Blasón de Navarra en el armorial Urfé

Escudo de gules, un carbunclo cerrado, pomelado de oro; cargado en el centro de una esmeralda en forma de losange de sinople.

The armorial [Urfé; 15^th century] contains only blazons written in French and is not decorated with shields.

The image shows my interpretation of the arms and, beneath it, the blazon of the king of Navarre as follows «Le Roy de Navarre... de gueles à l'escarboucle d'or pommelée alumée de sinoble en la moyenne en guise d'esmeraude» which could be translated as «The King of Navarre... Gules, a carbuncle Or pommetty, illuminated Vert in the middle in the manner of an emerald».

Note that the blazon does not suggest the presence of an emerald, but that the place corresponding to the central boss of the shield, from which the rays of the carbuncle emerge, is enamelled Vert.

In the article Universitas Studiorum Navarrensis about the arms of the University of Navarre I interpret the arms of Navarre borne in profile by the Archangel Saint Michael, which, by my way of painting it, lies halfway between the carbuncle and the chains, with round chain links and long carbuncle rays, where at the centre there is no emerald, but a Vert enamel in the manner of an emerald.

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Carbuncle, Pommelled, Or, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert and Lozenge.

Style keywords: Soft metal, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Shaded.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Navarre.

Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert.

Escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople.

Coat of arms interpreted with: a semicircular (round) base; the field in flat Gules; the chains and the emerald illuminated in Or and Vert and outlined in Sable; and the whole executed with a raised-stroke finish.

This coat of arms, except for the emerald, corresponds to the blazon written in [Avilés, J.; 1780a; page 412 and figure 260] which says «Gules, a chain placed in orle, cross, and saltire Or, which some blazon differently», leaving me, as a reader, curious to know what that other way he refers to might be.

Then, [Avilés, J.; 1780a; pages 412–413] writes his version of the origin of the arms, saying that «...it was borne by Sancho VIII, called the Strong, and twenty-first King of Navarre, in the year 1212, for the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in Sierra Morena ...given to him by the King of Castile, Don Alfonso IX, whose aid he had joined...», which we would say Alfonso VIII of Castile, «the one of Las Navas».

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Or, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald and Vert.

Style keywords: Freehand, Illuminated and Outlined in sable.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Navarre.

Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert.

Escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople.

Current coat of arms of Navarre interpreted with: the point of the shield in the shape of a semicircular (round) arch; its field enamelled in flat Gules; the chains, formed by round and elongated links, illuminated in Or and shaded by the light emitted by the emerald; the emerald illuminated in Vert; and the whole outlined in Sable and finished with a hammered-metal effect.

Unlike other ways of blazoning it, I like the emerald to be overall. I truly believe it is better that the emerald of Vert colour lies over the Or metal, whether of the chain or of the carbuncle, and not over the Gules field, since it avoids placing colour upon colour or metal upon metal.

It can be consulted in [Vega, P. J. de; 1702; folio XV of the manuscript].

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Or, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald and Vert.

Style keywords: Metal beaten, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Shaded.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Navarre.

The King of Navarre, at the time of his new and solemn coronation, is raised and lifted up as King by the hands of twelve barons of the greatest and oldest houses of the said Kingdom, and these are the twelve Noblemen who are named on the other side, with their blazons and coats of arms.

Interpretation and composition of 13 coats of arms that I have created with a parchment-like finish.

A free interpretation, for example, without the central crown over the arms of Navarre, with a different title, written «Navarra» and not «Nabarra», etc., based on the principal plate of [Bosque, J. del; 1540; folio 1 of the numbering of 1613] and with texts taken from the transcription by [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982; pages 122 and 123].

«Ricohombre», written together, currently means «title that formerly belonged to the highest nobility of Spain», [Real Academia Española; 2001].

Its plural «ricoshombres» is the most commonly used form, but «ricohombres» is also correct and used; and in [Bosque, J. del; 1540] it is written separately, and «honbre» with an «n» before the «b», that is, «ricos honbres».

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Party per bend, Azure, Gules, Or, Argent, Sable, Vert, Eagle, Chequey, Cross flory, Cross couped, Fess, Chief, Lion, Pale, Poplar leaf, Clay pot and Rampant.

Style keywords: Semi-circular and Old parchment.

Classification: Interpreted and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: Noblemen of Navarre.

Of the twelve lineages of Noblemen, it is the first, and they bear as arms, on a golden field, three pales Azure.

Or, three Pallets Azure.

Escudo de oro, tres palos de azur.

Coat of arms interpreted with: a semicircular (round) base; the field in flat Or; the pales outlined in Sable and illuminated in Azure enamel; and finished in highly-hammered metal.

