Maure

A Maure, since the 11th century, is a symbol depicting eitheer the head of a Muslim or a black moor. The term has Phoenician and Greek origins.

Flags, seals, and emblems

This symbol is used for political purposes.

African Unification Front

The Maure is the African Unification Front's flag and emblem. The head is blindfolded representing the impartiality of justice, and the knot is tied into a stylized Adinkra symbol for omnipotence (Gye Nyame).

Flag of Corsica

The main charge in the coat of arms in Corsica is U Moru, Corsican for "The Moor", originally a female Moor blindfolded and wearing a necklace made of beads. An early version is attested in the 14th-century Gelre Armorial, where an unblindfolded Moor's head represents Corsica as a state of the Crown of Aragon. In 1736, it was used by both sides during the struggle for independence.

In 1760, General Pasquale Paoli ordered the necklace to be removed from the head and the blindfold raised. His reason, reported by his biographers, was "Les Corses veulent y voir clair. La liberté doit marcher au flambeau de la philosophie. Ne dirait-on pas que nous craignons la lumière ?" (English: "The Corsicans want to see clearly. Freedom must walk by the torch of philosophy. Won't they say that we fear the light?") Later the blindfold was changed to a headband.

The current flag of Corsica is the Template:Lang-co), is male rather than female, and has a regular knot at the back of the head.

Flag of Sardinia

The flag of Sardinia is informally known as the Four Moors (Italian: I quattro mori, Template:Lang-src, Template:Lang-sro) and comprises four Moor heads.

Gallery

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  Gelre Armorial, Folio 62r, 14th century

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  Flag of Linkebeek, Belgium

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  Tucher von Simmelsdorf in Antwerp

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  Coat of arms with Moor of Freising

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  Coat of arms of Alcanadre. La Rioja, Spain, depicting heads of slain Muslims after the Reconquista

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  Coat of Georg Gänswein during the Papacy of Benedict XVI

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  Coat of Avenches, Switzerland

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  Female Moor's head on the coat of arms of the district of Möhringen in Stuttgart, Germany

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  The Scottish crest badge of Clan MacLellan featuring the head of Black Morrow

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  The current coat of arms of Aragon features four heads of Moors.

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  The flag of Sardinia

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  The Sardinian Flag until 1999

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  The Flag and coat of arms of Corsica

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  The coat of arms of the Brotherhood of Blackheads

See also

• Blackamoor (decorative arts)
• Heads in heraldry
• Turk head (heraldry)

Further reading

• "Heart of Independent Sardinia". giampiero6's Orgosolo Page. http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/da2b/23e51/. Retrieved April 22, 2005. 
• "Sa Bandela de Sos Bator Moros", Sardinian Autonomous Region, http://www.sitos.regione.sardegna.it/4mori/4mori_sardo.htm, retrieved April 22, 2005  which in turn cites
  • B. Fois (1990). Lo stemma dei quattro mori, breve storia dell'emblema dei Sardi. (editor Carlo Delfino) Sassari. 
• "The Historic Significance of the Muare", African Unification Front, http://africanfront.com/umorusymbolism.php, retrieved April 22, 2005 
• "L'Histoire d'U Moru", Extraits de l'Ouvrage: "Trois Etudes Sur Paoli", http://perso.wanadoo.fr/bludimare/maure.htm, retrieved April 22, 2005 
• "U Moru (English translation)", Extracts from "Trois Etudes Sur Paoli", http://perso.wanadoo.fr/bludimare/maurang.htm, retrieved April 22, 2005