Talk:Swedish heraldry/GA2

GA Review
The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.''


 * Begin GA review. Ling.Nut (talk) 05:39, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Inconsistent reference formatting. Some are last name, first name (Neubecker, Ottfried), but many others are first name last name (Paul O'Mahony). Former version preferred across standards. Ling.Nut (talk) 10:11, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Done. I replaced all the "author" tags in article references with "last" and "first" tags and let autoformatting do the rest. Wilhelm_meis (talk) 15:44, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm unhappy about the division of the article into a two-column format towards its end. I can't find anything in WP:LAYOUT discussing this, but that's possibly because no one imagined it would happen. I'm thinking about this. Ling.Nut (talk) 14:06, 8 June 2009 (UTC)
 * The reason I made two columns was to make the images fit better with the text. Look at the hidden archive below to see what happens when the columns are removed.  The images get jumbled and can no longer fit with the text without adding problematic white spaces (which bots will quickly remove). Wilhelm_meis (talk) 22:33, 8 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Although the two-column part of this version does look fairly good in Firefox, in Safari, all the images still end up bunched up on the left, with some overlapping text and other images in the following sections. So at least in Safari, the current approach doesn't solve the problem that it is intended to fix. Gimmetrow 03:22, 22 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Any suggestions how to fix that? Obviously we can't accommodate every browser on the market (and I notice it's not so good in Opera or Chrome either) but I would hope we could accommodate Firefox, IE and Safari, since these are the top browsers globally.  I notice IE seems to handle it pretty well either way, but does not recognize the columns, so it just comes out as one column with each text block aligned to its appropriate image. Wilhelm_meis (talk) 12:59, 22 June 2009 (UTC)
 * The coding in col-begin, col-2 and col-end seems to make the page render in Safari as it does in Firefox, with the small images appearing with the text in the second column. See sample below. Gimmetrow 13:08, 22 June 2009 (UTC)
 * The columns work better now in Safari. Gimmetrow 20:35, 14 July 2009 (UTC)
 * OK, as Ling.Nut seems to have abandoned, I will carry on. (actually, I'll start again. Jezhotwells (talk) 21:23, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Checking against GA criteria

 * 1) It is reasonably well written.
 * a (prose):
 * b (MoS):
 * I have no problems with the two column format. Jezhotwells (talk) 21:43, 16 July 2009 (UTC)
 * 1) It is factually accurate and verifiable.
 * a (references):
 * One dead link, ref #52 [. Otherwise excellently referenced. [[User:Jezhotwells|Jezhotwells]] (talk) 21:39, 16 July 2009 (UTC)✅
 * I did some searching on stockholm.se and it looks like the exact page originally linked there has not changed, but has had a layer added to the file path. Please see here.  I'm updating the article now. Wilhelm_meis (talk) 10:59, 17 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Excellent, my lack of Swedish meant that I couldn't find the new path. Jezhotwells (talk) 14:11, 17 July 2009 (UTC)
 * b (citations to reliable sources):
 * All seem OK. Assume good faith on those that I cannot check. Jezhotwells (talk) 21:42, 16 July 2009 (UTC)
 * c (OR):
 * 1) It is broad in its scope.
 * a (major aspects):
 * b (focused):
 * 1) It follows the neutral point of view policy.
 * Fair representation without bias:
 * 1) It is stable.
 * No edit wars etc.:
 * 1) It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate.
 * a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales):
 * b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
 * Captioned where necessary.
 * 1) Overall:
 * Pass/Fail:
 * Just one dead link, I can't find it at the Internet Archive. On hold. Jezhotwells (talk) 21:42, 16 July 2009 (UTC) ✅
 * OK, I am happy to pass this as a Good Article. Congratulations. Jezhotwells (talk) 14:11, 17 July 2009 (UTC)
 * a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales):
 * b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
 * Captioned where necessary.
 * 1) Overall:
 * Pass/Fail:
 * Just one dead link, I can't find it at the Internet Archive. On hold. Jezhotwells (talk) 21:42, 16 July 2009 (UTC) ✅
 * OK, I am happy to pass this as a Good Article. Congratulations. Jezhotwells (talk) 14:11, 17 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Just one dead link, I can't find it at the Internet Archive. On hold. Jezhotwells (talk) 21:42, 16 July 2009 (UTC) ✅
 * OK, I am happy to pass this as a Good Article. Congratulations. Jezhotwells (talk) 14:11, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

