Day 10 of write 31.
Before Trinbago (short for Trinidad and Tobago) got it's Independence in 1962 a committee was formed to design and create the symbols that would represent the country. The coat of arms was one of those symbols.
Designed by Carlisle Chang and George Bailey to represent and reflect the future of Trinidad and Tobago without forgetting the past.
At the top we have a gold ship's wheel in front of a fruited coconut palm. This was originally the central figure in the British Colonial seals for Tobago before it annexed to Trinidad.
The gold helmet facing front represents the Queen, our monarch until the day of our Independence.
The colours of the shield are the colours of our national flag and have the same meaning.
At the top of the shield we have two humming birds. Trinidad was originally named Iere by the Amerindian, the Land of the Hummingbird for the overwhelming number of them that inhabited the the land. There are more than sixteen species of hummingbird found in Trinidad.
Next we have the three ship. The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. The ships sailed by Christopher Columbus when he discovered Trinidad.
The shield is supported on either side by the national birds. The Scarlet Ibis in it's resplendent red on the left of Trinidad and the Cocrico of Tobago.
Below the Scarlet Ibis we have the Trinity Hill which Columbus saw inspiring him to name the country after the Blessed Trinity. The land beneath the Cocrico represents Tobago.
We then have the ocean waves. The cradle of our heritage and the waters that join the two islands together.
Finally we have the nation's motto. Together we aspire, Together we achieve. These words speak for themselves and promote harmony in diversity for national achievement.
The Coat of Arms can be found on official documents as well as the back of all our coins. It is also found on our paper currency.
If you would like to learn more about writing for 31 days in a row, please visit www.write31days.com and learn more about it. I chose the "Too Awesome to Categorize" category for my own blog this month.
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