The coat of arms of Oaxaca is the coat of arms of the state of Oaxaca. Its design was prepared by Don Alfredo Canseco Feraud at the request of the governor of Oaxaca, Lic. Eduardo Vasconcelos during his term between 1947 and 1950.
The name of Oaxaca has its origin in the Nahuatl word Hu ā xyacac. Hu ā x means huaje, which is an ordinary plant of the valleys, yaca means nose and the abbreviation c means place.
Composition
The coat of arms of Oaxaca is characterized by being a canvas of gules in the form of a parchment, which represents the libertarian battles of the Oaxaqueños.
Inside the canvas, seven gold stars stand out in total, two on each upper side and three stars on the bottom.
Each one corresponds to the seven regions of the State (the Central Valleys, the Mixteca, the Sierra Norte, the Cañada, the Sierra Sur, the Coast, the Isthmus and the Papaloapan basin).
The upper part of the shield has one of the most notorious symbols of Mexican culture, the royal eagle, and is considered an emblem of bravery and strength.
In this case, the eagle appears perched on a cactus and devouring a snake with outstretched wings.
At the bottom of the canvas there is a white ribbon with the motto of the shield »Free and sovereign state of Oaxaca».
Shield Barracks
Inside the upper right-hand quarter there is a Nahuatl glyph or toponym of Huāxyacac. It is the right profile of a native Oaxacan with a flower or fruit of the huaje tree in front of him.
The sinister upper barracks has a blue background with the profile of the palaces of the archaeological center of Mitla, together with a Dominican flower.
The lower quarter is a representation of two hands breaking a white chain, which symbolizes the desire of the Oaxacan people for their freedom and the end of oppression.
Meaning
The Mexican symbolism highlights this image of the eagle with the serpent on different sides. According to legend, the duality between the eagle and the serpent is the representation of the duality between heaven and earth. Referring to various texts or fragments of indigenous legends and stories.
In the center of the canvas, there is the main field with an oval shape. Inside, the barracks are divided into three sections, the two upper barracks are larger than the lower.
The border of the field is white and contains the slogan "Respect for the rights of others is peace", with a figure of scarlet cactus between each word.
The slogan is a famous phrase of Benito Juárez, Oaxaqueño and president of Mexico from 1857 to 1872.
The nopal symbols represent the nature, the fields, the people and the wealth of the region.
References
- Álvarez, Fernando and Cadena, Joaquín. (1984). History of styles, 6th edition. Spain. Ceac.
- Coat of Arms of Oaxaca (nd). Retrieved on September 20, 2017, from Wikipedia.
- Cruz, Raúl. (1998) Oaxaca our city, aspects of its history. PGOSA CV Editors
- Lajous, Jaime O. (1991). Mexican colonial cities. Mexico. Azabache Group.
- Winter, Marcus. (1992). The Mixtec and Zapotec world. Mexico, Jilguero.