Dinant

The arms from 1840 The arms from 1927/1977	DINANT Country: Belgium Province: Namur Additions: 1964 Anseremme 1964 Bouvignes-sur-Meuse 1964 Dréhance 1977 Falmagne 1977 Falmignoul 1977 Foy-Notre-Dame 1977 Furfooz 1977 Lisogne 1977 Sorinnes 1977 Thynes Loading map... {"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"250px","height":"250px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":7,"defzoom":14,"layers":["OpenStreetMap"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":50.26089999999999946567186270840466022491455078125,"lon":4.9123000000000001108446667785756289958953857421875,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}

Official blazon
French	(1840) D'argent,à un lion naissant de gueules couronné d'or, entourné de joncs de gueules. (1927) D'argent au lion naissant de gueules, couronné d'une couronne d'or à 3 fleurons. L'écu orné extérieurement d'un bijou de la croix de guerre française, muni de son ruban et mouvant de la pointe. (1977) D'argent au lion issant de gueules, couronné d'une couronne d'or à trois fleurons, l'écu orné de la croix de guerre française, munie de son ruban et mouvant de la pointe.
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on December 22, 1840 changed on December 7, 1927 and confirmed on August 19, 1977.

Dinant was an important fortress city already in early medieval times. The oldest known seals date from the late 14^th century and show a tower and a bridge over the Meuse river. In 1399 a new seal showed a city with three towers, the local patron saint and the patron saint of the State of Liège, to which the city at the time belonged. On the middle tower a small shield was seen, with a demi-lion. A later seal, known since 1466, shows St. Perpète, the local patron saint, holding a shield with the lion. Coloured images are known from the 16^th century and the arms have not changed since.

In 1840 the arms were granted with a red lion and red rushes in silver, this was corrected in 1927, with the addition of the French War Cross.

The origin of the lion is not clear. It has been speculated that the arms are derived from the arms of the oldest Lords of Dinant.

Another story deals with the battle of Steppes in 1214, where the troops of Liège, especially from Dinant, fought the army of the Dukes of Brabant. During the battle St. Lambert, patron saint of Liège, appeared in the sky. This gave power to the forces of Liège and they defeated the Brabant forces, thereby cutting the banner of the Duke of Brabant in half. The arms of Brabant show a golden lion on a black field. Ever since the city of Dinant used the demi-lion....

Finally it has been speculated that the lion is derived from the arms of the Counts, later Dukes, of Limburg.

Image gallery

The arms in the Armorial Gorrevod (1460)
The arms in Hozier (1696)
(for Dinan-sur-Meuse)
The arms on a 19^th century token
The arms in the Koffie Hag/Café Hag albums +/- 1930
The arms on a Dutch Willem II cigar band
The arms on a Végé match label
The arms on a Roulertas Confiserie label
The arms of a trade card

Literature: Servais, 1955

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