THE LION PASSANT

THE ITALIAN INTERLUDE

Provincial Arms

THE END OF THE EMPIRE, THE REPUBLIC

Socialist Ethiopia

Democratic People’s Republic

Transitional Government

Democratic Federal Republic

After the revival of the Ethiopian empire and the severe clashes with the European colonial powers, new national symbols were adopted. About these symbols we are informed by Ethiopian sources and not only, as in the past, by European  diplomats and travellers.

The new symbols are a national emblem or badge, a national flag, the imperial seal and the imperial coat of arms.

The national badge was a crowned lion passant. By Menelik II he was given a processional cross in his paw. Following European examples it was placed on the national flag, on the imperial seal and on the imperial arms.

The Lion Passant

The oldest known picture of the lion passant is on the seal of Theodore II (1855-1868). After him all Ethiopian rulers have used seals with lions passant. We are informed about this seals by M. de Coppet in his “La Chronique de Menelik.” (1930).

We may understand from his collection that initially the symbol of the “Elect of God and King of Kings of Ethiopia” was a crowned lion passant guardant. Only by Menelik II (1889-1913) the lion was given a processional cross in his paw, in a later version augmented with a streamer. This last version can be found in an embellished form on his great seal and on the reverse of his coinage struck from 1894 until 1903.

The Great Seal of Menelik II was also used by Empress Zaudita

The position of the lion of John IV (1872-1889) was walking to the right (in heraldic terms: to the sinister) and this position was at first also adopted by Menelik II. In the newer, embellished version we meet on coins and stamps after 1894, the lion is depicted walking to the left (in heraldic terms: to the dexter) which is a position more into agreement with western heraldic rules. Contrary to the lion on the seal, the lion has the processional cross in his left paw.

The position of the lion was changed by Haile Selassie at the occasion of his coronation in 1930 and from this time until his deposition in 1974, the lion walking to the sinister was the common position of the lion. Also, from this time the lion is always keeping the processional cross in his right paw.

Seal of Theodore II.

Seal of John IV

Seal of Ménélik II

Seal of Menelik II

Seal of Menelik II

Embellished Ethiopian lion as on Ethiopian coinage 1894-1903

The first Ethiopian coins were minted by the Paris Mint to which we may ascribe the design of the new lion.

The lion keeping the procession cross in his left paw.

Coloured version of the Ethiopian lion until 1930.

The lion keeping the procession cross in his right paw.

The Ethiopian Lion 1930.

Sculpture presented by the Franco-Ethiopian Railway Company on the occasion of the coronation of Haile Selassie on 2 November 1930. The lion keeping the procession cross in his left paw.

The inscription reads: A SA MAJESTÉ LE ROI TAFARI MAKONNEN EN SOUVENIR DE SON COURONNEMENT. LA COMPAGNIE DU CHEMIN DE FER FRANCO-ETHIOPIEN.

foto N.N.

A statue of the Lion of Judah

of about the same design was erected in 1930 on the square in front of Addis Abeba Railway Station.

Fifty matonas coin dated 1923 EE (1930 AD) showing the lion of Haile Selassie.

The processional cross-and-streamer in his dexter paw.

The Italian Interlude

AFRICA ORIENTALE ITALIANA

9.V.1936-27.XI.1941

After the conquest of Addis Abeba the statue of the Lion of Judah next to the railway station was transported as a booty to Rome where it was placed on the Altare della Patria (between Capitoline Hill and Piazza Venezia). After long negotiations it was returned in the sixties.

The coat of arms of A.O.I. (Africa Orientale Italiana) was adopted not very long after the creation of this empire. It was:

Arms: Gules, an Italian fasces within a garland Or and a chief also Gules, a cross Argent.

