- The Governor General of Canada
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Richard Bodéüs
Montreal, Quebec
Grant of Arms, with differences to Marie-Cécile Bodéüs and Marc Bodéüs
September 15, 2004
Vol. IV, p. 399
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Blazon
Arms
Sable an owl affronty Or its dexter claw holding a sword its sinister leg chained Argent;
Crest
A coronet of maple leaves and fir cones, each cone ensigned by a cross Or;
Motto
TOT ÇOU QU'I FÅT LA WICE QU'I FÅT;
Symbolism
Arms
The owl of the Greek goddess Athena is a symbol of wisdom and was chosen by Mr. Bodéüs to represent his profession as a historian of ancient philosophy. The tether and sword refer to a line by the Latin Poet Horace (Epistle II, 1, 156) Græcia capta ferrum victorem cepit, “Greece [land of wisdom] once conquered [by the Romans] seized the victor’s sword [i.e., conquered them in turn with their civilization]”. The imagery is a metaphor for knowledge triumphing over dominating force.
Crest
The gold coronet with pinecones and maple leaves refers both to the origins of Mr. Bodéüs in Liège and to his Canadian nationality. The pinecone with a cross on top, which was a symbol used in Celtic culture, symbolizes the liberties held by the citizens of Liège since the XIIIth century.
Motto
In Walloon dialect, it means “Do all that which must be done”.