This gallery presents coats of arms of "Bulgaria" from outland rolls, codexes, books and maps. Actually, these are the only researched and interpretated heraldic sources concerning Bulgaria. Here we do not include the versions of the arms, inspired by the latter and created during the Bulgarian Revival.
There are 4 sections of arms, divided after their chronological order and their blazon. In the first and the second, the arms of the Bulgarian king and the other "Bulgarian" rulers from the rolls of arms, are placed. The third section consists of the arms from Illyrian armorials. The images from maps and books are presented in the fourth one.
There are several different blazons:
1. Or, three lions passant guardant sable (version: gules, three lions passant);
2. Or, lion rampant gules (versions: sable, lion rampant argent; gules, lion rampant Or; crowned or not);
3. Or, lion rampant sable toward sinister between a mullet of six points and an increscent argent;
4. Barry (6) of Or and vert (?), on a quarter gules a cross between four annulets whitin each cross crosslet Or;
5. Azure, two crowns in pale, this in base reversed Or;
6. Argent, a wolf courant proper between four bars gules (versions: argent, a wolf courant gules between four bars azure; azure, four bendlets argent, between them, gules wolf courant argent);
7. Vert, three greyhounds courrant argent (version: gules, three greyhounds argent);
8. Or, bull head guardant with lower jaws displaced sisisterward Gules, armed Argent. A cross formy between bulls horns of the second.
After different sources, # 2 is also arms of Macedonia; # 3 - of Wallachia or Cumania; # 5 - Moesia; # 6 - Cumania (and, may be, Slavonia); # 7 - Slavonia. It is easy to be seen that the coat of arms of the Latin emperors of Constantinople is in the quorter of # 4.
Besides that, # 6 and # 7 were officially used as arms of Bulgaria in the armorial bearings of the Hungarian king and the Austrian emperor (# 6, variant with bendlets) as kings of Bulgaria.
Although the gallery shows a foreign look to Bulgaria, due to this heraldic viewpoint Bulgaria becomes part of the symbolic space of European heraldry, on one side, and is linked to the classical heraldic age, on the other. Thanks to the European heraldry, the Bulgarian society from the period of the Revival (18-19th c.) assumed the lion as its own symbol and predetermined the development of the national coat of arms of the modern Bulgarian state.
Shield of the Bulgarian Royal Guards,
Travel Notes by Anonimous Arab Traveller,
the end of the 14th c.
Arms of the King of Bulgaria
(Le Rey de Bugrie), # 15,
c. 1295,
Hatton-Dugdale Facsimile, c. 1640
[Society of Antiquaries of London;
with the kind assistance of Mr. Bernard Nurse, Librarian of the Society]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Die Keyser v. Bolgheries)
Armorial Gelre, Folio 104v, # 1485
c. 1370-95
[P. Adam-Even, L'armorial universel du Héraut Gelre...1971]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Kayser von bulgari)
A Chronicle of the Council of Constance by Ulrich von Richental - Aulendorf Codex, p. 477,
c.1438-50
[The Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der kaiser von pulgarie)
Uffenbachsche Wappenbuch, Folio 43v,
the first half of the 15th c.
[H. Lengenfelder, Das Uffenbachsche Wappenbuch, Hamburg, 1990]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der Kaisar von pulgary)
A Chronicle of the Council of Constance by Ulrich von Richental - Prague Codex, p. 485,
1463
[Národní knihovna České republiky, Praha]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der kaysse von pulgary)
Ortenburger Wappenbuch, Fol. 234
c. 1466-73
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cod.icon. 308u]
[source]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der kaiser von Bulgarien)
Armorial by Conrad Grünenberg,
Parchment Codex, p. 68,
1483
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Cgm-145]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der kaiser von Bulgaryen)
Armorial by Conrad Grünenberg,
Constance Codex, Folio 27 b
1483
[reprint]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der kaisser von pulgarie)
Miltenberger Wappenbuch, # 164
c. 1486-1500
[Jean-Claude Loutsch via Ivan Papouktchiev]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Kayser von pulgaria)
Wernigeroder Wappenbuch,
Bavarian State Library, Fol. 17r
the last quarter of 15th c.
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cod.icon. 308 n]
[source]
"Old" Arms of Bulgaria
(Pullgarie das allt k-d)
Codex 391, Bavarian State Library, Fol. 4v
c. 1530
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cod.icon. 391]
[source]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Kayser von Pulgarye)
Codex 391, Bavarian State Library, Fol. 4v
c. 1530
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cod.icon. 391]
[source]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der kaisser von bulgary)
A. W. Franks Bequest Wappenbuch, Folio 58,
after 1531
[Society of Antiquaries of London;
with the kind assistance of Mr. Bernard Nurse, Librarian of the Society]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Kayser von Bulgary)
Codex 391, Bavarian State Library, Fol. 54v
the first half of 16th c.
