text:
Who Do You Think You Are? (UK TV series)
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Who Do You Think You Are?
Genre
Documentary
Narrated by
David Morrissey (2004)
Mark Strong (2006–2012)
Cherie Lunghi (2013–2016)
Phil Davis (2017–)
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of series
14
No. of episodes
128 and 2 specials
(as of 7 September 2017 or
Series 14, Episode 9)

Specials:
11 July 2007:
Adoption Special

6 August 2014:
10 Years, 100 Shows Special
Production
Running time
60 minutes
Production company(s)
Wall to Wall
Distributor
Warner Bros. Television Productions UK
Release
Original network
BBC Two (2004–06)
BBC One (2006–)
Original release
12 October 2004 (2004-10-12) – present
External links
Website
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007t575
For the U.S. series of the same name, see Who Do You Think You Are? (U.S. TV series).
Who Do You Think You Are? is a British genealogy documentary series that has aired on the BBC since 2004. In each episode, a celebrity traces their family tree. It is made by the production company Wall to Wall. The show has regularly attracted an audience of more than 6 million viewers.[1] More than ten international adaptations of the show have been produced.
Contents
[hide]
1 Episodes
1.1 Series 1 (2004)
1.2 Series 2 (2006)
1.3 Series 3 (2006)
1.4 Adoption special (2007)
1.5 Series 4 (2007)
1.6 Series 5 (2008)
1.7 Series 6 (2009)
1.8 Series 7 (2010)
1.9 Series 8 (2011)
1.10 Series 9 (2012)
1.11 Series 10 (2013)
1.12 Series 11 (2014)
1.13 Series 12 (2015)
1.14 Series 13 (2016–17)
1.15 Series 14 (2017)
2 Awards and nominations
3 Media releases
4 Other countries
4.1 International versions
5 Similar programmes
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
Episodes[edit]
Series one and two were broadcast on BBC Two, and the first was the channel's highest-rating programme of 2004. This led to episodes being shown on BBC One from the third series onwards. The current narrator, as of Series 14 in 2017, is Phil Davis. Mark Strong took over from David Morrissey after the first series, which was nominated for "Best Factual Series or Strand" in the 2005 BAFTAs; Cherie Lunghi was the narrator between Series 10 and 13.
In the first series, the last ten minutes of each episode featured presenter Adrian Chiles and genealogical researcher Nick Barratt giving tips on tracing a family tree. In 2007, a special episode was broadcast in conjunction with the BBC's "Family Wanted" campaign featuring Nicky Campbell, who was adopted a few days after he was born.[2]
The theme tune was composed by Mark Sayer-Wade, who also provided the background music for earlier episodes. The music for later episodes is provided by Julian Hamlin and Edmund Jolliffe.
Series 1 (2004)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Bill Oddie 12 October 2004 (2004-10-12) 5.79
Oddie, brought up by his father and paternal grandmother, goes back to the Birmingham area to learn more about his mother's life and her struggles with manic depression and her mother-in-law. Then he learns more about his grandmother's life, her husband and family in Rochdale, Lancashire. He ends his journey learning more about his Oddie ancestors in Grindleton, Lancashire.
2
Amanda Redman 19 October 2004 (2004-10-19) 4.63
3
Sue Johnston 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) 4.25
4
Jeremy Clarkson 2 November 2004 (2004-11-02) 4.95
5
Ian Hislop 9 November 2004 (2004-11-09) 4.96
Hislop, who was 12 when his father died, never met his grandfathers. Hislop traces his family history by travelling to his late mother's native Jersey, where for five years of her childhood, the island was occupied by Nazi Germany. He travels to Clary, France, where his paternal grandfather fought with the 9th Highland Light Infantry against the Hindenburg Line. He then goes to South Africa, where his maternal grandfather fought with the Royal Lancaster Regiment in the Battle of Spion Kop during the Boer War. While in South Africa, he discovered his father's maternal great great grandfather had gone to South Africa in 1795 with the 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders in an expedition to capture Cape Town from the Dutch.
6
Moira Stuart 16 November 2004 (2004-11-16) 5.35
7
David Baddiel 23 November 2004 (2004-11-23) 4.60
8
Lesley Garrett 30 November 2004 (2004-11-30) 4.41
9
Meera Syal 7 December 2004 (2004-12-07) 3.97
10
Vic Reeves 14 December 2004 (2004-12-14) 4.46
Series 2 (2006)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Jeremy Paxman 11 January 2006 (2006-01-11) 5.48
2
Sheila Hancock 18 January 2006 (2006-01-18) 5.43
3
Stephen Fry 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) 5.86
4
Julian Clary 1 February 2006 (2006-02-01) 5.94
5
Jane Horrocks 8 February 2006 (2006-02-08) 5.64
6
Gurinder Chadha 15 February 2006 (2006-02-15) 3.96
Series 3 (2006)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Barbara Windsor 6 September 2006 (2006-09-06) 6.40
2
Robert Lindsay 13 September 2006 (2006-09-13) 5.95
3
Colin Jackson 20 September 2006 (2006-09-20) 5.19
4
David Tennant 27 September 2006 (2006-09-27) 5.75
Tennant traces his paternal roots to the Isle of Mull, and is surprised to find his family came not from the lowlands but the Scottish Highlands. He discovers his maternal grandfather was a star player for Derry City F.C. in the 1930s, and expresses concern when he finds that other relatives were members of the Orange Order. He is disturbed to learn that his great-grandfather played a key role in suppressing Catholics in Derry, Northern Ireland, and that Catholic cousins came under fire on Bloody Sunday.
