Rurik’s Sign: The History of Ukraine’s Coat of Arms

Symbols have power. Whatever they might be, they always hold some deeper meaning to them. They are used by humans to signify belonging - to a group - or to exert control over others. Some are even said to have magical powers.

All of these properties can be observed in the national arms of Ukraine, the trident or trezubets. Since 1918, it has been featured upon the Ukrainian coat of arms: a blue shield with a golden border, and the golden trident within it. Derivations of this symbol appear in other Ukrainian organizations, including the association of football. Official use of the symbol was proposed in 1917 by historian Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, and he got it from an 11th century monarch, Vladimir the Great.

Sources:
Old Russian graffiti as sources of weapon history: preliminary statements - Mikalai Plavinski
The Birka Warrior - Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson
The Early Slavs - Pavel M. Dolukhanov
The ‘Rurikid Sign’ from the B3 church at Basarbi-Murfatlar - Alexander Fetisov
The Russian Primary Chronicle(Laurentian text) - Transl. By Samuel Hazard Cross & Olgerd P. Sherbowitz-Wetzor
Viking Rus’ - Wladyslaw Duzcko

Image credits:
Signs of the Rurikids by Alex K of wikimedia commons

Music credits:

Image credits:

#history #ukraine #russia #middleages #medieval #medievalhistory #kievanrus

[normanism]

Every ruler of Rus' had his own original sign. Sending a messenger to one of his towns, he gave him a seal with his sign which certified his authority. It made sense because there were many rulers and many towns.

The symbol that Ukraine borrowed as its state emblem is not the "Rurik's sign" or the "sign of Rurikids" but a personal sign of kniaz Vladimir. Of course he was an important ruler which brought Christianity to Rus but his symbol WAS NOT a "state emblem" of the Rus. His father, brothers, sons and grandsons had different signs. They were very different and never repeated.

[DanTheHedgehog]

I am from Ukraine, we were told at school that this coat of arms is a symbol of family. On the left is Dad, in the middle is Child, and mother is on the right. Also from this symbol can be made the word "ВОЛЯ"(Synonym of the word Freedom ).But it is not official and ordinary people consider it as a symbol. Оfficially it is a symbol of Vladimir the Great, the prince of Rus', a falling falcon🪶

[numenoreaneternity]

That's not "Rurik's Sign", that's a stylized Wendish Falcon that modern historians erroneously interpreted as "Kiev's Trident". The aforementioned Wendish Falcon was the symbol of the early Rurikid family, but each Rurikid ruler had his own, unique symbol.

[kaylidington]

Fascinating. Good to see and hear an impartial examination of the history of the symbol. Thanks!

[okancanarslan]

Interestingly, the tamga of Crimean Tatar Giray dynasty is a downside trident which is in the national flag of crimean tatars

[SyIe]

👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐EXCELLENT WORK!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPLANATION.

[CreativeHuckleBerry]

2 Varangian soldiers standing side by side "shoulder to shoulder" looking up at Analemma aka The Sun.
Analemma is a diagram of the suns position in 1 year time, the symbol is formed if you take a photo every day for 1 year in the exact same position of the sun.

It becomes very interesting if you start to research where the symbol is upright as on the Coat of Arms.

[mladenmatosevic]

Bird symbols were common in Middle Ages. Byzantines adopted two headed eagle, which was later taken by Restored Russia state. Poles used white eagle (with nest as site for capital). Hungarians had "Turul" (species is not firmly defined). And Getmanic Holy Roman Empire adopted Roman eagle. BTW, Standing Lion is used much in Nordics, with Sweden and Finland using it to this day. Not sure (on top of my had) is it related with Wasa family. BTW, Vladyslav Wasa could hav ruled Poland, Sweden and Russia, providing that he could be Caholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christian in same time.

[worldtraveler]

When I lived in Kyiv for a couple of years it was explained to me by my Friends and neighbors that it was a Hawk in a Power Dive!!! 🤠👍🇺🇦

P.s. Free Ukraine!!!

[unknowntrooper_]

Nice video once more. I have wondered about this and it seems ti remains obscure. Anyways cheers!

[Kalletheswede]

I've seen both Ruthenia and Sweden having a yellow lion behind blue background exactly like the early Swedish symbol showing a common origin.

[fedorevdokimenko]

2:20 This Eagle is from Scythian animalistic culture, ancient Iranian mythology, Ardvi Sura Anahita, almost 100% similarity. For example, google Ardvi Sura Anahita dish with eagle found in Perm.

[imperskiikulak]

At the beginning of the 20th century, Hrushevsky simply took the well-known symbol of the princes of Russia and made it the coat of arms of the UPR, until that moment this symbol had not been used on the territory of modern Ukraine since the fall of ancient Rus, which is almost 700 years.

[Hólmgangumaðr]

Before i watch ig guess i comes after a Viking named Rurik

[jameswells]

The earliest form of the bident looks an awful lot like a set of swept horns or antlers more so than a boat. If you consider the fact that it stems from people who hunted the Steppe from horseback for Deer, Antelope, and Wisent it makes more sense as they revered the strength, speed, and raw power of these animals as is evidenced by the artworks they created and tattooed upon themselves it makes more sense than an arrow or a boat.

[AMEurope]

Excellent video. My personal observation is that it is a ruler sign that signifies connection with God. Slavic belief in the magical number 3 is well documented and always associated with the spiritual-mystical world. Greetings to the Eastern Slavs.

[datbo]

One could argue that the tirdent is a symbol of the holy spirit. At least in catholicism, I have often noticed the downward facing bird as a symbol of the holy spirit and in my country's old farm houses, you can sometimes see a very similar symbol carved into a circle in the wall of the rooftop.

[josippolgar]

Thank you for explaining all this in detail. I have been asking some friends in the Netherlands and even some neighbours. Many of them told me, - Ucraine being an agricultural region, - well it must be some kind of pitchfork...

[lemmigd]

where did you source the image of a trident pendant with a hammer of thor on the back? i am not familiar with this archeological find and am not convinced

[valverdeout]

Good video bro. Can you link were you find the graffiti with ships on coins please