Sigiliul statului Virginia, SUA
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Sigiliul Virginiei este simbolul oficial al statului. În mai 1776, colonia britanică Virginia s-a declarat independentă de Anglia.
În prima zi a lunii iulie 1776, un comitet de patru a fost nominalizat pentru a crea un sigiliu corespunzător pentru "the Commonwealth of Virginia", denumirea oficială a statului Virginia. Cei patru erau Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, George Wythe şi Robert Carter Nicholas. Patru zile mai târziu, raportul de creare al sigiliului a fost prezentat guvernului Virginiei de către George Mason. A fost votat şi aprobat în aceeaşi zi. Deşi nu se ştie cu exactitate care este contribuţia fiecăruia din cei patru la realizarea designului sigiliului, totuşi se crede că ar aparţine în principal lui George Wythe.
Realizatorii sigiliului nu doreau să realizeze un design ce amintea de vreunul folosit în Anglia. Datorită admiraţiei pe care conducătorii statului o nutreau faţă de Republica Romană, designul sigiliului a fost influenţat de mitologia Romei antice, având chiar şi aversul, respectiv reversul distincte.
Pentru aversul sigiliului, zeiţa Virtus a fost aleasă să reprezinte virtuţiile noului stat, al cărui nume este de fapt Commenwealth. Deşi numele zeiţei este Virtute, natura sa adevărată poate fi indicată cu nume precum ar fi Autoritate sau Curaj. Virtus a statului Virginia este un personaj de pace, poziţia în care se află indicând o bătălie deja desfăşurată şi câştigată. Zeiţa se odihneşte sprijinindu-se în lancea pe care o ţine cu vârful îndreptat în jos. Cealaltă armă, o sabie scurtă, este în teacă, indicând că este o sabie a autorităţii şi nu una a bătăliei.
Tyranny lies prostrate beneath the foot of Virtus, symbolizing England's defeat by Virginia. The royal crown which has fallen to the ground beside him symbolizes the new republic's release from the monarchical control of England. The broken chain in Tyranny's left hand represents Virginia's freedom from Britain's restriction of colonial trade and westward expansion. The useless whip in his right hand signifies Virginia's relief from the torturing whip of acts of punishment such as the Intolerable Acts.
The motto selected for the obverse of the Virginia seal is Sic Semper Tyrannis, or in English, Thus Always to Tyrants. This is a derived quote from the famous events in Roman history, attributed to Brutus upon his partication in the slaying of Julius Caesar. (Caesar had then long been perpetual dicator of Rome, and some Senators believed had ambitions to abolish the Roman Republic and establish himself as a monarch.) The obverse is the official seal of Virginia and is used on all the official papers and documents of the state government.
The reverse of the seal pictures the blessings of freedom and peace, as represented by three Roman goddesses. In the center is the matron Libertas the goddess of individual liberties. In her hand she holds a wand showing her magical gifts, at the top of the wand hangs a Phrygian Cap, also called a Liberty Cap.
To the left of Libertas stands Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. In her left hand is a horn of plenty overflowing with the abundance of Virginia's harvests, while in her right hand is an enormous stalk of wheat, representing one of Virginia's leading crops.
Aeternitas, representing Virginia's eternity, stands at the right of Libertas. In her right hand is a golden ball, an emblem of authority, and atop the ball is a Phoenix, symbolizing immortality. On the Virginia seal, the phoenix represents effective government.
The motto gracing the reverse with its trio of Libertas, Ceres, and Aeternitas is Perservando, or in English, Persevering, a reminder to future generations of the need to persist in maintaining the blessings of liberty.
The ornamental border on both sides of the seal consists of sprigs of Parthenocissus quinquefolia, or commonly, Virginia Creeper. In 1930 another committee was charged with standardizing the seal's design because of all the variations that came into use over the years. What the committee approved was basically adopting the 1776 seal as the standard. In 1949, another standard was implemented, when Virginia's Art Commission defined the official color scheme for the seal.
Under Virginia law, the Secretary of the Commonwealth is the Keeper of the Seals of the Commonwealth. The Great Seal and the lesser seal are the same except for size. The lesser seal is used on commissions of state officials and notaries, and on other papers which remain within the boundaries of, or relate only to, Virginia.
[modifică] The Seal of Virginia, as defined in the Code of Virginia[1]:
§ 7.1-26. The great seal.
The great seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia shall consist of two metallic discs, two and one-fourth inches in diameter, with an ornamental border one fourth of an inch wide, with such words and figures engraved thereon as will, when used, produce impressions to be described as follows: On the obverse, Virtus, the genius of the Commonwealth, dressed as an Amazon, resting on a spear in her right hand, point downward, touching the earth; and holding in her left hand, a sheathed sword, or parazonium, pointing upward; her head erect and face upturned; her left foot on the form of Tyranny represented by the prostrate body of a man, with his head to her left, his fallen crown nearby, a broken chain in his left hand, and a scourge in his right. Above the group and within the border conforming therewith, shall be the word "Virginia," and, in the space below, on a curved line, shall be the motto, "Sic Semper Tyrannis." On the reverse, shall be placed a group consisting of Libertas, holding a wand and pileus in her right hand; on her right, Aeternitas, with a globe and phoenix in her right hand; on the left of Libertas, Ceres, with a cornucopia in her left hand, and an ear of wheat in her right; over this device, in a curved line, the word "Perseverando."
[modifică] Sources
- Adapted from Simkins, Francis Butler; Jones, Spotswood Hunnicutt; & Poole, Sidman P. (1964). Virginia: History, Government, Geography (Revised Edition). Charles Scribner's Sons. pp 673-675.
- [1] The Virginia Legislative Information Service: http://leg1.state.va.us/000/src.htm
[modifică] Vezi şi
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