SHIELD OF YUCATÁN: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Yucatan coat of arms is composed of the green color in a central field with a Deer that jumps over plants and stones.

It is surrounded by a golden border with two Spanish towers and two Mayan arches. At the bottom is inscribed the word Yucatan, name of the state.

Coat of arms of the Yucatan state

Yucatán developed part of its history with the coat of arms of the Mexican city of Mérida, until in 1989 a sober coat of arms was created for the province, reflecting the indigenous culture and the Spanish culture.

The state of Yucatán is located on the Mexican Caribbean front at the northern end of the gulf, forming a peninsula along with the states of Quintana Roo and Campeche. The state capital is the city of Merida.

4 characteristics and meanings of the Yucatan coat of arms

In two attempts in the history of the state this was declared an independent republic. First, before independence, but joined Mexico City to form a single country.

Due to differences with the central government, in 1841, they broke ties and declared themselves independent again, but this attempt only lasted a little more than seven years.

one)

When thinking about the new coat of arms of the state, it was decided to make a design that would last over time and that emphasized fusion and cultural syncretism.

The deer, in the first place, represents the rich fauna of the state of Yucatan. Secondly, it was captured there as a typical animal of the Yucatecan mountains.

Next, there is the henequen - which skips the vaneado-, a plant of the agave family that can grow up to one and a half meters. Sometimes it grows on a trunk, and is typical of Mexico.

The Henequen grows in the shield on several calcareous stones, which represent the soil of the Yucatan region.

2) the sun

Within the central field with a green background, there is a sun in its upper right corner that illuminates the deer, the henequen and the calcareous stones, which symbolize the radiant sun of the Caribbean coasts of the Yucatan seafront.

3) The towers and arches

In the golden border that borders the central field where the elements previously described are found, such as two Mayan arches and two Spanish towers.

These elements of the Yucatan coat of arms represent the fusion that took place in the province after the Spanish colonization, which was found with the predominant Mayan culture of the region.

The arches refer to the centuries-old Mayan culture and its outstanding architecture of pyramids and other cities, built with great precision, where arc-shaped lines predominated.

The towers are the symbol of the architecture brought by the Spaniards and refer to the typical castles built with them, whose towers helped protect the barracks or citadels within them.

4) The word Yucatán on the shield

The lower part of the shield reads Yucatán, name of the province, which means in the Mayan language “I don't understand your speaking”, alluding to the arrival of the Spanish colonization with a language different from the local language.

References

1. Coat of Arms of the state of Yucatan. CETINA SIERRA, JOSE ADONAY. Recovered from the site: sobrino.net
2. Shield of Yucatan. For all of Mexico. Recovered from the site: paratodomexico.com
3. Shield of Yucatan. Yucatan Government. Recovered from the site: yucatan.gob.mx.
4. Yucatan, Mexico. GABINO VILLASCÁN, JUAN MANUEL. Recovered from the site: crwflags.com
5. Image N1. Author: Government of the state of Yucatán. Recovered from the site: yucatan.gob.mx.