Snowflake (heraldry)

The snowflake or snow crystal, is a charge in heraldry. The display in coats of arms is following a strictly stylized form of the natural six pointed crystal form of a snowflake. In older heraldic literature, this charge is not to be seen. In modern heraldry, the snowflake is most used in northern Europe, in arms in Sweden, Norway and Finland , where it alludes to the meteorological features of the lands. Otherwise, it also is a symbol for winter, and together with the sun the changing seasons (e.g. In the arms of Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, ), or locally important winter sport (e.g. Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, together with a pair of skis).

The tincture is often argent (silver).

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  Bad Kleinkirchheim

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  Kylmäkoski

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  Lumijoki

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  Mullsjö

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  Böxlund

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  Kirchschlag bei Linz

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  Sankt Lorenzen am Wechsel

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  Saalbach-Hinterglemm

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  Sandl

Literature

• Walter Leonhard: Das große Buch der Wappenkunst. Entwicklung, Elemente, Bildmotive, Gestaltung. Lizenzausgabe. Bechtermünz, Augsburg 2001, ISBN:3-8289-0768-7, S. 261.