HONDURAS
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Arms of the Province of Honduras granted by king Charles I of
Spain (1517-’55) [1] The present
republic of Honduras is a continuation of the Province of Honduras within its
ancient borders, once situated in the Spanish General Captainship of
Guatemala. Spanish rule ended in Guatemala on the 15th of September 1821,
when five Republics were founded there. The date is still celebrated as the
birthday of their independence. Honduras, together with the other Provinces,
became a part of Mexico in 1821, then
the empire under Iturbide. This union did not last long. Indeed, it was a
union in theory more than in fact, for in each of the Central American States
there existed strong and active parties opposing it. At the fall of Iturbide
the union was dissolved and the Central American Federation established. The
federation itself represented but little more centralized strength than did
the empire under Iturbide. In reality, it was not much more than a defensive
league against Spain. On 3 October 1823 a seal was
adopted for the United Provinces in the National Palace in Guatemala. It
consists of a triangle charged with a mountainridge of five volcanoes and a
Phygian cap radiant on a pole issuant, under a rainbow in the sky. The legend
reads: provincias unidas del centro de america and a five-pointed star in base. The same seal was adopted by its successor, the Greater Central American Republic. The
legend was changed accordingly.
Seal of the United Provinces, 3.10.1823. On July 1, 1824, Honduras adopted a separate
constitution. This constitution recognized the federation, but limited its
legal power. About a year later, a law was enacted on
October 3, 1825, providing a national coat of arms and flag. The coat of arms
and flag then adopted were but little different from those now in use, the
principal difference being that in the first coat of arms a Phrygian- or
liberty cap, appeared in the center of
the escutcheon and the inscription surrounding it read, “Estado de Honduras
de la Federación del Centro” (State of Honduras of the Central Federation). |
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National Emblem of 1825 The castles replaced
by stars The
National Emblem was created by Law of the Constitutional National Assembly of
the State of Honduras of 3 October 1825 when Don Dionisio de Herrera was the
Head of State. The
law reads: EL ESCUDO DE ARMAS DEL ESTADO es un triángulo
equilátero, en su base aparecerá un volcán entre dos castillos, sobre los
cuales se levantará el arco
iris que cubre el gorro frigio de la
libertad, esparciendo luz. Este triángulo estará colocado sobre un terreno
que figure bañado por ambos mares (Pacífico y Atlántico). En torno del
triángulo se escribirá con letras de oro: ESTADO DE HONDURAS DE LA FEDERACIÓN DEL CENTRO. El escudo será cubierto en su parte superior por los cuernos
de la abundancia, unidos por un lazo, y
descansará sobre una cordillera
de montañas, en las que aparecerán las minas, una barra, un barreno, una
cuña, una almádana y un martillo. That
is: “The
coat of arms of the state is an equilateral triangle, at its base there is a
volcano between two castles, from which there rises a rainbow over a cap of
liberty radiant. The triangle stands on a ground which is washed by seas (the
Pacific and the Atlantic). Around the triangle is written ESTADO DE HONDURAS DE LA FEDERACIÓN DEL CENTRO. The
shield will be covered on top by cornucopia, tied together by a ribbon and is
supported by a mountainridge showing mines, a bar, n axe, a sledgehammer and
a hammer.” |
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Honduras left the Federation on October 28,
1838 and as a result the old federation was dissolved. Absolute independence was
proclaimed. There appears to be no record for nearly 30 years following the
secession of any official change in the flag or coat of arms. However, there
are illustrations of coats of arms of this period, and even later
illustrations of the same, in which the legend reads, “República Libre de
Honduras Proclamada en 15 de Septiembre 1821” (The Free Republic of Honduras
Proclaimed September 15, 1821). This coat of arms bore the Phrygian cap in
the center. Another version of the coat of arms, with the legend “Dios, Unión
y Libertad, 15 de Septiembre, 1821” (God, Union and Liberty, September 15,
1821), was also used. On
February 16, 1866, the National Congress of Honduras enacted the law of the
flag and coat of arms now in force. [2] The law reads as follows DECRETO DE LA
CREACIÓN DE LA BANDERA Decreto No. 7 El Presidente
de la República de Honduras, Sabed: que el
Soberano Congreso ha decretado lo siguiente: El Congreso de
la República, usando de las facultades que le concede el inciso 17 del Artículo
24 de la constitución, para designar el pabellón y escudo de armas de la
República. Decreta: Art. 1º.- El
pabellón de la República de Honduras, llevará como el de la antigua
federación centroamericana, dos fajas azules y una blanca en medio, colocadas
horizontalmente, y además, un grupo de cinco estrellas azules, de
cinco ángulos salientes, en el centro del campo blanco. Art. 2º.- Las
fajas del pabellón serán de tres a cuatro varas de longitud y de nueve
pulgadas de latitud. Art. 3º.- La
bandera antedicha será mercante. La de guerra llevará las mismas dimensiones
y colores; y además el escudo de armas en cinco estrellas bajo el mismo
escudo, colocadas en forma semicircular. Art. 4º.- El
Escudo de armas nacional, será el que actualmente se usa; con solo la
diferencia de llevar un sol poniente, en vez
del gorro frigio que hoy
contiene. Dado en el
Salón de Sesiones del Congreso Nacional. Comayagua, 16 de
febrero de 1866. Juan López D.P. Carlos Madrid, D.S.. Jerónimo Zelaya, D.S..
