National Arms of Ethiopia
NATIONAL COAT OF ARMS OF ETHIOPIA
Official blazon
Azure, a pentagram with five rays of light or.
Origin/meaning
The current national emblem was adopted in 1996.
The pentagram has had different official meanings. At present the pentagram stands for the unity of the people and nationality of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. In a wider sense represents the shared desire of the state, the people and the religion of Ethiopia to make a united nation.
I have no idea why the pentagram was chosen as a symbol.
Historical arms
1885-1974
The historical symbol for the rulers and the state of Ethiopia was a lion passant since the rule of Emperor Theodore II (1855-1868). The lion was seen as the lion of Juda and represented the Christian belief of the Emperors. During the reigns of different Emperors, the lion has been facing either left or right and by Menelik II (1889-1913) the lion was given a processional cross in his paw, in a later version augmented with a streamer. The lion remained the official symbol for the state until the end of the rule of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974.
Literature : -
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