5
David Dickinson 4 October 2006 (2006-10-04) 5.80
6
Nigella Lawson 11 October 2006 (2006-10-11) 6.15
She traced her ancestors to Ashkenazi Jews who originate from eastern Europe and Germany, leaving Lawson surprised not to have Iberian-Sephardi ancestry in the family as she had believed.[4] She also uncovered that her maternal great-great-great grandfather, Coenraad Sammes (later Coleman Joseph), had fled to England from Amsterdam in 1830 to escape a prison sentence following a conviction for theft.
7
Jeremy Irons 18 October 2006 (2006-10-18) 5.82
8
Julia Sawalha 25 October 2006 (2006-10-25) 5.54
Adoption special (2007)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Nicky Campbell 11 July 2007 (2007-07-11) 4.32
Campbell traces his adoptive family's roots in Scotland and Australia.
Series 4 (2007)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Natasha Kaplinsky 6 September 2007 (2007-09-06) 6.78
Kaplinsky follows her paternal line to Slonim in Belarus and is shown official documentation relating to her cousin's family. This includes the death of family members during the "liquidation" – massacre – of the Slonim Jewish ghetto by the Nazis and another's escape to the partisans and eventual immigration to Australia. Her maternal line included an apothecary to King George III.
2
John Hurt 13 September 2007 (2007-09-13) 5.80
3
Griff Rhys Jones 20 September 2007 (2007-09-20) 5.75
4
Carol Vorderman 27 September 2007 (2007-09-27) 6.53
Vorderman discovers that her father was an active member of the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation. He died while the programme was being filmed. Her great-grandfather Adolphe Vorderman played a key role in the discovery of vitamins.
5
Alistair McGowan 4 October 2007 (2007-10-04) 6.17
6
Graham Norton 11 October 2007 (2007-10-11) 6.88
It was discovered that Norton's Walker ancestors were originally planters from Wentworth, South Yorkshire, who were sent over from England in the 17th century to take over Irish land. Some members of his family fought for the British monarchy during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and took part in the Carnew massacre. Another member of his family was later killed in battle by the United Irishmen.
7
Matthew Pinsent 18 November 2007 (2007-11-18) 6.57
Series 5 (2008)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Patsy Kensit 13 August 2008 (2008-08-13) 7.10
2
Boris Johnson 20 August 2008 (2008-08-20) 7.04
3
Jerry Springer 27 August 2008 (2008-08-27) 6.71
Springer, who was born in England but emigrated to the United States at a young age, travels to the UK to find out how his parents were allowed in as refugees from Nazi Germany in August 1939. He discovered that someone in England paid £50 as a guarantor to sponsor his parents, but the rest of the family was left behind. He travels to his great-grandfather's hometown of Neustettin (now Szczecinek, Poland), where his great grandfather, Abraham Springer, successfully appealed for outside help after anti-Semitic politician Ernst Henrici stirred up violence in 1881. Springer then travels to Łódź, where his maternal grandmother, Marie Kallmann, was deported in 1941. She was sent to the Chełmno extermination camp in May 1942. Springer's paternal grandmother, Selma Springer, died in Theresienstadt concentration camp.
4
Esther Rantzen 3 September 2008 (2008-09-03) 6.44
5
Ainsley Harriott 10 September 2008 (2008-09-10) 6.70
6
David Suchet 17 September 2008 (2008-09-17) 6.79
Suchet, who has a love of water, discovers that his maternal great-great-great-grandfather was captain of a brig which foundered off the east coast of England. His paternal ancestors were Russian Jews, and he traces their flight from Russia to Turkey, Prussia, South Africa, and then the United Kingdom. He learns about his grandfather and great-grandfather, both of whom were noted photographers.
7
Jodie Kidd 24 September 2008 (2008-09-24) 5.87
8
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen 29 September 2008 (2008-09-29) 4.72
Series 6 (2009)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Rory Bremner 2 February 2009 (2009-02-02) 6.44
2
Fiona Bruce 9 February 2009 (2009-02-09) 5.86
3
Rick Stein 16 February 2009 (2009-02-16) 5.64
4
Zoë Wanamaker 23 February 2009 (2009-02-23) 5.82
5
Kevin Whately 2 March 2009 (2009-03-02) 5.99
6
Davina McCall 15 July 2009 (2009-07-15) 6.92
7
Chris Moyles 22 July 2009 (2009-07-22) 5.23
8
Kate Humble 29 July 2009 (2009-07-29) 5.19
9
David Mitchell 5 August 2009 (2009-08-05) 4.55
10
Kim Cattrall 12 August 2009 (2009-08-12) 6.27
Cattrall researches her maternal grandfather, George Baugh's mysterious disappearance in 1938. She discovers that he became a bigamist in 1939 and had four more children. The episode reveals that Baugh's new family immigrated to Australia in 1961, and had lived there until Baugh's death in 1974.