Al Poder Ejecutivo. Por tanto:
Ejecútese. Comayagua, 17 de febrero de 1866. JOSÉ MARÍA MEDINA El Ministro de
Relaciones Exteriores, Francisco Cruz. That is: Article 1. The flag of the Republic of Honduras shall be like
that of the old Central American Federation – two blue stripes and one white
stripe between, placed horizontally, and in addition a group of five blue
stars, five-pointed, in the center of the white field. Art.
2. The stripes of the flag to be three and
a quarter yards (Spanish) long and nine inches wide. Art. 3. The flag above is the merchant flag. The war flag
shall be of the same dimensions and colors and bear in addition the coat of
arms in the center of the white stripe, with the five stars beneath, the same
arranged in semicircular form. Art. 4. The national coat of arms shall be that now in use,
with the single difference that it will bear a setting sun in place of the
Phrygian cap which it now has. |
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The arms
in several written sources from the end of the 19th
century until 1935[3] The legend replaced by REPCA DE
HONDURAS LIBRE SOBERANA INDEPENDIENTE 15 SEPTBRE 1821 |
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By law N° 16 of 10 January 1935, under the presidency of general Tiburcio Carias Andino, the National Emblem was established for the last time. The decree reads: DECRETO No. 16 En vista de la
excitativa de la Secretaría de Estado en el Despacho de Relaciones
Exteriores, para que se provea la uniformidad del Escudo que deben usar los
Consulados y Legaciones de la República; y, Considerando:
Que conviene establecer la uniformidad indicada no sólo para los Consulados y
Legaciones, sino para todos los usos, de modo claro y general. DECRETA: Art. 1º.- El
Escudo que debe usarse es un triángulo equilátero.
En su base hay un volcán entre dos castillos, sobre los
cuales está el arco iris y debajo de éste, tras el volcán, se levanta un sol
esparciendo luz. El triángulo colocado sobre un terreno que figure bañado por
ambos mares. En torno de él, un óvalo que contiene las letras de oro: REPÚBLICA DE
HONDURAS LIBRE, SOBERANA, INDEPENDIENTE. – 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821. En la parte superior
del óvalo aparece una aljaba llena de flechas de la que penden cuernos de la
abundancia unidos por un lazo, y descansando todo sobre una cordillera de
montañas, en las que descuellan tres árboles de roble a la derecha y tres
pinos a la izquierda y en distribución conveniente, las minas, una barra, un
barreno, una cuña, una almádana y un martillo. Art. 2º.- El
presente Decreto empezará a regir veinte días después de su promulgación. Dado en
Tegucigalpa, D.C., en el Salón de Sesiones, a diez de enero de mil
novecientos treinta y cinco. Antonio C. Rivera, Presidente: - M. A. Batres, Secretario. Rodolfo Z. Velásquez, Secretario Al Poder Ejecutivo.- Por
tanto: Ejecútese.- Tiburcio Carías A. El Secretario de Estado en los Despachos de Gobernación,
Justicia, Sanidad y Beneficencia. –Abraham Williams. That is to say that the National Emblem of 1825 was not changed but for the legend
which was written without shortenings. Æ See illustration in the head of this essay. |
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The achievement used by the military appeared on coins struck in France in 1870 (in the time of the second presidency of Jose Maria Medina (1864-’72).
The arms
on coins, 1871 The legend reading REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS - 1871 -, the arms crowned, the mountainridge replaced by national flags, the cross of the Order of Santa Rosa (founded 21 February 1868) added |
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Painting, H.d.V. Reconstruction
of the achievement of Jose Maria Medina.
On his seal the
achievement was surrounded by the legend: JOSE
MARIA MEDINA CAPITAN GENERAL PRESIDENTE.[4] |
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The arms
on coins, 1881-1914 The legend reading: REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS, the
mountainridge replaced by nationalflags, the cross omitted |
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The arms
on coins, 1888-1908 The legend reading: REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS, the
mountainridge omitted The arms crested with a ribbon with the word UNION,
and five five-pointed stars inscribed with the first letters of Guatemala,
Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua
and Cost Rica; the motto PAZ PROGRESO
LIBERTAD added. |
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Present
arms of the Armed Forces |
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Navy |
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Air Force |
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Police |
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© Hubert de Vries 2013-01-21
Heraldry of the World