Chain

Alfonso X of Castile, The Wise, «The Seven-Part Code», its estimated completion year is 1265.

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This is the copy I can consult, as it is available in the Hispanic Digital Library, it is a manuscript measuring 42 by 30 centimeters that once belonged to Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán, first Duke of Arévalo, which later came into the possession of the Catholic Monarchs, initially Queen Isabella I of Castile, and after her death, King Ferdinand reclaimed it for the price of 5,251 maravedis. The original is housed in the National Library, in display case 4/6.

This copy, in addition to its numerous capital letters, has 8 illustrated pages, which according to its subsequent hand-numbering in pencil are:

• Page 6, among its illustrations can be seen 2 coats of arms of the Zúñiga family «Argent, a bend Sable, over all, a chain in orle Or», in this case formed by 16 links, 8 round and 8 more elongated placed in profile.
• Pages 106 and 191, on the latter can be seen a curious bishop-lizard climbing.
• Pages 294 and 331, on the 2^nd at the bottom, a maiden is seen walking a monkey to relieve itself and to her right a fight of men with beast bodies.
• Page 379 and on its previous unnumbered page, and finally, on page 415 which begins with a tournament where the 2^nd knight bears the ancient arms of France «Azure, semy of fleurs de lis Or».

The coat of arms that illustrates this bibliographic reference is that of Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán. For the creation of his chain, I followed the illustration of his 2 coats of arms on the already mentioned page 6 of this manuscript.

It is one of my favorite manuscripts and, perhaps, the one with which I have created the most things.

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Bibliographical reference of century XIII.

Classification: Castilian language, Manuscript and In color.

Author: Alfonso X of Castile.

Bibliographical reference mentioned in the following article:

• Zúñiga y Guzmán, Álvaro de

External links:

• National Library of Spain.
• Indirect access to the Library of Congress of the United States of America.
• Direct access to the Library of Congress of the United States of America.

Internal resources: AlfonsoXDeCastilla1265.7Partidas.10642.pdf.

Lord of Zúñiga and Mendavia and of Béjar and Bañares and of Gibraleón, 1^st Duke of Arévalo, 1^st Duke of Plasencia, 1^st Count of Bañares, 1^st Duke of Béjar, 2^nd Count of Plasencia, and Grandee of Castile.

Argent, a bend Sable; overall a chain orlewise Or.

Escudo de plata, una banda de sable; brochante sobre el todo una cadena puesta en orla de oro.

Personal coat of arms interpreted by me as follows: the shield has a semicircular (round) base; both the field and the bend have been illuminated in flat tinctures Argent and Sable; the links of the chain are enameled and illuminated in Or; and the whole is made of beaten metal.

In [Argote de Molina, G.; 1588; page 94 according to the numbering of the book, or page 93 according to the numbering accompanying the illustrations] this coat of arms appears under the title «Zúñigas» with the overlying chain formed only by 8 long links.

In [Anonymous; 1800a; page 46] the blazon of «the Zúñigas» is described, where in this book, curiously, the letter Z is ordered after C and before D.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Argent, Sable, Or, One, Bend, Chain, Orlewise and Overall.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated and Metal beaten.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Zúñiga y Guzmán, Álvaro de.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Vert, a crescent within eight mullets in lozenge Or; 2 and 3 Azure, a chain fesswise throughout between three fleurs de lis, 2 and 1, all the links and fleurs de lis per pale Or and Argent; an inescutcheon Azure, bearing a crown of count, charged with an eagle displayed within a bordure Or.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me with a pointed shape, illuminated, and with a watercolor finishing.

G0067, Chief Herald of Malta's grant of Robert George Alexander Balchin's arms, whose coat of arms has been emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Vert, One, Crescent, Eight, Mullet, In lozenge, Or, Azure, Chain, Fesswise, Throughout, Between, Three, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Party per pale, Argent, Inescutcheon, Crest and mantling, Crown of Count, Crown, Charged, Eagle and Bordure.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Watercolor and Pointed.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Balchin, Robert George Alexander.