11
Martin Freeman 19 August 2009 (2009-08-19) 6.48
Freeman researches his paternal grandfather, whom he learns died while serving as a medic during the Battle of Dunkirk in World War II. He discovers that his great-grandfather was blind, married three times, and meets a cousin he never knew he had. He also discovers how syphilis (a common disease at the time) ravaged his family in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Series 7 (2010)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Bruce Forsyth[5] 19 July 2010 (2010-07-19) 7.22
2
Rupert Everett 26 July 2010 (2010-07-26) 5.97
3
Dervla Kirwan 2 August 2010 (2010-08-02) 5.58
Growing up, Kirwan knew she was related to Irish national hero Michael Collins but did not know how. She discovers he was her great-great uncle: his sister, Margaret Collins O'Driscoll, was the mother of Kirwan's maternal grandfather. Kirwans seeks to find how her grandfather, Finian O'Driscoll, was involved in the IRA. She travels to Clonakilty, County Cork, birthplace of Michael Collins. On her father's side, she finds out her great grandfather, Henry Kahn, was a Polish Jew from the Russian Empire who broke with his community to marry an Irish Catholic girl in the late 19th century. Kirwan was surprised to discover they were married in the Protestant Church of Ireland, after the Catholic church refused to marry them.
4
Monty Don 9 August 2010 (2010-08-09) 5.95
5
Rupert Penry-Jones 16 August 2010 (2010-08-16) 5.68
Penry-Jones travels to India and confirms the family rumour that they have Indian ancestry. His great-great-great grandfather Thomas Johnstone was a sergeant major in the Royal Madras Fusiliers, and was part of the British attempts to quell the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He discovers Johnstone's wife, Louisa Collum, was of Anglo-Indian heritage.
6
Alexander Armstrong 23 August 2010 (2010-08-23) 6.46
Armstrong traces his mother's side of the family, who are descended from Irish landed gentry. The McCauslands were originally seated in Drenagh, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland and trace their ancestry through the Rouse-Boughton family, to Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of William the Conqueror via Edward III and the Beauforts, Dukes of Somerset.
7
Jason Donovan 30 August 2010 (2010-08-30) 5.55
8
Hugh Quarshie 6 September 2010 (2010-09-06) 5.42
9
Alan Cumming 13 September 2010 (2010-09-13) 5.15
Cumming traces the life of his maternal grandfather, whom the family was told died while cleaning his pistol while serving as a British police officer in Malaya. He learns about his grandfather's terrifying experiences as a war hero during the Battle of Dunkirk in World War II, his battle wounds received while helping stave off the Empire of Japan's invasion of India during the Burma Campaign, and his psychological problems which led to his death while playing Russian roulette in Malaya.
Series 8 (2011)[edit]
#
Celebrity[6][7]
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
June Brown 10 August 2011 (2011-08-10) 6.62
2
J.K. Rowling 17 August 2011 (2011-08-17) 7.00
Rowling researches her mother's paternal great-grandfather, Louis Volant, a French head waiter who previously worked at Savoy Hotel in the 1920s. Volant had won the Croix de Guerre for his bravery during the First World War. She also learns about Volant's mother, Salomée Schuch, an unmarried maid working in Paris at the time of his birth. At age 17, she had fled her hometown of Brumath in Alsace – which became part of the German Empire during the Franco-Prussian War – to become a naturalised French citizen when she eventually married Louis' father.
3
Sebastian Coe 24 August 2011 (2011-08-24) 5.45
4
Larry Lamb 31 August 2011 (2011-08-31) 5.45
5
Emilia Fox 7 September 2011 (2011-09-07) 6.06
Fox researches her family history hoping to discover where the acting bug in her family originated from. Fox's father believes that Fox's paternal grandfather, Robin Fox, a theatrical agent, likely would have wanted to be an actor. Fox learns that Robin's mother was Hilda Hanbury, an actress who appeared on the London stage in the late 1890s. Hanbury traveled to America with theater manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, though did not find great success and was reduced to small roles. Fox also learns that Sampson Fox, father of Hanbury's husband Arthur ("Willie") was a millionaire who rose to prominence from a child laborer in a textile mill to the owner of the Leeds Forge Company. With his large fortune, Sampson Fox was the sole donor for the Royal College of Music in London. However, Sampson Fox was also involved in a scandal regarding his promotion of watergas as an energy source and the financial success of its investors.
6
Alan Carr 14 September 2011 (2011-09-14) 5.49
7
Robin Gibb 21 September 2011 (2011-09-21) 4.37
8
Richard Madeley[8] 28 September 2011 (2011-09-28) 5.05
9
Len Goodman 5 October 2011 (2011-10-05) 5.03
10
Tracey Emin 12 October 2011 (2011-10-12) Unknown (under 4.21)
Series 9 (2012)[edit]
#
Celebrity[9]
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Samantha Womack 15 August 2012 (2012-08-15) 5.30
2
Gregg Wallace 22 August 2012 (2012-08-22) 5.46
3
Patrick Stewart 29 August 2012 (2012-08-29) 4.58
4
Annie Lennox 5 September 2012 (2012-09-05) 4.86
5
Hugh Dennis 12 September 2012 (2012-09-12) 4.87
6
Alex Kingston 19 September 2012 (2012-09-19) 4.97
7
William Roache 26 September 2012 (2012-09-26) 4.30
8
Celia Imrie 10 October 2012 (2012-10-10) 4.89
9
John Barnes 17 October 2012 (2012-10-17) Unknown (under 4.10)
10
John Bishop 6 December 2012 (2012-12-06) 5.53
Series 10 (2013)[edit]
#
Celebrity[10]
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Una Stubbs 24 July 2013 (2013-07-24) 5.24
2
Nigel Havers 31 July 2013 (2013-07-31) 5.39
3
Minnie Driver 7 August 2013 (2013-08-07) 4.95
4
Lesley Sharp 14 August 2013 (2013-08-14) 4.52
5
Gary Lineker 21 August 2013 (2013-08-21) 5.37
6
Nick Hewer 28 August 2013 (2013-08-28) 4.52
7
Nitin Ganatra 4 September 2013 (2013-09-04) 4.31
8
Sarah Millican 11 September 2013 (2013-09-11) 4.57
9
Marianne Faithfull 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 3.78
10
John Simpson 25 September 2013 (2013-09-25) 3.99
Series 11 (2014)[edit]
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
—
Who Do They Think They Are?: 10 Years, 100 Shows[11] 6 August 2014 (2014-08-06) Unknown (under 3.34)
1
Julie Walters[12] 7 August 2014 (2014-08-07) 5.23
Walters traces her Irish great-grandfather, Anthony Clarke.
