| FRENCH SHIELD: | PER BEND GULES FIVE TURRETS OR IN SALTIRE AND AZURE A MOLLET OR, OVER ALL A BENDLET ARGENT. |
| MOTTO: | "D'HIER À AUJOURD'HUI POUR DEMAIN" |
SYMBOLISM OF THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE SHIELD
| PARTITIONS: | The two parts that make up the shield background, or field, reflect the historical moments experienced by the family of Jehan Terriot, ancestor of all the Thériaults found in America. | ||||||||||||||||
- The dexter side (bearer's right, viewer's left) is blue (AZURE in heraldry).
This colour indicates the French origin of the 17th century Acadia.
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- The sinister side (bearer's left, viewer's right) is red (GULES in heraldry).
This is the colour of the Poitou shield with its five gold castles.
| ORDINARY : |
The bendlet or narrow stripe that runs diagonally from the dexter chief to the
sinister base is representative of the baldric (leather shoulder belt for sword).
The Poitou shield (five gold castles) is placed near this stripe. A gold stripe
is found in the shield of Menou d'Aulnay, governor of Acadia in 1638 and Jehan
Terriot's Lord in Martaizé, Poitou Province. The bendlet divides the sbield as a
reminder of the tragedy of the Acadian deportation in 1755. |
CHARGES: |
The charges are objects placed in the shield. To this ordinary are added a
natural figure (the five-pointed star) and an artificial figure (the five towers
or castles from the Poitou shield). The towers serve as a reminder that our
ancestor is from Martaizé near Loudun in Poitou. As far as the star is concerned,
it appears on the French flag adopted by Acadia in 1885. Jehan Terriot's family
and his descendants played an important role in the history of Acadia, in
Port-Royal, Beaubassin and, after the deportation, in New Brunswick and Québec. |
TINCTURES: |
The tinctures are the colours used in the shield. |
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GULES (red) stands for courage and love of ancestors, especially of Jehan Terriot
who left France for adventure in Port-Royal. It symbolizes the courage to leave,
to go across oceans, to stay and to prosper until bis death. It also reminds us
of the courage of the Acadians who returned to Canada after the deportation in
1755. Red stands for val our and boldness. |
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AZURE (blue) is a reminder of the French origins of the Acadian people, recognized
as French Neutrals in Nova Scotia. It is also a reminder of the measure, peace,
and order that our ancestors were after in Acadia. Blue stands for joy and
allegiance. |
METALS : |
Two metals are used in the shield.
OR (gold or yellow) symbolizes the most precious values (spiritual values) of the
Acadian people: faith, work spirit, commitment to a cause. The non-corroding gold
stands for steadfastness and strength. |
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ARGENT (silver or white) symbolizes the enterpreneurial spirit of our ancestor,
his relative affluence, and his success in cultivating the new Acadian soil.
Silver stands for beauty and victory. |
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Emblazoning: Yvon Thériault
Heraldic designer-consultant: Luc-André Biron
Sainte-Foy, 1996
Per bend : divided diagonally
In saltire :set Xwise, like the St.Andrew's cross
Bendlet: narrow diagonal stripe