Party per fess: 1 party per pale: 1 quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]. 2 quarterly: 1 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 2 quarterly per saltire: 1 and 4 Or, four pallets Gules; 2 and 3 Argent, an eagle displayed Sable [for Aragon-Sicily]. 3 Argent, a cross potent cantoned of four crosslets Or [for Jerusalem]. 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]. Enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]. 2 quarterly: 1 Gules, a fess Argent [for Austria]; 2 Azure semé of fleurs de lis Or within a bordure compony Argent and Gules [for Burgundy modern]; 3 bendy Or and Azure within a bordure Gules [for Burgundy ancient]; 4 Sable, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued Gules [for Brabant]; overall an inescutcheon party per pale: 1 Or, a lion rampant Sable, armed and langued Gules [for Flanders]; 2 Argent, an eagle displayed Gules, crowned, armed, beaked, langued and membered Or, charged on the wings with two trefoiled stems Or [for Tyrol]. Crest: An imperial crown with two fanons Argent, fringed Or. Behind the shield a double-headed eagle displayed Sable, nimbed, beaked and armed Or, langued and membered Gules, enfiled by an open royal crown above the shield. Supporters: two columns Argent between in base waves Azure, in chief an imperial crown the dexter and a closed royal crown the sinister. Moto environing the columns: «Plus Ultra» Or over a scroll Gules. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece.

The illustration brings together two different aspects. On the one hand, the photograph captures the moment in which I explain the coat of arms of Charles, Holy Roman Emperor, during one of my heraldic art exhibitions, pointing directly to its components while the audience observes. On the other hand, it shows the coat of arms of Charles V as painted by me. All the works visible in the image have been created by me. In this exhibition, I combined the presentation of my coats of arms with a live music concert featuring works by Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Komitas, and Carlos Gardel.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, Or, Vert, One, Two, Four, Party per fess, Party per pale, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Pale, Quarterly per saltire, Eagle, Displayed, Cross potent, Cross couped, Cantoned, Crosslet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded, Slipped, Leaved, Fess, Semé, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Compony, Bendy, Overall, Inescutcheon, Beaked, Membered, Wing, Trefoiled, Stem, Crest, Imperial crown, Crown, Fanon, Fringed, Behind the shield, Double-headed, Nimbed, Enfiled, Open royal crown, Above the shield, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Column, Shafted, Between, In base, Wave, In chief, Dexter, Closed royal crown, Sinister, Motto, Environed, Scroll, Surrounded and Collar.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa, Collage and Photographic.

Bearer: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Azure, a terraze in base Or, overall a gazelle springing Argent, collared with a chain streaming to sinister Or conjoined to the cross of the Cruz family bendwise.

De azur terrazado de oro, brochante sobre el todo una gacela brincante de plata, acollarada de una cadena extendida hacia la siniestra de oro unida a la cruz de la familia Cruz puesta en banda.

Coat of arms of Rosalía Cruz Carballo designed by Juan Lanzagorta Vallín and refined and emblazoned by me. In heraldry, a gazelle springing represents a broader and more dynamic leap than a gazelle salient, since in the springing attitude none of the hooves touch the ground, whereas in the salient attitude the hind legs, usually held close together, remain grounded while propelling the body upward. The English heraldic term «springing» is commonly used to describe a quadruped depicted in mid-leap, with all four legs clear of the ground, since there is no fully established Castilian translation for this heraldic attitude, I translate it as «brincante». The broad and energetic leap of the gazelle reflects Rosalía’s sporting spirit, vitality, and fondness for running and overcoming obstacles. The gazelle bears around its neck the cross designed by Jon Lanzagorta for his co-father-in-law, Mr. Cruz, her father. For this reason the cross is referred to in the blazon as the cross of the Cruz family and is not specifically blazoned in this case, although it could be described as a cross patty whose arms are each formed by three compony pallets Argent, Purpure and Or.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Or, Argent, One, Terrace in base, Gazelle, Springing, Collared, Chain, Sinister, Conjoined, Cross couped and Bendwise.

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

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Cruz Carballo, Rosalia.