2
Brian Blessed 14 August 2014 (2014-08-14) 5.31
Blessed traces his great-great-great-grandfather, Barnabus Blessed, a bookbinder, and discovers that after moving from London to Portsmouth, his four children were left orphans. Blessed's great-great-grandfather, Jabez Blessed, became a "real life Oliver Twist".[13]
3
Tamzin Outhwaite 21 August 2014 (2014-08-21) 4.94
4
Brendan O'Carroll 28 August 2014 (2014-08-28) 6.06
5
Sheridan Smith 4 September 2014 (2014-09-04) 4.74
6
Mary Berry 11 September 2014 (2014-09-11) 4.75
7
Martin Shaw 18 September 2014 (2014-09-18) 5.39
8
Reggie Yates 25 September 2014 (2014-09-25) 4.18
9
Billy Connolly 2 October 2014 (2014-10-02) 5.74
10
Twiggy 9 October 2014 (2014-10-09) 5.33
Series 12 (2015)[edit]
On 23 June 2015, the BBC confirmed the lineup for Series 12, which began on 13 August 2015.[14][15]
#
Celebrity
Original air date[16]
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Paul Hollywood 13 August 2015 (2015-08-13) 5.08
2
Jane Seymour 20 August 2015 (2015-08-20) 5.14
Seymour traces the lives of two of her Polish Jewish great aunts during World War II.
3
Derek Jacobi 27 August 2015 (2015-08-27) 4.68
Jacobi, a descendant of Huguenots who fled persecution by Catholics, travels to France, where he discovers the horrors his Protestant ancestors faced during persecution. His sixth great-grandfather Joseph de la Plaigne, a prominent financier of Louis XIV, lived as a covert Protestant following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. He was uncovered and imprisoned by the king in the Château de Loches in 1701. He apparently bribed his way out of prison the next year and fled to London. In 1708, two years before his death, the 70-year-old de la Plaigne married fellow Huguenot Salomé de la Bastide, sister of Colonel Armand de la Bastide, and 45 years his junior. In 1709 they had a son, Guillaume, who was baptised with William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire as his godfather. Guillaume anglicised his name to William Laplain and was chaplain to the Dukes of Devonshire.
4
Jerry Hall 3 September 2015 (2015-09-03) 4.38
5
Gareth Malone 10 September 2015 (2015-09-10) 4.56
6
Anne Reid 17 September 2015 (2015-09-17) 4.70
7
Frank Gardner 24 September 2015 (2015-09-24) 4.41
8
Anita Rani 1 October 2015 (2015-10-01) 4.38
9
Mark Gatiss 8 October 2015 (2015-10-08) Unknown (under 3.80)
10
Frances de la Tour 22 October 2015 (2015-10-22) 3.83
Actress Frances de la Tour discovers aristocratic lineage. Her great-great-great-great grandmother Maria Elizabeth Adderley, stepdaughter of Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire, married captain Alan Gardner in 1796. They divorced in 1805 after he discovered her affair with Henry Jadis, nephew of the Earl of Strathmore. Lady Gardner had an illegitimate child with Jadis, Henry Fenton Gardner (born in 1802), who was declared illegitimate by the House of Lords in 1825 following the Gardner Peerage Case, in which Henry unsuccessfully attempted to prove he was the rightful heir to the Gardner peerage. De la Tour visits Doddington Hall and Seaton Delaval Hall to find out more about Jadis' mother, the Hon. Sophia Ann (née Delaval), daughter of John Delaval, 1st Baron Delaval. De la Tour discovers Sophia's sad story of becoming pregnant before marriage with Henry, and rushing to marry a man beneath her status, John Jadis. After suffering abuse from a drunken Jadis, Sophia divorced him but became ostracised socially. She developed an addiction to laudanum and died at 38.
Series 13 (2016–17)[edit]
On 13 July, the line-up for the 13th series was confirmed.[17] The series started on 24 November 2016.
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Danny Dyer 24 November 2016 (2016-11-24) 5.45
Dyer discovers that his 3×great grandmother had a criminal record for concealing the birth of her baby, who died, that his 15× great grandfather was Thomas Cromwell, his 14× great grandmother was Elizabeth Seymour, the sister of Jane Seymour, who was Henry VIII's third wife and Queen, and that his 22× great grandfather was Edward III.
2
Amanda Holden 1 December 2016 (2016-12-01) 4.71
Holden investigates a family rumour that she is of French heritage on her mother's side. She discovers that her 5× great-grandfather Collin Thomas served a year's imprisonment after breaking his apprenticeship as a cordwainer by enlisting in the Royal Navy aged 15. Following his sentence, he enlisted in the British Army's 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot in 1807 and fought in the Peninsular War. In 1814, while with his regiment in Bordeaux in South Western France, he met a local woman, Radegonde Charbonnel. He deserted from the army shortly before he was due to muster out, married Radegonde in 1816 and began a family, moving his wife and eldest children back to his home in Cornwall several years afterwards. She also discovers that her paternal grandfather, Frank Holden, a psychiatric nurse, survived the June 1940 bombing of the RMS Lancastria, which sank with the loss of thousands of lives, outside the port of Saint-Nazaire.
