A solis ortu usque ad occasum

Ornamented version of the royal coat of arms of the Kings of Spain from Carlos III to Alfonso XIII, where the motto can be seen.

A solis ortu usque ad occasum is a heraldic motto roughly meaning "From sunrise to sunset" in Latin. Inspired by the Biblical passage of Psalm 113:3,[1] it can be interpreted as the sentiment of the monarch's dominion over lands across the world, similar to how the British and Spanish Empires are/were called the "empire[s] on which the sun never sets".

Most often cited in the coat of arms of many former Kings of Spain above the crest, it is distinctive in its placement above the crest similar to the Scottish style in slogans versus placement below the escutcheon or order if present. With this element it was wanted to manifest that the sun was not put in the dominions of the Spanish Empire, since these were located in both hemispheres. This motto echoed a famous phrase, "en mis dominios no se pone el sol" (in my dominions the sun does not set), attributed to King Philip II.

The ornamented version of the royal arms with the Castilian Royal Crest fell into disuse in the 19th century.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The phrase can also be quoted verbatim in Psalm 112:3 of the Latin Vulgate.

Further reading

  • José de Avilés, Marqués de. Ciencia heroyca, reducida a las leyes heráldicas del blasón, Madrid: J. Ibarra, 1780 (Reimp. Madrid: Bitácora, 1992). T. 2, p. 162-166. ISBN 84-465-0006-X.
  • Castañeda y Alcover, Vicente. Las armas reales de España. Heraldica hispanica.com (in Spanish).


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