CoA of the Brotherhood of Black Heads - Tallinn, Estonia
N 59° 26.334 E 024° 44.795
35V E 372203 N 6591089
This coat of arms is on the House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads in the Old Town of Tallinn, Estonia. The house was built in the 16th century and was used by a medieval guild made up of young, single merchants and foreigners.
Waymark Code: WMPR4D
Location: Estonia
Date Posted: 10/11/2015
Views: 5
The coat of arms is displayed above the entrance to the House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads. There is a lion on either side of the coat of arms. In the center of the coat of arms is a cameo of the Christian Saint Maurice.
"The exact origin of the term 'blackhead' is unknown. The patron saint of the Brotherhood of Blackheads is the Christian Saint Maurice whose head is also depicted on the Brotherhood's coat of arms. Whether the patron saint was chosen because of the name, or whether the saint precedes the name remains unclear." --Wikipedia (
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"Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius) was the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century, and one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that group. He was the patron saint of several professions, locales, and kingdoms." --Wikipedia (
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The following additional information is included on a historical marker on the building:
"The Tallinn Brotherhood of Black Heads, established in 1399, leased the Pikk street building in 1517 and added a big festive hall to it in 1531-32, the initial ornament paintings of which can still be seen in the windows.
In 1597, the façade was renovated by the builder-stonecutter Arent Passer. In addition to the coat of arms of the brotherhood that bears the picture of St. Mauritius, the stone décor also represents the portraits of the landlords King Sigismund III and Queen Anna; the coat of arms of Tallinn's partner factories in the Hanseatic League the Steelyard in London, Peterscourt in Novgorod, the Oosterlinghuis in Brugges and Tyskebryggen in Bergen; above these, Black Heads on a tournament, Justitia (Justice), Pax (Peace) and Christ Almighty can be seen. The rooms in the House of Black Heads and Olev's Guild were modernized between 1908-1922."