3
Liz Bonnin 8 December 2016 (2016-12-08) 3.94
Bonnin travels to Trinidad to discover her maternal family's Indian heritage, discovering that her 2× great-grandfather, Timothy Sirju, travelled to Trinidad from India with his family in 1872, where he worked as an indentured servant. She then travels to Martinique to trace her paternal family's French heritage and discovers that her 3× great-grandfather, François Alexandre Gros Désormeaux, was a plantation and slave owner who married one of his freed slaves, Marie Joseph, in 1835, and was actually born a slave. He and his mother, Pauline Zoé, were freed by his father, also François Alexandre Gros Désormeaux, and Pauline Zoé was a rare example of a freed female slave inheriting a plantation and becoming a slave owner.
4
Cheryl 15 December 2016 (2016-12-15) 4.81
Cheryl researches her maternal family. Research shows that her paternal line is from Tyneside and that there were a number of coal miners amongst Cheryl's forebears. When tracing further back, in one of the branches of her paternal line, researchers find that her ancestry includes several mariners. The investigation into Cheryl's maternal line shows that her grandmother, Olga Ridley, was one of twin girls born to Edith Annie Burton, the housekeeper for a widower named Joseph Ridley who already had a number of children from his marriage. Joseph Ridley had fought in World War I in the Durham Light Infantry as a pioneer in France and, from an examination of the census, before the war he had been a grocery warehouseman.
5
Ricky Tomlinson 22 December 2016 (2016-12-22) 4.28
6
Ian McKellen 25 January 2017 (2017-01-25) 4.21
McKellen discovers that his great uncle, Frank Lowes, was an actor, and his great-great-grandfather, Robert Lowes, campaigned for a half-holiday for Manchester's workers on Saturdays, an event that led to the evolution of the modern weekend.
7
Greg Davies 1 February 2017 (2017-02-01) 4.63
8
Warwick Davis 15 February 2017 (2017-02-15) 5.24
9
Sunetra Sarker 22 February 2017 (2017-02-22) 3.97
10
Sophie Raworth 8 March 2017 (2017-03-08) 4.45
Series 14 (2017)[edit]
On June 23, the BBC announced the line-up for the series' 14th series, which again would comprise 10 episodes and like the previous series would be split into two halves to be broadcast across the year on BBC One. The remaining[clarification needed] five episodes feature TV presenter Fearne Cotton, comedienne Ruby Wax, actor and director Noel Clarke, singer Lulu and actress Lisa Hammond.
#
Celebrity
Original air date
Viewers (millions)[3]
1
Charles Dance 6 July 2017 (2017-07-06) TBA
2
Craig Revel Horwood 13 July 2017 (2017-07-13) TBA
3
Clare Balding 20 July 2017 (2017-07-20) TBA
4
Adil Ray 27 July 2017 (2017-07-27) TBA
5
Emma Willis 3 August 2017 (2017-08-03) TBA
6
Lulu 17 August 2017 (2017-08-17) TBA
7
Fearne Cotton 24 August 2017 (2017-08-24) TBA
8
Noel Clarke 31 August 2017 (2017-08-31) TBA
9
Lisa Hammond 7 September 2017 (2017-09-07) TBA
10
Ruby Wax 4 October 2017 (2017-10-04) TBA
Awards and nominations[edit]
The show was nominated for the 2010 BAFTA Television Award for Best Factual Series.[18]
Media releases[edit]
Series 1 – 11 of Who Do You Think You Are? are available on DVD in the UK (Region 2).
In October 2007, BBC Magazines began issuing Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, a monthly publication that includes material from the TV series.
The series 1–4 box set of Who Do You Think You Are? is available, distributed by Acorn Media UK.[19]
Complete Series
Release dates
DVD Extras
and
Bonus Features
Number
Of Discs
Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
The Complete
First Series
TBA 5 March 2007 17 September 2008 Unseen Footage, First Steps to Researching Your Family 3
The Complete
Second Series
TBA 4 September 2007 12 November 2008 Unseen Footage 2
The Complete
Third Series
TBA 12 January 2009 18 March 2009 None 3
The Complete
Fourth Series
TBA 3 August 2009 20 May 2009 Special episode in conjunction with the BBC's "Family Wanted" campaign featuring Nicky Campbell, who was adopted a few days after he was born. 3
The Complete
Fifth Series
TBA 1 February 2010 TBA Three behind-the-scenes features 3
The Complete
Sixth Series
TBA 6 September 2010 TBA None 4
The Complete
Seventh Series
TBA 7 March 2011 TBA None 3
The Complete
Eighth Series
TBA 20 August 2012[20] TBA None 3
The Complete
Ninth Series
TBA 5 August 2013[21] TBA None 3
The Complete
Tenth Series
TBA 22 September 2014[22] TBA None 3
The Complete
Eleventh Series
TBA 10 November 2014[23] TBA Who Do They Think They Are?: 10 Years, 100 Shows 3
Other countries[edit]
See also: Who Do You Think You Are? (disambiguation)
The format of the series has proved popular around the world and the BBC has licensed it to many foreign television companies, who have produced their own individual versions:
TVP1 has aired a Polish version, called Sekrety rodzinne, which was broadcast from November 2006 to March 2007.
In September 2007, a first series of Canadian version, consisting of 13 episodes, aired on CBC Television.
