The Bear Coat of Arms: Meaning and Design

What a bear means in heraldry

Strength, and the protection of family. A bear is slow to anger and terrifying once roused, which is exactly what most people want an emblem to say about the people they look after. Heraldic meanings were written down by later authors rather than set by any rule, so treat them as tradition, not law, but this one has stuck for good reason.

The bear is far less common in arms than the lion, which makes it a good choice if you want a strong beast that does not look like everyone else's. It was most at home in the heraldry of Germany, Switzerland and Spain, where real bears still roamed the forests when coats of arms were young. The German family crest guide explains why Berlin's bear is a pun on the city's name.

Famous bear arms

• Bern, Switzerland: a black bear walking up a gold diagonal band on a red field. The bear appears on the city's seals as early as 1224, and the city legend says Duke Berthold V of Zähringen named the new town after the first animal his hunters caught: a bear.
• Berlin, Germany: a black bear rearing up on a silver shield, with red tongue and claws, under a crown. The current design was adopted in 1954.
• Madrid, Spain: a black bear standing up against a strawberry tree, the madroño, inside a blue border with seven silver stars. The bear goes back to the medieval town council's banner.
• Greenland: a silver polar bear on a blue shield, adopted in 1989. The blue stands for the oceans around the island.
• Warwick, England: the bear and ragged staff, the badge of the medieval Earls of Warwick, still flies on the flag of Warwickshire.

These belong to their cities and countries, so treat them as inspiration and give your bear its own colors, name and motto.

Bear poses and their names

• Rampant: rearing on its hind legs with forepaws raised, as in Berlin. This is the bear drawn in Crest Studio.
• Passant: walking on all fours, as in Bern.
• Sejant: sitting upright.
• Statant: standing still with all four feet on the ground.

Heralds also use a bear's head on its own, cut off cleanly (couped) or with a jagged edge (erased). One old quirk: some English heraldry books said a bear should always be drawn wearing a muzzle unless the blazon said otherwise, so you will see many muzzled bears in older arms.

Designing your bear crest

Black on silver or gold

A black bear on silver or gold is the classic look of Berlin and Bern, and it reads clearly at any size. A silver bear on blue recalls the polar bear of the north. A gold bear on red or green feels warm and royal. All of these keep the heraldic rule of tincture: a metal against a color.

Names with a bear in them

Some names already carry a bear. Björn is the Scandinavian word for bear, and Ursula comes from the Latin ursa, a she-bear. A bear crest for a family or a person with a name like that is a quiet heraldic pun, the kind heralds have always loved.

For teams and clubs

A rearing bear is a natural badge for a rugby or hockey club, a scout troop or an online guild, because the silhouette stays bold even as a small icon. See clan and guild logos and the Crest Logo Kit.

Mottos

Try Fortis et Fidelis (strong and faithful), Fortitudine (by fortitude) or plain English such as "Guard the Hearth". The Latin motto generator has 50 more with translations. Comparing beasts? The lion and wolf guides cover the other two favorites.

Design a bear crest

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