Seal of Hawaii
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The current design of the Seal of Hawaii was commissioned by the Republic of Hawaii, derived from several features of the heraldry of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Upon United States annexation in 1898 and the creation of an American civil authority in 1900, the words Territory of Hawaii replaced the republican title. With the passage of the Admission Act in 1959, the words State of Hawaii were emblazoned at the top.
Motto
Along the bottom of the seal is the state motto — the official motto of the former kingdom, instituted by Kamehameha III. He proclaimed it in 1843 after a failed attempt by an overzealous British navy admiral to overthrew the monarchy. "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono" is translated into the English language meaning, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."
Bearers
The seal features two bearers. The image of Kamehameha the Great who unified the Hawaiian Islands into a single united kingdom stands to the left. On his opposite side, an image of the Goddess of Liberty holds Ka Hae Hawaii or the flag of Hawaii. Both bearers hold the state shield. Above the shield is a rising sun with the year of statehood, 1959. Below is the image of an phoenix rising up from a wreath of eight taro leaves, banana foliage and maidenhair fern.
Shield
The shield is quartered. On the upper left and bottom right quarters of the shield are the red, white and blue stripes representing the eight major Hawaiian Islands. Each of the two quarters have four stripes. On the top right and bottom left quarters are puloulou, symbolizing authority and power over the state. Holding the quarters together is a single star, representing the fiftieth star added to the flag of the United States.
| Seals of the U.S. states |
| Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
| Other inhabited administrative areas |
|---|
| American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Washington D.C. |
