Croatian checkerboard

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Escutcheon in the Seal of the Kingdom of Croatia

The Croatian checkerboard or chequy (Croatian: šahovnica, pronounced [ʃaxǒːʋnit͡sa])[1] is the national symbol of Croatia and Croats,[2] it covers the main shield of Croatian coat of arms above which is the crown with five smaller shields. Squares are always arranged correctly and they are red and white, although the order has historically varied.

Name[edit]

Croatian checkerboard or chequy and sometimes known as Croatian chessboard is translated from Croatian šahovnica (from šah, "chess").

History[edit]

Origin[edit]

Coat of arms of the Duchy of Jawor, a Piast-ruled duchy of Silesian region, one of many containing the pattern.

There is a legend (probably from the 19th century) telling how Croatian king Stephen Držislav, was captured by the Venetians, and played a chess match in which his opponent was Doge Pietro II Orseolo. He got all three parties and thus gained freedom, and in some versions, power over the Dalmatian cities. He then incorporated the chessboard into his coat of arms.[3]

Earliest documented usage of checkered coats of arms can be traced back to 12–14th century Polish dynasties, and include that of Wczele (silver-gold), related Gurowski (silver-blue),[4] and Piast (silver-red). Coat of arms of Moravia, a modern-day province of Czech Republic, is the oldest coat of arms of a region that contains a silver-red checkered pattern. The pattern was widely adopted by many municipalities and passed down the noble family lines, and has become a prominent feature of West Slavic heraldry.

Use in coat of arms[edit]

Fragment from the church of St. John of Nimfa

One of the oldest coats of arms of the Croatian kingdom from 1495 is located in the Austrian town of Innsbruck and is located on the front of the temple hall of Herzog-Friedrichstrasse 35. It is assumed that the creation of the Croatian coat of arms was stimulated by the emperor Maximilian I from whose time it originated the coat of arms of Innsbruck, but also some other coats of arms, preserved in today's Germany and Austria.[5][6] It is also assumed that the number of preserved Croatian shielded coat of arms from the time of the Habsburg ruler should be thanked to the fact that the Peace of Pressburg from November 7, 1491 gave him and his house the inheritance of the Hungarian-Croatian throne in case Jagiellonian dynasty would not have legitimate male offspring, but also the stipulation that Maximilian I could keep the title of the Hungarian (and Croatian) king. For this reason, it would not be strange that he had just spurred the emergence of a Croatian chess coat, if it did not exist before. The Habsburgs, however, became Hungarian-Croatian kings only a few decades later, with the 1527 election in Cetin, so it is more likely that the then-ruling Jagiellonian dynasty were to commemorate the use of that coat-of-arms.

In some interpretations it is mentioned that the white color indicates White Croatia and Red Croatia. There is also a belief in the meaning of the color of the first field in the coat of arms, according to which the first white field is the independence of Croatia, and the first red field is its subordinate position, but this belief is of the newer date and does not have any confirmation in earlier lore and historical evidence.[7][8]

Other uses[edit]

Typical red-white checkerboard is widely used on airports because of its recognizability and visibility. Checkerboard is used on roofs, water towers and other buildings around the airports.[9][10] However, the use is not directly connected to national symbol of Croatia and Croats. Croatian Air Force MiG-21 UMD is painted in a red-white Croatian checkerboard. Jerseys and hats using the cheque are widely used by Croatian sport fans. It can also be found as a decoration on various tourist souvenirs.

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Šahovnica.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "šahovnica - Hrvatski jezični portal - Znanje". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. ^ "GRBOVI I DRESOVI EURA Kako je šahovnica postala simbol Hrvatske". Archived from the original on 23 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Legende o hrvatskom grbu - Povijest.hr". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  4. ^ Pyotr Vladimirovich Dolgorukov (1856). Российская родословная книга [Russian genealogical book]. Vol. 3. St. Petersburg. p. 120. ISBN 9785458539715.
  5. ^ "Prilog povijesti državnog grba Hrvatske i njegov najstariji prikaz u Innsbrucku". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Knjižnice grada Zagreba - Hrvatski nacionalni simboli". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Flags Symbolizing Hatred - Journey East". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  8. ^ "THE STORY BEHIND THE CHECKERS (AND A FEW LINES ON EMBLEMS AS WELL)". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Why do many airports have red and white checkered structures?". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Why is everything in Airports painted with red and white checks?". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
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