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The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.

Mathieu Gérard Ravignat

Cantley, Quebec
Grant of a Crest and Flags
April 20, 2012
Vol. VI, p. 137

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Blazon

Arms

Paly Or and Sable a lion rampant Gules charged with a crescent Or;

Crest

Issuant from a coronet of fleurs-de-lis and escallops Or a demi-lion guardant Sable holding in the dexter paw a rose Gules barbed and slipped Vert;

Motto

FORTITUDO IN AMORE ET PROELIO;

Symbolism

Arms

The principal colours, black and gold, appear in the arms of the Holy Roman Empire, its medieval fiefdom of Namur, and the village of Andenne, these places being respectively the earliest location of the name Ravignat, the source of the name in Belgium, and the modern village of Mr. Ravignat’s Belgian family. The red lion refers to the etymology of the name, old Germanic for “son of a powerful warrior”. It symbolizes courage and readiness to defend, and is also the main charge on the coat of arms of Belgium, Namur and Andenne. Red is also the main colour on the arms of the Seigneur de Bierwart, Bierwart being the place where the name Ravignat was first recorded. For the Canadian branch of the family, the lion is linked to the ancestor Ernest Ravignat, who, as a stone mason in the early 1900s, carved heraldic lions at several Canadian public buildings.

The crescent distinguishes his arms as the second branch of the family.

Crest

The fleurs-de-lis in the coronet identify the family’s francophone heritage. Scallop shells symbolize a pilgrimage. The lion evokes the lion in the arms of the medieval fiefdom of Namur, in present-day Belgium, from where the Ravignat family originates. The rose in a fist is the international symbol for social democracy, alluding to Mr. Ravignat’s ideals as a Canadian parliamentarian.

Motto

Meaning “Courage in love and battle”.