Publication of my interpretation of the arms of His Majesty King Felipe VI on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria in an article entitled The heraldic artist Dr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas receives the recognition and gratitude of H.M. Felipe VI for his interpretation of the royal arms based on the golden ratio and, later, in another article entitled The eminent heraldist Mr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas interprets the arms of H.M. King Felipe VI.

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Categories: Link, Or, Four, Pale, Gules, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Closed royal crown, Crown, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded (pomegranate), Slipped and Leaved.

Root: Twelve Lineages of Soria.

Azure, a terraze in base Or, overall a gazelle salient Argent, collared with a chain streaming to sinister Or conjoined to the cross of the Cruz family.

Coat of arms of Julia Íñiguez Cruz designed by Juan Lanzagorta Vallín and refined and emblazoned by me. This image shows a composition consisting of the hand-drawn salient gazelle, subsequently digitally processed, together with its final representation within the coat of arms, all entirely created by me.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Or, Argent, One, Terrace in base, Gazelle, Salient, Collared, Chain, Sinister, Conjoined and Cross couped.

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

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa, Hand-drawn, Collage and Photographic.

Bearer: Íñiguez Cruz, Julia.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or; 3 Or, four pallets Gules; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules. Crest: A closed royal crown. Supporters: two columns Argent, capital and base Or, between in base waves Azure, in chief an imperial crown the dexter and a closed royal crown the sinister. Motto environing the columns and behind the shield: «Plus Ultra» Or over a scroll Gules.

Arms of the Kingdom of Spain. This image combines three photographs of this coat of arms on the façade of the Ministry of Defence building on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, just a few metres from my office, together with my own artistic interpretation of the same arms. In the version on the façade of the Ministry of Defence, the crowns above the columns do not touch the columns, which I believe is the correct way to depict them, although the central crown does appear to rest upon the shield of Spain. There are more interpretations that place the crowns resting on the columns than those that do not, and I photographed this particular version from the Ministry of Defence because it is especially relevant due to its size and institutional significance. On the arrangement of the crowns: a) Royal Decree 1511/1977, of 21 January, enacted during the so-called Transition and approving the Regulations on Flags and Standards, Guidons, Insignia and Distinctive Signs, states: «Rule No. 2. Coat of Arms of Spain… Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one…». b) The subsequent Law 33/1981, of 5 October, regulating the current coat of arms of Spain, likewise states: «…Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one». c) The term «superado» in the heraldic dictionaries in which it appears refers, as a synonym, to «surmontado». d) The definitions of «surmontado» include: «a charge which, at its upper part, has another above it but without touching it», «also said of superado», and «a figure that bears another above it, but without touching it». In light of a), b), c) and d), the two crowns should therefore be painted not touching the columns. However, in the illustrative drawing contained in Royal Decree 1511/1977 the crowns do touch the columns, contradicting its own wording, although in heraldry, when in doubt, the written blazon always prevails; and in most official representations the crowns do indeed touch the columns. Nevertheless, this personal interpretation of both the coat of arms of Spain and of the proper way to write its blazon, where the lateral crowns do not touch the columns, and then I decide that, following the same criterion, the central crown should not touch the shield either, so the result differs from the official version.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Two, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Column, Shafted, Between, In base, Wave, In chief, Imperial crown, Dexter, Sinister, Motto, Environed, Behind the shield and Scroll.

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

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa, Photographic and Collage.

Bearer: Spain, Kingdom of.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]; the whole debruised by a label of three points Azure.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, lampasado y armado de gules, coronado de oro [de León]; 3^o de oro, con cuatro palos de gules [de Aragón]; 4^o de gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople [de Navarra]; entado en punta de plata, una granada al natural, tajada de gules, tallada y hojada de sinople [de Granada]; un escusón de azur, tres flores de lis de oro, 2 y 1, una bordura de gules [de Borbón]; brisado de un lambel de tres pendientes de azur.

Arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a freehand finishing.

