidens in distress.

Yes, even I can be romantic.

The Cayman Islands has a Royal Warrant making it rare. Only this country has the right to use it and where.

The first documented use of coats of arms in medieval times is on the Bayeux Tapestry, which dates from the 11th century A.D. and chronicles the Norman invasion of England. Some of the knights on the tapestry are seen holding shields with heraldic insignia on them, usually painted crosses (these were the earliest and most basic types of coats of arms).

Throughout the centuries, the use of coats of arms was governed mainly by custom, though a few places, mainly England, did have governmental regulations regarding their use. Today, the use of coats of arms is more closely regulated, as many of them have been trademarked. The owners of those trademarks, be they families or organizations, are the ones who have the legal right to say how their arms can be used. England and Scotland have heraldic authorities which grant and regulate the use of coats of arms. Sometimes, these authorities grant new arms to new individuals, families, or organizations, even into the present day. A coat of arms doesn’t necessarily have to be ancient to be legitimate in England and Scotland.

The Parts of a Coat of Arms
A real coat of arms is divided into several parts. Each part tells you something about the individual, family, corporation, or organization to which it was granted. The parts of a coat of arms are:

The Motto: This is the motto of the person or entity who owns the arms. It can be anything they want to say that they feel represents them and/or their group or family. The motto may or may not be placed on a design of some sort, and it is located at the very top of the arms.
The Crest: Located directly under the motto, this is a three-dimensional symbol of some kind that identifies an achievement of the owner of the arms.
The Shield Elements: Since arms were originally painted on shields, the shield is now a basic part of any coat of arms. It is a miniature representation of what the original shield looked like (or would have looked like if the person or entity who was granted the arms ever went into battle). There may be several different designs on the shield, and their placement and colors tell a story about the origin of the arms.
Supporters: These are usually two animals or people that stand on either side of the shield, supporting it. The animals or people used as supporters also tell part of the story of the origin of the arms.

So the Cayman Islands wears its Coat of Arms proudly. Thus, it is important.

May the celebrations continue.

Happy 60th birthday.

SOURCE: https://ancestralfindings.com/real-truth-behind-coats-arms-family-crests/