06 juillet 2008
Dog, Ship, and Seahorses
The Belfast coat of arms was established officially in 1890, when Belfast was granted the status of city by the Queen Victoria, during her official visit. However, the chained dog, and the seahorse were largely spread among merchants long before that.
The seahorse, used twice, symbolise the importance of the maritime business for the city. The chained dog remains a mystery. About the ship, we notice it displays a flag which is a mix between the Scottish and the English flag. It is probably there to remind the stream of Protestants planters from England and Scotland.
The motto "Pro tranto quid retribuamus" comes from the Bible (Psalm 116/12). Translated from the Latin, it means ‘what return shall we make for so much’. And i am still trying to figure out what it means in good French :D