This is the coat of arms of Her Royal Highness Doña Leonor Princess of Asturias, Princess of Girona, and Princess of Viana, heiress of the throne of Spain as the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. This version of her coat of arms has been emblazoned by me. The coat of arms of the Princess of Asturias is the same as her father's, the King, but with a mark of cadency which, in heraldic terms, is also know as brisure. In this case, the cadency mark is a label Azure with three points, which will be removed in due course. The label of three points is the main and most classic of the brisures, usually assigned to the eldest heir. It is said to originate from a piece of cloth the son would tie at the top of his shield to distinguish it from his father's. Other common brisures include the crescent, the mullet of five point, the marlet, the annulet, or the fleur de lis. In addition to these simple brisures, there are also combined brisures, which are brisures charged with another or others. For example, a crescent charged with a fleur de lis. Labels may also have their points charged with other marks. Many cadency systems become more complicated as generations progress and branches open up, so they tend to be rarely used except in very clear cases like this one.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Cadency and Label of three points.

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

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Leonor Princess of Asturias.

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».

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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.

Azure, between two palm fronds in pile reversed a Lady of Mercy grasping in her sinister hand a broken chain Argent, and charged on the chest with an escutcheon per fess, 1 Gules, a cross patty Argent, and 2 Or, four pallets Gules.

This is the coat of arms of Sister Esperanza Vega Lanzagorta, designed by Juan Lanzagorta Vallin and painted by me in 2 steps. In the 1^st row is the selected version of her coat of arms, and in the 2^nd row is an alternative version; both are based on the same structure and concepts. The blazon for the alternative version is as follows, note that the only change is the arrangement of the two palm fronds, from pile reversed to pile: «Azure, between two palm fronds in pile a Lady of Mercy grasping in her sinister hand a broken chain Argent, and charged on the chest with an escutcheon per fess, 1 Gules, a cross patty Argent, and 2 Or, four pallets Gules».

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Credits: Juan Lanzagorta Vallin is the designer of the coat of arms.

Blazon keywords: Azure, Argent, Gules, Or, One, Two, Our Lady of Mercy, Grasping, Sinister, Hand, Broken, Chain, Charged, Chest, Escutcheon, Party per fess, Cross patty, Cross couped, Between, Palm frond, In pile reversed and In pile.

Style keywords: Ratio, Outlined, Outlined in sable, Plain tincture, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Personal, Created, Schema, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Vega Lanzagorta, Sister Esperanza.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]. Crest: A closed royal crown. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, in plain tinctures, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a texturized finishing.

This is my interpretation of the coat of arms of His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain, bearing the Collar of the Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Surrounded and Collar.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Felipe VI of Spain.

Emblem Azure, Saint Michael Argent, vested and nimbed Or, grasping in his dexter hand a spear Or, point downward, and in his sinister hand bearing [ Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert, of Navarre ], upon a dragon Vert, armed, langued, fanged, and the eyes Gules.

Emblema de azur, un San Miguel de plata, vestido y nimbado de oro, teniendo en su diestra una lanza de oro, con la punta hacia abajo y en su siniestra trae [ escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople, de Navarra ], sostenido por un dragón de sinople, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de gules.

Emblem interpreted by me as follows: an oval shape with proportions 5x6, wider than the original; the field illuminated in Azure; its charges outlined in Sable and illuminated in the colours Gules and Vert and the metals Argent and Or; the Archangel Saint Michael vested in Or, unlike others who appear in Argent; his emerald simplified into an area enameled Vert; and the whole emblem has a lightly beaten metal finish.

Due to its special characteristics, the difficulty in complying with the first rule of heraldry concerning metals and colours, and out of prudence, I categorize it as an emblem rather than a shield.

In a relief of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Estella, Saint Michael can be seen fighting a dragon that represents the devil, in a similar but mirrored arrangement to that of this emblem. In that relief, the Archangel Saint Michael bears a pre-heraldic shield with its umbo. According to [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1963], the umbo of the shield is a reinforcing element that is the predecessor of what would later become the pommelly carbuncle of the shield of the Kingdom of Navarre.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, Male figure, Angel, Archangel, Argent, Vested, Nimbed, Or, Grasping, Dexter, Spear, Point downwards, Sinister, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Upon, Dragon, Armed, Langued, The fangs and The eyes.

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

Classification: Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Education, Emblem and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: University of Navarra.