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cod.icon. 392d]
[source]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Der kaiser v bulgarie)
Wappenbuch besonders deutscher Geschlechter, Fol. 33 v
1515-1650
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cod.icon. 308]
[source]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Kaiser von Bulgarien)
Armorial by Conrad Grünenberg,
Wappenbuch 9210, Bavarian State Library, Fol. 76 v,
1602-04
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cgm. 9210]
[source]
Arms of the Emperor of Bulgaria
(Kayser von Bulgar...)
Codex Add. 15694, British Library, Fol. 11 r,
the beginning of 17th c.
[Reproduction by Peter Yanachkov]
Arms of Bulgaria,
Opus Insignium Armorumque
by Janez Vajkard Valvasor, p. 263,
c. 1688
[Slovenian Academy of Science, 1993, reprint]
Arms of the Emperor of Vidin,
(Die Keyser van Boddin)
Armorial Gelre, Folio 105, # 1487
c. 1370-95
[P. Adam-Even, L'armorial universel du Héraut Gelre...1971]
Arms of the Duke of Bulgaria (Vidin),
(herzog von der Bilgri Die hobtstat in der bilgrii hast Budem)
Armorial by Conrad Grünenberg,
Constance Codex, Folio 30,
1483
[Reproduction by Peter Yanachkov]
Arms of the Duke of Bulgaria (Vidin),
(herzog vo' der wulgry Die haubtstat in d' bilgry haist budem)
Armorial by Conrad Grünenberg,
Parchment Codex, p. 72,
1483
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Cgm-145]
Arms of the Duke of Bulgaria (Vidin)
(Herzog von der Wulgry die haubtstat in d' Wulgry haist budem)
Armorial by Conrad Grünenberg,
Wappenbuch 9210, Bavarian State Library, Fol. 83,
1602-04
[Bayerische Staastbibliothek,
München, Hss Cgm. 9210]
[source]
Arms of the King of Vidin (?),
(kung von bononia)
Miltenberger Wappenbuch, # 279
c. 1486-1500
[Jean-Claude Loutsch via Ivan Papouktchiev]
Arms of the Duke of Philipopolis (?),
(herzog von phinnional)
Miltenberger Wappenbuch, # 296
c. 1486-1500
[Jean-Claude Loutsch via Ivan Papouktchiev]
Arms of Bulgaria,
Corenic-Neoric Roll of Arms, Folio 12,
1595
Arms of Bulgaria,
Illyrian Armorial, MS.54, Folio 12,
end of the 16th c.
[Society of Antiquaries of London;
with the kind assistance of Mr. Bernard Nurse, Librarian of the Society]
Arms of the Kingdom of Bulgaria,
Althan's Roll of Arms, Folio 12,
1614
Arms of Bulgaria,
Belgrad Roll of Arms 2, Folio 12,
c. 1603-20
Arms of Bulgaria,
Skoroevic's Roll of Arms, Folio 12,
c. 1636-38
Arms of Bulgaria,
Fojnica Roll of Arms, Folio 8,
1675
Arms of Bulgaria,
Olovo Roll of Arms, Folio 12,
c.1689
Arms of Bulgaria,
Berlin Roll of Arms, Folio 12,
the end of the 17th c.
Arms of Bulgaria,
Stemmatographia by
Pavel Riter Vitezovic, Folio 17,
1694
Arms of Bulgaria,
Stemmatographia by
Pavel Riter Vitezovic, Folio 10,
1701
Arms of Bulgaria,
Stemmatographia by
Pavel Riter Vitezovic, Folio 10,
1702
Arms of Bulgaria,
Stemmatographia by
Hristofor Zhefarovich, Folio 5v,
1741
Arms of Bulgaria,
Codex Kevesic, Folio 16
1740s
Arms of Bulgaria,
A Dubrovnik Collection by Ivo Saraka,
1746
Arms of Bulgaria,
An Armorial by Ljudevit Gaj,
1842
Arms of the Kingdom of Bulgaria,
Wappenbuch... by Martin Schrot, f. 20,
1580
[with the assistance of Mrs. Tzvetana Todorova]
Arms of Bulgaria,
from a map by Gerard de Jode,
1593
Arms of Bulgaria,
Chronologia by Levinus Hulsius,
1596
Arms of Bulgaria,
Regnum Slavorum... by Mavro Orbini, p. 398,
1601
Arms of Bulgaria,
Pompa funebris Alberti Pii Austriaci by Jacob Franquart, t. 47a,
1623
Arms of Bulgaria,
Historia Byzantina by
Charles du Fresne sieur du Cange, p. 267,
1680
Arms of Bulgaria,
from a map by Vincenco Coronelli,
1692
Arms of Bulgaria,
Transylvaniae, Moldaviae, Walachiae, Bulgariae..., a map by G. M. Seutter,
c. 1730
Arms of Kingdom of Bulgaria,
from a map by Jan van der Bruggen,
1737
Arms of Bulgaria,
Charles du Fresne sieur du Cange,
1746
Arms of Bulgaria,
Specimen Heraldicae Hungariae regni...
by Carolus Franciscus Palma,
1766
Arms of Bulgaria,
from a map of Hungary by J. M. Probst,
1788
Arms of Kingdom of Bulgaria,
from a map by F. J. J. von Reilly,
c. 1789-91