Symbolism in St. Vladimir's School Seal

OK, so we have a long blog post for you today. We recently released the design for the school seal of St. Vladimir's Academy (on our Facebook page), and we promised to explain the meaning behind the symbols used. Here are all the details! Feel free to ask questions if you have 'em.

The shield in the middle of the seal is divided “per pale”, which means that it is divided vertically into two halves. Each way of dividing a shield is representative of something. A “pale” or “per pale” design represents great defensive military strength. (Think of the railings in a guard fence “impaling” the ground.) The choice of a “per pale” division is meant to represent the choice of Moroi and Dhampir society to act defensively with the use of their magic and guarding techniques.

When an observer is looking at the shield head-on, the side that is to the left is referred to as the “dexter” side. (If you were the knight holding the shield, then it would be referred to as being on your right, or the “right” side.) We’ve made this the side of the shield that represents the Dhampirs at St. Vladimir’s Academy. Diagonal stripes, or “bends”, are another way of dividing the field of a shield. A “bend” is supposed to look like the sash of a military commander, and represents defense or protection. It’s a sign of great honor. A series of diagonal stripes is known as a “bendy” pattern, and carries the same meaning. The “charge”, or picture, on the dexter side of the St. Vladimir’s Academy shield is a key. Keys represent things that are held dear and are therefore protected.

When an observer is looking at the shield head-on, the side that is to the right is called the “sinister” side. (From the point of view of the knight holding the shield, it would be the “left” side.) This side of the St. Vladimir’s Academy shield represents the Moroi of the school. One horizontal stripe (1/5 of the shield’s height or less) is referred to as a “bar.” Multiple stripes create a pattern that is referred to as “barry.” According to Guillim, a heraldic scholar from Elizabethan times, “bars” represent “one who sets the bar of conscience, religion, and honour against angry passions and evil temptations.” The “charge”, or picture, is a column, which represents fortitude and constancy.

If you look closely, you’ll notice that each side of the shield, whether “bendy” or “barry”, has 13 stripes. This number is the same as the number of Moroi on the Council: 12 Princes and Princesses from the 12 royal families and the King or Queen.

And now to the animals! Shields are often flanked by figures that are called “supports”. Supports are designed to look like they’re holding the shield up, and they add meaning to the overall design. We chose animals that are commonly found in Russian and Eastern European symbology as well as having heraldic meaning. The dexter support, on the Dhampir side, is a bear. Bears represent strength, cunning, and ferocity in the protection of one’s kindred. The sinister support, on the Moroi side, is a stag. Stags represent one who will not fight unless provoked, or peace and harmony.

The school motto, “Truth, Life, Blood” comes from a contest that Richelle Mead ran some time ago. We remembered that a fan had inspired her when she was trying to come up with the school motto, and we found it…here it is in the context of the school crest.

The date of 1807 is in honor of the release of the first edition of Vampire Academy in 2007. There weren’t many Europeans in the inland western territories of North America at that time, which would likely have been attractive to Moroi and Dhampirs setting up a school meant to be isolated from human society.

-from the Vault Guardian

For further reading on heraldry, try:
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles. A Complete Guide to Heraldry. (Google Books)
Guillim, John. Guillim’s Display of Heraldry.
Symbolism: http://www.fleurdelis.com/meanings.htm
Terminology Encyclopaedia: http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/heraldry.htm
How to describe a coat of arms: http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/lesson.html