Coat of arms of the Hawaiian Kingdom

Royal coat of arms
of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Royal coat of arms; of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Versions
	Greater version of the royal coat of arms
Armiger	King Kamehameha III in right of the Crown
Adopted	1845
Crest	Upon the helm, the Crown of Hawaii
Shield	Quarterly, I and IV red, white, and blue stripes representing the eight inhabited Hawaiian islands. II and III two emblems of taboo (pulo'ulo'u) on yellow. Inescutcheon with crossed spears and triangular flag on green.
Supporters	On the dexter, Kamanawa holding a spear; on the sinister, Kameʻeiamoku holding a feather standard or kāhili. Both were high chiefs and Counselors of State to King Kamehameha I.
Motto	"Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono" ("The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness")

The coat of arms of the Hawaiian Kingdom was officially adopted by the Legislative Assembly in 1845, during the reign of King Kamehameha III. The arms were designed by King the "Portcullis", from the College of Arms in London, commissioned by Timoteo Ha‘alilio, the King's private secretary and Royal Advisor, Reverend William Richards.

Design and symbolism

The coat of arms is quartered. The first and fourth quarters contain eight alternating white, red, and blue stripes, which represent the Hawaiian flag and the eight inhabited islands of the Kingdom. The second and third quarters contain a pūlo‘ulo‘u, a kapa-covered ball atop a stick. This was an insignia carried before a chief as a symbol of kapu (taboo) and protection. ^[1]^[2]^[3] In the center of the shield is a triangular banner (puela) and crossed spears, also symbolizing protection and kapu. The banner was often flown above the sails of chiefly canoes as a marker of royal status.^[1]^[2]^[3] The coat of arms features two male figures dressed in ‘ahu ‘ula (feather cloaks) and mahiole (feathered helmets). These are the sacred royal twin brothers, Kame‘eiamoku and Kamanawa, who assisted Kamehameha I in coming to power. One brother holds a spear while the other bears a feathered kāhili, a symbol of royalty.^[1]^[2]^[3] A crown ornamented with kalo leaves, symbolizing the monarchy, rests atop the shield^[1]^[3].The background of the coat of arms is meant to depict a draped ‘ahu ‘ula.^[1]

History

The first version of the Hawaiian coat of arms came to be during the reign of Kamehameha III. In July 1842, he sent two emissaries, William Richards and Timoteo Ha‘alilio, to the United States and Europe on an official mission to negotiate formal treaties to recognize the Kingdom of Hawaii’s independence. While in London in 1843, Timoteo Ha‘alilio, the King's private secretary and Royal Advisor, Rev. William Richards commissioned the College of Arms to create the coat of arms. The design was officially adopted in 1845.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The design was slightly modified during the reign of King Kalākaua.^[1]^[2]

Motto

Written on the sash at the bottom of the coat of arms is “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Āina i ka Pono,” the famous phrase spoken by King Kamehameha III when the sovereignty of the Kingdom was restored on July 31, 1843, after the Paulet affair. The motto translates to "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness".^[1]^[2]^[3]