Municipal heraldry
There are 290 municipalities in Sweden, each with its own coat of arms. A local government reform in the 1960s–1970s made all cities part of a municipality. The city arms often—but not always—became the coat of arms of the new municipality. As some municipalities were created at this time by merging smaller communities, this led in some cases to arms consisting of two parts, each derived from one of the communities. Some new municipalities also lacked historical cities within, and therefore created wholly new coats of arms. Municipalities which carry the name of a city (with a few exceptions—see below) traditionally display a mural crown on top of their coat of arms. While no law forbids other municipalities from using the mural crown, it is customarily reserved for those bearing former city arms. Kalmar was the first to establish city arms in 1247, and Stockholm, Skara and Örebro were also among the first cities in Sweden to establish city arms. As recently as 2007, Härryda Municipality was among the last municipalities in Sweden to replace its logo with a newly registered coat of arms. Municipal arms may not use any colors (tinctures) other than argent, Or, gules, azure, sable and vert. As in other heraldic traditions, the rule of tincture applies and it is the blazon—not the image—that is legally registered.

Former city arms
The following is not an exhaustive list of the 133 historic cities in Sweden, but a brief list of cities that are notable and bear heraldic significance within the context of Swedish heraldry. Each is listed by the city name, in general chronological order with the approximate year of settlement or city charter. Note that most city arms originated in the Middle Ages as a city seal, and all were registered as municipality (kommun) arms in the 1970s.

Sigtuna (990), one of the oldest cities in Sweden, is known for its Viking Age history and rune stones. In medieval times, coins were minted at Sigtuna, and legend suggests it was the royal seat for a time, signified by the crown on its arms. The crown appeared in the city seal in 1311, and carried through to the municipal arms granted in 1971. Blazon: Azure, a crown Or between three mullets argent.

Kalmar (1100) has the oldest known city arms in Sweden, depicting a fortified tower (borgtorn) and dating to 1247. The two stars were added by the end of the 13th century, and the arms have remained vitually unchanged to date. Blazon: Argent, a tower embattled gules, with door and windows Or, issuing from a wavy base azure, between two mullets of six points gules.

Arboga (1200s), settled in the 10th century, has been a city since 1480 and was home of the first parliament of Sweden (Riksdag) in 1435. Arboga's city arms originated from a city seal dating from 1330. The original city seal showed an eagle with three roundels placed one on each wing and the tail, and a letter "A" between two stars. The "A" was omitted and the stars moved onto the eagle's wings in 1969, and the same arms granted to the municipality in 1974. Blazon: Argent, an eagle sable, beaked langued and armed gules, each wing charged with a mullet of six points Or.

Malmö (1250) is the southernmost, and third largest, city in Sweden. Malmö's arms, granted by royal decree of Eric of Pomerania in 1437, survive virtually unchanged today and, together with Halmstad, are unique in having a helmet and crest included in the achievement of arms. Malmö's City Archives still preserve the letter written April 23, 1437 by Eric, granting his own griffin head arms to the city. Blazon: Argent, a griffin head [erased] gules crowned Or; the same upon the helmet, issuing from the crown a bundle of ostrich feathers argent and gules.

Stockholm (1250) is the largest city and present-day capital of Sweden. The original city seal depicted a city, but in 1376, the head of Saint Erik was introduced and remains in the city's seal to present day. In the 1920s, the city arms were revised, based upon a church icon said to represent Saint Olaf, although the blazon clearly indicates Saint Erik as the intended subject, and these arms were officially granted in 1934. Blazon: Azure, a crowned head of Saint Erik [couped] Or.

Uppsala (1286) was the seat of power in Sweden from antiquity. Since the 12th century, it has been the ecclesiastical center of Sweden, and it is the site of the oldest university in Sweden. The origin of the city arms is somewhat obscure, but the lion has been featured on Uppsala's city seal since at least 1737, and in the city arms which were granted in 1943. Blazon: Azure, a crowned lion passant gardant Or, fimbriated sable and langued and armed gules.

Landskrona (1413) was established by Eric of Pomerania as an anti-Hansa city in competition with the Danish port cities of the time, shortly after Skåne had been conquered by Sweden. The city was originally symbolised by a gold "queen's crown" on a red field, in direct reference to Margrethe Valdemarsdatter, and the city received its present arms in 1880, based on a city seal from 1663 depicting a crown, a lion, a ship and a cornucopia on a quartered field. Landskrona is unique among Swedish municipal arms in having its own crown and supporters as part of its own achievement. Landskrona's own crown replaces the wall crown, which it has the right to use.