An Australian version aired on SBS in January 2008, after six episodes of the BBC version had been shown; the BBC programmes were those featuring Stephen Fry, Bill Oddie, Julia Sawalha, Jeremy Clarkson, Gurinder Chadha, and Nigella Lawson.
In 2008, ARD's Das Erste aired the German version, called Das Geheimnis meiner Familie ("The secret of my family"). They aired four episodes featuring Marie-Luise Marjan, Armin Rohde, Christine Neubauer and Peter Maffay.
Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ has aired two series of Irish version of Who Do You Think You Are? in autumn 2008 and autumn 2009. The Irish version has included internationally recognised names such as Ardal O'Hanlon, Dana, Rosanna Davison, and Dermot Gavin.[24][25] The British version of the show already airs on TG4 in Ireland.
Sveriges Television, the Swedish public service broadcaster, aired a Swedish version called Vem tror du att du är? in 2009. Later that year, in May and June, they also aired the BBC episodes featuring Stephen Fry, Jeremy Irons, Nigella Lawson, John Hurt, and Jane Horrocks.
Also on 31 May 2009, South African station SABC2 premiered its version, split into two parts, featuring local personalities.[26]
An American adaptation of the show premiered on 5 March 2010 on NBC. In Britain, this began airing on BBC One on Sunday 13 June 2010.
In 2010, the Dutch version called Verborgen Verleden ("Hidden Past") of the show started. Thus far, eight series have been produced between 2010 and 2017. From 2005 to 2008, four series of the show Verre Verwanten ("Distant Relatives") were shown on Dutch television.
In September 2010, the Danish TV station Danmarks Radio aired the first episode of the Danish version, called Ved du hvem du er?.
On 1 September 2010, France 2 aired two episodes of the French version, Retour aux Sources, featuring Vincent Pérez and Clémentine Célarié [27]
In January 2011, the Norwegian TV station NRK started to air the Norwegian version, called Hvem tror du at du er?
Starting on 9 January 2012, Finland's national public-broadcasting company, YLE, aired 15 episodes of the Finnish version, called Kuka oikein olet?, in which local public figures searched for their origins.[28]
A furthering of the concept was developed for American public broadcast TV, called Finding Your Roots, with Henry Louis Gates. This series adds DNA profiling to the format; including Y-chromosome DNA, mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA analyses to infer both ancient and recent genetic relationships. The series started airing on 25 March 2012.[citation needed]
In January 2013, Czech broadcaster ČT started broadcasting their version of this show, called Tajemství rodu ("The secret of the lineage").[29]
Starting 15 January 2013, RTP1 broadcast a Portuguese version called Quem É que Tu Pensas Que És? ("Who Do You Think You Are?") at the 10:30 pm timeslot. The first season featured such names as the comedian Herman José, the actresses Maria do Céu Guerra and Maria João Abreu, the musician Zé Pedro from the Xutos & Pontapés rock band and the fadista Camané.[citation needed]
International versions[edit]
Country
Local Name
Network
Air Dates
Australia Who Do You Think You Are? SBS One January 2008 – present
Canada
Quebec Who Do You Think You Are? CBC Television 11 October 2007 – 31 January 2008
Qui êtes-vous? (Who Are You?) ICI Radio-Canada Télé 8 November 2013
Czech Republic Tajemství rodu (The Secret of the Family) ČT1 9 January 2013
Denmark Ved du hvem du er? (Do You Know Who You Are?) DR1 15 September 2010 – 17 March 2012
Finland Kuka oikein olet? (Who Are You?) Yle TV1 9 January 2012
France Retour aux Sources (Back to Basics) France 2 1 September 2010
Germany Das Geheimnis meiner Familie (The Secret of My Family) Das Erste 31 March 2008 –
Ireland Who Do You Think You Are RTÉ One 15 September 2008 – 19 October 2009
Israel מי אתה חושב שאתה? (Mi Ata Hoshev She'ata) Channel 1 4 February 2010
Netherlands Verborgen verleden (Hidden Past) Nederland 2 29 September 2010 – present
Norway Hvem tror du at du er? NRK1 January 2011 – present
Poland Sekrety rodzinne (Family Secrets) TVP1 November 2006 – March 2007
Portugal Quem É que Tu Pensas Que És? RTP1 15 January 2013
Russia Моя родословная (My Family Tree) Channel One Russia 1 July 2009 – 12 February 2011
South Africa Who Do You Think You Are? SABC2 31 May 2009
Sweden Vem tror du att du är? SVT1 Spring 2009
United States Who Do You Think You Are? NBC (2010–12)
TLC (2013–present) 5 March 2010 – present
Similar programmes[edit]
BBC Wales has a similar series called Coming Home, which is made by Yellow Duck Productions and features celebrities with a Welsh background.[30][31] In 2007, Wall to Wall developed You Don't Know You're Born for ITV1. The series saw various celebrities taking on their ancestors' jobs. UKTV broadcast My Famous Family in 2007.
A short parody sketch of the show featured in the first series of The Armstrong and Miller Show in which Alexander Armstrong plays a fictionalised version of himself, discovering that his paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother were a child molester and a brothel-owner, respectively.[32]
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ "6.4 million uncover Davina's family history". Digital Spy. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? with Nicky Campbell". Who Do You Think You Are. 11 July 2007. BBC. BBC Two.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
Jump up ^ Nigella Lawson. BBC Who Do You Think You Are?, 26 September 2006; retrieved 5 October 2008.
Jump up ^ "Bruce Forsyth Traces Family History". BBC News. 17 June 2010.
