To be honest, we pay less attention to them these days than in the Middle Ages when they had a crucial power of identification. But if coats of arms (or coats of arms) have lost their practical usefulness, the municipalities which have them remain attached to them, like a certain number of their inhabitants.
In the department, more than 500 municipalities have their own coat of arms, which often tell a little bit of local history…
In a large majority of them, one or more animals are represented. But do you know which one is the most represented in the department? We'll point you in the right direction, it's an animal that's not very common in our region but is nicknamed the king of animals… Yes, it's indeed the lion, chosen by around sixty municipalities in “54”. in silver, gold or in a “leopardized” version. Not necessarily a surprise, the image of the lion being very linked to royalty.
A fish with meaning
The lion is just ahead of a fish, the… bass, chosen by around fifty municipalities. Why the bar? Quite simply in reference to the Duchy of Bar, which extended over a good part of Lorraine until 1766, when it was annexed with the Duchy of Lorraine by France. The sea bass is often represented with two fish leaning against each other, most often in gold or silver.
The discreet cat and dog
A good fifty different animals appear on the coats of arms of the municipalities, some quite original like in Lebeuville, in Saintois, where the giraffe was chosen, or Flavigny with a parrot.
Very present in our homes, the cat and the dog shine through their discretion. The dog is apparently only represented in Vitrimont, in Lunévillois, through a silver greyhound, while the cat appears on the coat of arms of Saint-Rémy-aux-Bois, also in Lunévillois. In black, as a lucky charm no doubt…
France