On the shield the Italian royal crown. [1]

Provincial arms in the time of the A.O.I, 1936-‘41 [2]

Addis Abeba

Amara

Galla & Sidamo

Harar

Amendments and additions

Addis Abeba

Amara

Galla & Sidamo

Harar

Shoa

Notes

• By Royal Decree of 12 October 1933, n° 1440 a Capo del Littorio (a chief of the fasces) could be added as a mark of honour to the arms of Italian provinces and municipalities. The  chief was of one-third of the height of the shield. It had to be purple-red (rosso porpora), charged with a fasces per pale Or, within a garland of oak and laurel proper, tied with a bow of the national colours green, white and red. [3]
• For the arms of Eritrea and Somalia, also belonging to the A.O.I., see Eritrea and Somalia.
• For the blasoning of the arms see The Imperial Arms.
• The arms of Addis Abeba were: Azure, a rose Argent.

After the collapse of A.O.I. and the return of Haile Selassie,

the old national symbols were restored

The End of the Empire, The Republic

Asfa Wossen

King 1974-1975

Asfa Wossen Royal seal

After the abolition of the monarchy a provisional emblem occurs, consisting of the uncrowned Ethiopian lion, the procession cross changed for a spear.  [4]

SOCIALIST ETHIOPIA

1975-1987

A new emblem of state for the Republic was designed in 1975 by Tadesse Mesfin. It is:

Emblem: Azure, a cogwheel Gules charged with a fourteen rayed sun Or, charged with a plow tied with a cord in the form of the first letter of the Amharic alphabet Hoi.

Garland: Two branches of the silver cluster leaf (Terminalia sericea - Combretaceae) and two leaves of the oil palm, on the junction a native shield on two spears in saltire and over all a lion passant to the sinister. 

In this emblem the fourteen rayed sun symbolizes the fourteen districts of the nation, the plow symbolizes agriculture and the cogwheel industry. The letter Hoi symbolizes the necessity of alphabetisation.

The silver cluster leaf is used for construction and charcoal production and is typical for the wooded savanna. The palm leaves symbolize the importance of palm oil production.

The shield, spears and lion are the symbol of the Ethiopian Defense Force. [5]

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

12.IX.1987-1991

After the renaming of the country in 1987 a thoroughly new emblem was adopted on 13 September of the same year. It is:

Emblem: Azure, in chief a golden rayed disc Gules charged with a five pointed star Or, in base a cogwheel issuant Azure, rimmed Gules charged with an Ethiopian shield proper, posed on a rifle and a spear in saltire also proper, and issuant therefrom the upper part of the Aksum obelisk.

Garland: Two branches of the silver cluster leaf (Terminalia sericea - Combretaceae) and two leaves of the oil palm, on the junction a red ribbon charged with a lion’s head. In chief the name of the republic in Amharic.

Symbolism:

Star: The struggle of the people for the construction of a new state.

Red: The readiness to make sacrifices, heroism

Yellow: Hope, Justice, Equality

Rays: The just administration.

The Aksum Obelisk: The Empire of Aksum, the cradle of Ethiopia in the first century AD and Holy City.

[On April 20, 2005, the people of Ethiopia witnessed, with great joy, the return of the first part of the Aksum obelisk which was stolen by the Fascist forces of Italy in 1937. The second part of the obelisk has arrived on April 22 and the last part has arrived on April 25, 2005.]

The cogwheel: Industrial development

The shield and the sword and spear in saltire: The army.

The lions’head: The head of State. [6]

TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA

06.1991-1995

In July 1991, the EPRDF, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and others established the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE) which was composed of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In June 1992, the OLF withdrew from the government; in March 1993, members of the Southern Ethiopia Peoples' Democratic Coalition also left the government.

Arms: Vert,  an aquaduct, in chief a pigeon upholding a balance Argent.

Garland: Per fess of two branches of the silver cluster leaf Vert and a demi-cogwheel Sable.

Title: transitional government of ethiopia, the same in Amharic in chief.

Supporter: A white disc. [7]

DEMOCRATIC FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

1996-present

On 6 February 1996 a flag was adopted with a new emblem or badge in the middle. This consists of a yellow pentagram with rays between the points on a blue disc. It represents the shared desire of the state, the people and the religion of Ethiopia to make a united nation.

The seal of the republic shows the national emblem  surrounded by the name of the country and the name of the service in amharic and english.