Jump up ^ "Featured Articles – BBC launching new series of Who Do You Think You Are?". TheGenealogist.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
Jump up ^ Submitted by mattelton (12 April 2011). "This year's Who Do You Think You Are? celebrities revealed". Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
Jump up ^ richardm56 (1 August 2011). "Yup. Sep 28, 9pm BBC1". Twitter. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
Jump up ^ Elton, Matt (9 February 2012). "Who Do You Think You Are? 2012: new series celebrities revealed". Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? 2013: new celebrities revealed". Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
Jump up ^ "Who Do They Think They Are?: 10 Years, 100 Shows". BBC. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? Julie Walters". BBC. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
Jump up ^ Furness, Hannah (9 August 2014). "Tearful Brian Blessed overcome as he discovers 'real-life Oliver Twist' in the family". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Jump up ^ Greenwood, Carl (22 June 2015). "Who Do You Think You Are returns with Paul Hollywood, Derek Jacobi and Jerry Hall". The Mirror. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are?". BBC. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
Jump up ^ "BBC reveals WDYTYA? 2015 running order". Who Do You Think You Are Magazine. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
Jump up ^ Methven, Nicola (13 July 2016). "Danny Dyer discovers he is related to royalty during making of BBC documentary". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
Jump up ^ "Television Awards Winners in 2010". BAFTA. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
Jump up ^ "AcornMediaUk.com is coming soon". Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? Series Eight [DVD]: Alan Carr, June Brown, J. K. Rowling, Larry Lamb, Robin Gibb, Emilia Fox: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? Series Nine [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? Series 10 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? Series 11 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are%3F (Irish TV series)". RTÉ. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
Jump up ^ About The Show {Series 2} Who Do You Think You Are? RTÉ
Jump up ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? (SA)". TVSA. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
Jump up ^ "Retour aux sources, TV Show", Facebook.
Jump up ^ "Sarja: Kuka oikein olet? Ohjelmat Yle.fi". YLE. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
Jump up ^ "Tajemství rodu" [Secrets of the family] (in Czech). Ceskatelevize.cz. 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
Jump up ^ "Coming Home, Coming Soon". South East Wales. BBC Wales. 11 July 2007.
Jump up ^ "Coming Home Coming Soon". Mid Wales. BBC Wales. 28 January 2008.
Jump up ^ YouTube Armstrong and Miller - Who Do You Think You Are Spoof Published on 18 Nov 2007 accessed 15 July 2017
References[edit]
"Who Do You Think You Are? Series one: Celebrity Gallery". BBC History.
"Who Do You Think You Are? Series two: Celebrity Gallery". BBC History.
"Who Do You Think You Are? Series three: Celebrity Gallery". BBC History.
"Who Do You Think You Are? Series four: Celebrity Gallery". BBC History.
"Who Do You Think You Are? Series five: Celebrity Gallery". BBC History.
"Who Do You Think You Are? NBC Info Page With Celebrity Links". Footnote.com.
External links[edit]
Who Do You Think You Are? at BBC Programmes
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine BBC
Who Do You Think You Are? Story
Family History at BBC Online
Who Do You Think You Are? on IMDb
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Star and crescent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The modern red star and crescent (a heraldic decrescent) design used as the de facto Emblem of Turkey.
Ancient design of the star and crescent symbol as used in Byzantium in the 1st century BCE
The star and crescent is an iconographic symbol used in various historical contexts but most well known today as a symbol of the former Ottoman Empire and, by popular extension, the Islamic world. It develops in the iconography of the Hellenistic period (4th–1st centuries BCE) in the Kingdom of Pontus, the Bosporan Kingdom and notably the city of Byzantium by the 2nd century BCE. It is the conjoined representation of the crescent and a star, both of which constituent elements have a long prior history in the iconography of the Ancient Near East as representing either Sun and Moon or Moon and Morning Star (or their divine personifications). Coins with crescent and star symbols represented separately have a longer history, with possible ties to older Mesopotamian iconography. The star, or Sun, is often shown within the arc of the crescent (also called star in crescent, or star within crescent, for disambiguation of depictions of a star and a crescent side by side);[1] In numismatics in particular, the term crescent and pellet is used in cases where the star is simplified to a single dot.[2]
In Byzantium, the symbol became associated with its patron goddess Artemis/Hecate, and it is used as a representation of Moon goddesses (Selene/Luna or Artemis/Diana) in the Roman era. Ancient depictions of the symbol always show the crescent with horns pointing upward and with the star (often with eight rays) placed inside the crescent. This arrangement is also found on Sassanid coins beginning in the 5th or 6th century CE.
The combination is found comparatively rarely in late medieval and early modern heraldry. It rose to prominence with its adoption as the flag and emblem of the Ottoman Empire and some of its administrative divisions (eyalets and vilayets) and later in the 19th-century Westernizing tanzimat (reforms). The Ottoman flag of 1844, with a white ay-yıldız (Turkish for "crescent-star") on a red background, continues to be in use as the flag of the Republic of Turkey, with minor modifications. Other states formerly part of the Ottoman Empire also used the symbol, including Libya (1951–1969 and after 2011), Tunisia (1956) and Algeria (1958). The same symbol was used in other national flags introduced during the 20th century, including the flags of Azerbaijan (1918), Pakistan (1947), Malaysia (1948), Singapore (1959), Mauritania (1959), Uzbekistan (1991), Turkmenistan (1991),Comoros (2001), and Maldives (1965).