Based on the first coat of arms of the «ricoshombres» of Navarre in [Bosque, J. del; 1540; folio 1 of the numbering of 1613] and the text is from the transcription made in [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982; pages 122 and 123].

Under the title «Los Almorauides» it can also be consulted in [Vega, P. J. de; 1702; folio 1 of the manuscript].

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Or, Three, Pale and Azure.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Hard metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: Almorrabides of Navarre.

Of the twelve lineages of Noblemen, it is the second, descendant of Álava, the very ancient and powerful one, in which some served under Navarre, and others under the kings of Castile; they bear for arms and insignia, on a field Gules, which is red, five poplar-leaves (panelas) Argent, in the form and design in which this shield is painted.

Gules, five Poplar-leaves Argent, inverted.

Escudo de gules, cinco panelas de plata.

Coat of arms interpreted with: a semicircular (round) base; the field in flat Or; the pales outlined in Sable and illuminated in Azure enamel; and finished in highly-hammered metal.

Interpretation based on the second coat of arms of the «ricoshombres» of Navarre from [Bosque, J. del; 1540; folio 1 of the numbering of 1613] and the accompanying text is from the transcription made in [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982; pages 122 and 123].

The «panela» is a figure typical of Spanish heraldry [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2007; page 11]. It is a leaf shaped like a heart with its stalk pointing upward. It could be a leaf of a tree such as, for example, the poplar, although there is no certainty that it is specifically that tree.

With first appearances prior to heraldry on Hispano-Roman tombstones, the «panela» is of Alavese origin, [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1985; page 474], spreading through the Basque-Navarrese region and from there throughout Spain, with the peculiar name «panela», which was initially called «pannella», [Valverde Ogallar, P. B.; 2001; page 532] derived from «pan», [Real Academia Española; 2001].

In the heraldry of other countries, leaves from different trees are used as heraldic symbols, but usually with the stalk pointing downward; therefore I transcribe in this blazon «panelas» ~ «Poplar-leaves, inverted».

[Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1985; page 474] states that the «panela» is a natural figure equivalent to the linden leaf in German heraldry, with the stalk downward, and to the water-lily leaf in French heraldry, with the stalk upward; but since these are such different plants, I do not find it suitable to use linden, and even less water-lily, in the English transcription of this Navarrese blazon.

Under the title «Surname of Guebara» it can be consulted in [Vega, P. J. de; 1702; folio 2 of the manuscript].

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Poplar leaf and Argent.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Hard metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: Guebara of Navarre.

Of the twelve lineages of Noblemen, they are the third great and ancient barony, where the first King of Aragon had his mother; they make a shield of Or without any mixture of colour or device, but a field of gold as painted in this shield.

Or.

Escudo de oro.

A coat of arms that leaves little room for interpretation, which I have recreated with: a semicircular (round) base; the field in flat Or; and finished in highly-hammered metal.

Based on the third coat of arms of the «ricoshombres» of Navarre from [Bosque, J. del; 1540; folio 1 of the numbering of 1613] and the text is from the transcription made in [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982; pages 122 and 123].

Under the title «Surname of Aybar» it can also be consulted in [Vega, P. J. de; 1702; folio 3 of the manuscript].

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions and Or.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Hard metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: Aybar of Navarre.

Of the twelve lineages of Noblemen, it is the fourth, and they bear as arms a chessboard, that is, a field chequy Argent and Sable, which is black, in the same form and design as this shield is now painted.

Chequey Argent and Sable.

Escudo ajedrezado de plata y sable.

Coat of arms recreated with: a semicircular (round) base; the field in flat Argent; the chequy or checky pattern illuminated in Sable; and finished in highly-hammered metal.

Coat of arms based on the fourth of the Navarrese «ricoshombres» from [Bosque, J. del; 1540; folio 1 of the numbering of 1613], but, unlike the original, adjusting the height of each square to its width so that they are perfect squares, since in Juan del Bosque’s version—actually in its copy, because the original was stolen—they appear somewhat narrow and elongated. The text heading this article is taken from the transcription made by [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982; pages 122 and 123].

Under the title «Surname of Baztan» it can also be consulted in [Vega, P. J. de; 1702; folio 4 of the manuscript], although in this case the numbering is not clearly legible; it is the folio following 3, preceding the one also numbered 4 but marked with a letter B, which in turn is followed by folio 6, the number 5 being missing — though not folio 5, which would be 4B.

Baztanes and the Valley of Baztan are mentioned in [Garaycoa Raffo, L.; 2011; pages 8, 29, 30, 33, 37, and 38].

The geometric construction of this coat of arms can be found in [Messía de la Cerda y Pita, L.; 1990; page 108].

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Or, Chequey and Sable.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated and Hard metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: Baztanes of Navarre.

Continue with: Urroz of Navarre.