The diving falcon. The symbol of the falcon on the signs of Rurikovich

Few know that the sign of the diving falcon is displayed in the Ukrainian trident, and its history is back to the Rurikovich. How does it explain that the trident is not at all a tool of the pagan Poseidon, and the diving falcon is the national symbol of Ukraine?

Princes Rurikovichi

The dynasty of the Rurikites is a princely dynasty, which, as it is commonly believed, originates from Rurik. The question of the origin of Prince Rurik leaves behind many disputes. So, there is an opinion that he comes from the people of Russia. Often his name is identified with the Danish prince Rorik. There are also researchers who fundamentally deny the existence of the Varangian commander-in-chief.

Another version is a kinship with the tribe of the obedrites (the union of individual Western Slavs). Fans of the latest version speak of the Slav origin of the name of the prince, as in Slavonic this word was pronounced as a "rag", that is, a falcon. Here the diving falcon is attached, as a sign of Rurik. One way or another, Rurik is considered the founder of the family, ruling later in Kievan Rus.

Distinctive signs of Rurik

Each prince in the dynasty of the Rurik people owned a personal distinctive sign - "coat of arms", which was not inherited, and was not considered generic or family. These princes used the signs as a seal or stigma, with their help they signed documents, artisans put a prince's brand on their wares. Their images can be judged on the basis of ancient coins and seals, which have survived to the present day.

The signs were not inherited, but they had one common basis in the form of a two-tooth or a trident. To this basis the princes added various elements - curls, crosses and so on. The coats of arms of the representatives of the Bosporus royal dynasty also contained a two-pronged base and are similar to the Rurikovich emblems, but their relationship, apart from their external similarity, has not been proven.

Gradually, the images on the "arms" of the Rurikovichs are simplified, and by the 13th century they are out of use.

Interpretations of Rurikovich signs

Various variations of the trident on the "arms" of the princely dynasty were on the Church of the Tithes, armor and rings of the squadron, on items that belonged to the princes. A lot of research work is devoted to the symbolic meaning of the image of the trident. One of the most common versions says that this is a diving falcon Rurik.

Some researchers believed that the trident is a symbol of the lamp, which was used in Russia - trikiriya. The Khorugv (military flag) and the scepter from Byzantium or from the Scythian mounds were also variants of the meaning of the image on the distinctive signs of the Rurik.

Many saw a bird in the trident, namely a crow. Why crow? All because a similar image was on English coins of a Danish prince, where it denoted the Crow of the god Odin. Raven is the main image on the ancient Danish arms. Such a treatment was not recognized by all, it was believed that the Christian prince could not choose a pagan bird for himself in the "arms".

Researcher A.A. Kunik was of the opinion that this bird is not a raven, but a dove, which was often depicted in Byzantium and meant the Holy Spirit. The theory of the pigeon was refuted by the fact that in Byzantium the dove was often portrayed flying upwards.

A detailed study of the numismatists of ancient coins, in particular, the coins of Yaroslav and Vladimir, was the main reason to assert that the trident is a diving falcon. They concluded that the shape of the beak (curved) and the head (low forehead) do not resemble the features of a dove, but are more like a falcon. An important argument was also the mention of the falcon in the "Lay of Igor's Regiment," where Prince Igor was called a falcon.

Researchers believe that the two-prong is a diving falcon. Only in this case the falcon is shown from a different angle, from below. If you look at the attacking falcon from the ground, its tail may not be visible.

The diving falcon as a national symbol

The image of a falcon is found from ancient times. In various legends there appears the image of a "clear falcon", who fights against a black crow. One of the versions of why the falcon appears in the "arms" of the ancient princes is the survivals of totemism. Perhaps earlier the falcon was a totemic bird for the ancestors of Rurik.

After the Rurikovichs ceased to use their "arms", they were not remembered for a long time, until the XX century. In 1917, the Ukrainian historian Mikhail Grushevsky proposed a trident as a national symbol. Since March 22, 1918, the diving falcon is the national symbol of Ukraine.

In the times of the Soviet Union, its state importance was lost and used only by certain national associations. In the war years the falcon figured on the coat of arms of the Carpathian Ukraine.

With the collapse of the Union, in 1992 in Ukraine an official diving icon was again adopted as an official symbol. This coat of arms is the title of the Small State Emblem of Ukraine.

Conclusion

To the end it is not known how deep the roots of the attacking falcon are. This sign for many centuries became the main symbol of the whole princely dynasty, and now continues its life as a national symbol of Ukraine.