National Badge of Freice

Emblem of Freice
Armiger	Country of Freice
Adopted	10 August 2021
Blazon	A shield quartered by a cross azure, first and fourth quarter gules, a sun radiant Or; second and third quarter, four bars four bars azure, vert, orange, argent; and in nombril point a picture of the Neserje na (Ƞe̩serɉe nǡ).
Use	The emblem is used on all Acts of the Nuejel; the cover of Freician passports; the obserse of Freician Ǡre̩ coins; government departments; Senior Council.

The Emblem of Freice (Freician: Ǡrɉưete̩ ġi pưƞqyǡ 'gi frɨs), formally the National Emblem of the Country of Freice (Freician: Ǡrɉưete̩ ġiḡurą ie̩tiaļ ġiḡurą pưƞqyǡ 'gi frɨs) is the national symbol of the Country of Freice, used alongside and in conjunction with the national flag. It was adopted in August 2021 following the 2021 Freician coup d'état, and formalised the following month.

It bears a traditional Freician shield used by warriors during the Qǡba Dance, bearing a blue cross. The first and fourth quadrants of the shield depict a yellow sun on a red background, and the second and third a representation of the ethnic flag of the Freician people. In the centre is a Neserje na flower in yellow. The emblem was designed by Qogrǡ Iɟưe̩gel, based on a design he originally created in 1969.

Description

The emblem takes inspiration from western heraldic practices, with the blazon making use of a shield, albeit a traditional Freician shield in place of a standard three-point one. According to Qogrǡ Iɟưe̩gel, the design incorporates various references to Freician history, identifying three distinct phases in Freician history.

The yellow sun on a red background represents Freice prior to Maricoenian colonisation. Although no national flag was used to represent the island at this time, this design was commonly used as a heraldic banner to represent the island's monarchs. The colour red was also commonly used in the form of a solid-coloured banner to represent nobility and the elite classes. The design was adopted because, according to Iɟưe̩gel, Freice's history prior to colonisation was driven by and primarily recorded through the activities of these classes, who provide the only known glimpse into this pre-colonial period. The Freician ethnic is used to represent both the Freician people and the post-independence Freician state, having been used as the interim national flag prior to the adoption of the current flag. The original design was created whilst this initial flag was in use, being retained as an additional reference to the initial political movement from which the colours originated.

The blue cross is a reference to Freician colonisation, dividing the quadrants into the 'past' and the 'present'. The cross itself is a reference to the Maricoenian flag, although the colour symbolises the sea, both the route colonisers took to reach the island and the eventual path of their retreat. The colour also links back to the current flag, having been changed from white to be more closely associated with contemporary Freician symbolism. In the centre is a stylised Neserje an, the national flower of Freice, which represents growth - both in a natural sense and in reference to Freice's growth from colony to nation.

History

Freice was granted its first emblem in 1949 when the colonial government adopted a seal to replace the use of Maricoenian state symbols in Freician colonial government activities. The seal featured the Maricoenian coat of arms with 'Government-General of Freice' around it. The seal was later adapted, with a wreath added around the Maricoenian coat of arms in 1958.

Upon independence in 1969, the colonial seal was retained, although heavily amended. The Maricoenian coat of arms was replaced with a stylised depiction of the island of Freice with the wording replaced by 'Seal of the Government of Freice.' This was an interim emblem for the exclusive use of government authorities and was not intended to be a permanent state symbol. The first permanent post-independence emblem was a shield divided into two halves. In the left half was a stylisation of traditional Freician work tools on a green background. In the right half was a representation of a fishing scene.

In 1980, a new emblem was adopted following criticism that the initial coat of arms was 'too western'. The seal consisted of a blue disc of the same colour as the field on the Freician national flag, representing the sea. In the bottom half of the disc was a depiction of the ocean, whilst the top half featured a depiction of the Frecian ethnic flag in the form of a rainbow, symbolizing the island's emergence from the ocean. In the centre was an orange disc featuring a circle of 38 stars, representing the 38 fish from which the Frecian people evolved in ancient tribal mythology. A further blue disc was superimposed onto this, bearing a white silhouette of the island of Freice, with the central emblem representing the island within the ocean protected by the sun and the stars.

Following the 2021 Freician Coup d'état, the current emblem was adopted. It was formally enshrined in law with the Law on the Establishment of National Symbols on 10 August 2021 and reaffirmed in the Schedules of Government passed on 1 September 2021.

Regulations on use

Although the emblem of the nation, the Schedules of Government define it as a government symbol:

The National Emblem of the Country of Freice shall be adopted as an official symbol of constitutional government. All organs of government shall be represented by the emblem, the use of which shall require express permission from the relevant authorities as defined by law.

As such, the use of the national emblem without government permission is illegal, although there is no record of any prosecutions for it's unilateral use. Because of its legal position, there have been calls for the creation of a 'civic emblem' to be used alongside the Freician flag to represent the Freician nation in a non-government setting.

See also

• Flag of Freice
• Freice