Powhatan County

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POWHATAN COUNTY

State : Virginia

Coat of arms (crest) of Powhatan County


Origin/meaning

The green hill of Powhatan's shield refers to its name (which means, "hill of the pow-wow") and the rural nature of the area. The dove, universal symbol of peace, was used by the Huguenots who settled in the area around 1700 as a sign that they wish to live peacefully with their Quaker and Anglican neighbours. The two black diamonds symbolize coal, and together with the golden tobacco leaves, they stand for the area's richest early resources.

The motto is usually written in a scroll beneath the arms. This French phrase, "Parmi Les Elus," means "among the chosen," and is taken from a pronouncement attributed to one of Powhatan's first Huguenot leaders.

The badge is a separate device, often composed of elements from the arms and crest. Here it consists of a Huguenot cross with its ends terminating in French fleur-de-lis to suggest rapid growth. A golden circle of eternity unifies the whole.

The crest is a subsidiary device mounted atop the helm, resplendent in its traditional mantling of red and gold. The idea of a green hill is continued here as a grassy mound. On the mound is perched a wild turkey, which provided the Monacan Indians with feathers for their ceremonial dress and of course, food. The turkey's gold color suggests excellence; its foot rests on a golden fleur-de-lis in honor of the area's first European residents, the French Huguenots; and it holds the state flower, a sprig of dogwood, in its beak.

The supporters show on the left side a buffalo and on the right, a white-tailed deer, the two creatures most typical of the region in its early days. Each holds an arrow in its mouth...again in recognition of the Monacan Indians...and rests its hind leg on a tree stump to symbolize Powhatan's prosperous lumber industry.



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Literature : Image and info taken from http://www.powhatanva.com