Gothenburg (1619), the second largest city in Sweden, was founded in 1621 by Gustav II Adolf. The city arms feature the Folkung lion of the Greater Coat of Arms of Sweden, but armed with a drawn sword and bearing the "Svea Rikes" shield (a blue shield charged with three gold crowns). The lion, king of the animals, stands for power and agility. The direction of the Gothenburg lion and the crown have been especially controversial. The blazon received in 1952 read: "Azure, three wavy bends sinister argent, overlaid with a lion contourné crowned with closed crown Or, with forked tail, langued and armed gules, swinging with the right forepaw a sword Or, and maintaining in the left a shield azure with three crowns Or, arranged two and one."

Kiruna (1948), an iron mining town in the 20th century, became chartered as the northernmost city in Sweden in 1948 and is the seat of Kiruna Municipality, which also includes the annually rebuilt ice hotel in nearby Jukkasjärvi. The city arms of Kiruna were granted in 1949, and the municipal arms were registered in 1974. Blazon: Party per fess: Argent, the Iron alchemical symbol azure; Azure, a ptarmigan argent. Sparking local political controversy, the ptarmigan received red claws and beak in 1971.

Other municipal arms
Oxelösund is one example of a municipality emerging from a split between two cities – in this case, Nyköping and Oxelösund, which are now in neighboring municipalities since the splitting of Nikolai rural municipality in 1950. The town of Oxelösund was established in 1900 and became a city in 1950, when it became a separate municipality from Nyköping.

Stenungsund is one example of a municipality that, having no historic city arms, created wholly new arms in the 1970s. This device, displaying a hydrocarbon molecule, alludes to the area's petrochemical industry, and is also an example of distinctly modern arms. The arms, registered with the PRV in 1977, display: Argent, a hydrocarbon molecule of three pellets conjoined with six bezants gules, over a base wavy azure.

Mullsjö Municipality was newly created in 1952. The coat of arms, granted in 1977, was proposed by the municipality's recreation committee, to market the municipality as a center for winter sports. The snow crystal is a relatively modern charge, and the modern tree-top line, called kuusikoro in Finnish, is reflective of the Finnish influence on Swedish heraldry. Blazon: Azure, a snow crystal argent beneath a spruce-top chief of the same.

Krokom Municipality was formed in 1974 and bears arms granted in 1977, featuring a ram (gumsen) based on a 6000 year old runestone at Glösabäcken. The ram seen here was included in the seal of the legislature of Rödön from 1658. While petroglyphs long predate heraldry, they rarely appear in heraldic armory. Blazon: Argent, a chevron gemel wavy inverted and diminished azure, beneath a ram in the manner of a rock carving gules.

Other municipal arms 2
Oxelösund is one example of a municipality emerging from a split between two cities – in this case, Nyköping and Oxelösund, which are now in neighboring municipalities since the splitting of Nikolai rural municipality in 1950. The town of Oxelösund was established in 1900 and became a city in 1950, when it became a separate municipality from Nyköping.

Stenungsund is one example of a municipality that, having no historic city arms, created wholly new arms in the 1970s. This device, displaying a hydrocarbon molecule, alludes to the area's petrochemical industry, and is also an example of distinctly modern arms. The arms, registered with the PRV in 1977, display: Argent, a hydrocarbon molecule of three pellets conjoined with six bezants gules, over a base wavy azure.

Mullsjö Municipality was newly created in 1952. The coat of arms, granted in 1977, was proposed by the municipality's recreation committee, to market the municipality as a center for winter sports. The snow crystal is a relatively modern charge, and the modern tree-top line, called kuusikoro in Finnish, is reflective of the Finnish influence on Swedish heraldry. Blazon: Azure, a snow crystal argent beneath a spruce-top chief of the same.

Krokom Municipality was formed in 1974 and bears arms granted in 1977, featuring a ram (gumsen) based on a 6000 year old runestone at Glösabäcken. The ram seen here was included in the seal of the legislature of Rödön from 1658. While petroglyphs long predate heraldry, they rarely appear in heraldic armory. Blazon: Argent, a chevron gemel wavy inverted and diminished azure, beneath a ram in the manner of a rock carving gules.