FOCUS ON PHILATELY: The trident: from Kyiv to Vilnius? (07/02/00)

FOCUS ON PHILATELY

by Ingert Kuzych

The trident: from Kyiv to Vilnius?

This month's "Focus on Philately" will be somewhat different from previous articles in that I will not specifically describe Ukrainian philatelic issues. Instead, this submittal will be more in the form of a "think piece," presenting my arguments for a possible medieval evolution of the trident emblem.

The genesis of the trident emblem is lost in the mists of antiquity and, despite many imaginative explanations for its origin, its true meaning and original symbolism will likely never be recovered.

The oldest examples of tridents unearthed by archeologists on Ukrainian territory date to the first century A.D. At that time the marking was likely a mystic symbol of power for one or several of the tribes that later became part of the Ukrainian people. Attempts have been made to trace the origins of the trident even further back, to the third and fourth centuries B.C. coins found in Greek colonies on the Black Sea shore, some of which display Poseidon's three-pronged emblem. These theories, however, have proven to be more speculative than substantive.

There is no doubt that the trident was first used as a state symbol in Kyivan Rus'. Among the best known examples are those found on coins, minted first by Volodymyr the Great (ca. 989) and then by several of his successors (Figure 1). From the 10th to the 13th centuries the trident was also used in a variety of designs on building blocks (bricks), ceramics, armor, seals, jewelry, manuscripts and so on. Because of its wide use in Rus', the trident evolved in many directions, but it never lost its basic structure. Some 200 medieval variations of the trident have now been recorded (see Figures 2-4).

The use of the trident on such a variety of objects and in so many ways would seem to indicate that it was not just a dynastic emblem, but that it had a deeper popular (ritual) significance. For example, in the Carpathian mountains, where many of the most ancient Slavic rituals have been preserved, Ukrainian peasants decorated their cottages with the trident (Figure 5) as a symbol of protection against evil or misfortune, and as a talisman for all that was good. The belief was that the trident symbolized power, security and good fortune; conversely, it warded off bad luck.

The use of the trident is generally described as having died out in the 13th century, and it was not until Ukraine acquired its independence in 1918 that the trident was officially readopted as a national symbol.

Considering how popular the trident was in everyday medieval depictions and how prolonged its period of use, it is a bit surprising that it would have fallen out of fashion rather abruptly. I would like to present the argument that the trident (or a form thereof) continued its symbolic function in the successor state of Kyivan Rus', namely the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Before exploring this possibility, however, a bit of heraldic information needs to be presented.

Although the trident (or sometimes bident) seems to have functioned as the official coat of arms of the Kyivan Rus' state of the Middle Ages, this symbol was apparently not the emblem of the ruling Riurikid dynasty in Kyiv. The earliest known depiction by a Western herald of an escutcheon belonging to a royal member of the House of Kyiv is that of Anna (ca. 1024-1075, Figure 6), daughter of Yaroslav the Wise (ca. 978 -1054). The charge follows the Western European tradition in both its system and appearance, and was adopted with her marriage to King Henry of France in 1051: the husband's charge of gold fleur-de-lis on blue background is on the left, while an open gold and silver gate on a red field appears on the right. This open gate symbol - and not the trident - presumably was the familial crest of Yaroslav and of his descendants who ruled in Kyiv (Figure 7).

By the early 14th century the glory that had been Kyiv had long since faded: devastated by the Mongol hordes in 1240, the city-state was now much reduced in size and status. At this time Lithuania, united under the leadership of Gediminas (Gedymin), began a policy of expansion into Belarus and Ukraine (Figure 8). The grand duke occupied the Brest region, Volyn, the areas of Turiv and Pynsk, and the northern part of the province of Kyiv. Gediminas even styled himself as the "King of Lithuania and Rus'."

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania under the rule of Gediminas (1316-1341), his son Algirdas (1345-1377), and particularly under Vytautas (1392-1430, Figure 9), saw itself as the successor to Kyivan Rus'; its expansion was a mission "to gather the lands of Rus'." By 1430 most of the former Kyivan Rus' lands were included in the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian and Lithuania was the largest state in Europe.

One should not view the Lithuanian takeover of Ukrainian lands in terms of violent invasion. Actually penetration, co-option and annexation are more appropriate descriptions of the manner in which Lithuania extended its hold over Slavic lands. Frequently the "invaders" were welcomed as they advanced. When fighting did occur, it was usually directed against the Mongols.

The official symbol for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania adopted during the reign of Vytautas was the mounted knight (Vytis, Figure 10); this emblem may be seen on coins dating from this time. The reverse of these coins, however, shows a trident-gate symbol in what may be termed a secondary state emblem, the so-called "Gate (or Pillars) of Gediminas," see Figure 11. (This traditional name actually dates from a later time, when Gediminas was recognized as the founder of the dynasty of the grand dukes of Lithuania.) This author proposes that Vytautas may have fused the trident symbol of the former Rus' state with the gate design of the predecessor Ruirikid nobility to create the well-known stylized trident-gate design that has remained unchanged for almost 600 years (Figures 12 and 13). Vytautas may have undertaken this gesture to enhance his dynastic claim to the recently acquired lands of Rus' and to present himself and his empire as the logical successor to the Kyivan Rus' state.

Although the above statements may strike the reader as mere speculation - and admittedly cannot be proven - they do follow from a number of interesting coincidences:

1. Vytautas' trident-gate symbol dates from about the time he acquired the remainder of Rus' lands (the late 14th and early 15th centuries).

2. The Lithuanian nobility of this time was quickly coming under the cultural influence of its Slavic subjects. Numerous princes adopted Orthodoxy, and Ruthenian (old Ukrainian) became the official language of government.

3 The tradition of Vytautas' symbol representing a gate (or pillars) is very old, even though there is no close resemblance. The symbol could just as easily represent a house or castle, not to mention a trident.

4. The "Gate of Gediminas," when represented in color, is most frequently shown white on a red field, very reminiscent of the color combination in Anna Yaroslavna's gate (silver on red).

The purpose of this article is not to denigrate the Lithuanian trident-gate symbol in any way, and I certainly hope I haven't offended my Lithuanian friends or acquaintances. I merely wanted to point out a number of interesting facts and to show, at least in my estimation, that they add up to a reasonable explanation for the origin of the "Gate of Gediminas." I welcome readers' comments and critiques.

Dr. Ingert Kuzych may be contacted at P.O. Box 3, Springfield VA 22150; or by e-mail at ingertjk@gateway.net

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