In the later 20th century, the star and crescent have acquired a popular interpretation as a "symbol of Islam",[3] occasionally embraced by Arab nationalism or Islamism in the 1970s to 1980s, but often rejected as erroneous or unfounded by Muslim commentators in more recent times.[4]
Unicode introduced a "star and crescent" character in its Miscellaneous Symbols block, at U+262A (☪).
Contents
1 History
1.1 Origins and predecessors
1.2 Classical antiquity
1.2.1 Hellenistic era
1.2.2 Iran (Persia)
1.2.3 Roman Empire
1.3 Medieval and early modern
1.3.1 Christian and classical heraldric usage
1.3.2 Islamic usage
1.4 Use in the Ottoman Empire
2 Contemporary use
2.1 State flags
2.2 Symbol of Islam
2.3 Municipal coats of arms
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
History[edit]
Origins and predecessors[edit]
Depiction of the emblems of Ishtar (Venus), Sin (Moon), and Shamash (Sun) on a boundary stone of Meli-Shipak II (12th century BCE)
Venus, Sun and Moon on the Stele of Nabonidus (r. 556–539 BCE) found at Harran (Şanlıurfa Museum)[5]
Crescents appearing together with a star or stars are a common feature of Sumerian iconography, the crescent usually being associated with the moon god Sin (Nanna) and the star with Ishtar (Inanna, i.e. Venus), often placed alongside the sun disk of Shamash.[6][7] In Late Bronze Age Canaan, star and crescent moon motifs are also found on Moabite name seals.[8]
The Egyptian hieroglyphs representing "moon" (
N11) and "star" (
N14) appear in ligature, forming a star-and-crescent shape

, as a determiner for the word for "month", ꜣbd.[9]
The depiction of the crescent-and-star or "star inside crescent" as it would later develop in Bosporan Kingdom is difficult to trace to Mesopotamian art. Exceptionally, a combination of the crescent of Sin with the five-pointed star of Ishtar, with the star placed inside the crescent as in the later Hellenistic-era symbol, placed among numerous other symbols, is found in a boundary stone of Nebuchadnezzar I (12th century BCE; found in Nippur by John Henry Haynes in 1896).[10] An example of such an arrangement is also found in the (highly speculative) reconstruction of a fragmentary stele of Ur-Nammu (Third Dynasty of Ur) discovered in the 1920s.[11]
Classical antiquity[edit]
Hellenistic era[edit]
Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus (r. 120–63 BCE) used an eight rayed star with a crescent moon as his emblem. McGing (1986) notes the association of the star and crescent with Mithradates VI, discussing its appearance on his coins, and its survival in the coins of the Bosporan Kingdom where "[t]he star and crescent appear on Pontic royal coins from the time of Mithradates III and seem to have had oriental significance as a dynastic badge of the Mithridatic family, or the arms of the country of Pontus."[12] Several possible interpretations of the emblem have been proposed. In most of these, the "star" is taken to represent the Sun. The combination of the two symbols has been taken as representing Sun and Moon (and by extension Day and Night), the Zoroastrian Mah and Mithra,[13] or deities arising from Greek-Anatolian-Iranian syncretism, the crescent representing Mēn Pharnakou (Μήν Φαρνακου, the local moon god[14]) and the "star" (Sun) representing Ahuramazda (in interpretatio graeca called Zeus Stratios)[15][16]
Further information: Byzantium § Emblem
By the late Hellenistic or early Roman period, the star and crescent motif had been associated to some degree with Byzantium. If any goddess had a connection with the walls in Constantinople, it was Hecate. Hecate had a cult in Byzantium from the time of its founding. Like Byzas in one legend, she had her origins in Thrace. Hecate was considered the patron goddess of Byzantium because she was said to have saved the city from an attack by Philip of Macedon in 340 BCE by the appearance of a bright light in the sky. To commemorate the event the Byzantines erected a statue of the goddess known as the Lampadephoros ("light-bearer" or "light-bringer").[17]
Some Byzantine coins of the 1st century BCE and later show the head of Artemis with bow and quiver, and feature a crescent with what appears to be a six-rayed star on the reverse.
Star and crescent on a coin of Uranopolis, Macedon, ca. 300 BCE (see also Argead star).
A star and crescent symbol with the star shown in a sixteen-rayed "sunburst" design (3rd century BCE).[18]
Coin of Mithradates VI Eupator. The obverse side has the inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΙΘΡΑΔΑΤΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ with a stag feeding, with the star and crescent and monogram of Pergamum placed near the stag's head, all in an ivy-wreath.[19]
Byzantine coin (1st century) with a bust of Artemis on the obverse and an eight-rayed star within a crescent on the reverse side.
Iran (Persia)[edit]
The star and crescent symbol appears on some coins of the Parthian vassal kingdom of Elymais in the late 1st century CE. The same symbol is present in coins that are possibly associated with Orodes I of Parthia (1st century BCE). In the 2nd century CE, some Parthian coins show a simplified "pellet within crescent" symbol.[20]
A star and a crescent appearing (separately) on the obverse side of a coin of Orodes II of Parthia (r. 57–37 BCE).
Coin of Phraates V of Parthia (r. c. 2 BCE to CE 4)
Coin of Vardanes I of Parthia (r. c. CE 40–45)
A coin of Sassanid king Kavadh I (r. 488–531). Kavadh was the first Sassanid ruler to introduce star-and-crescent motifs as decorations on the margin of the obverse side of his coins. Note the continued use of the star and the crescent appearing on either side of the king's head.
The star and crescent motif appears on the margin of Sassanid coins in the 5th century.[21] Sassanid rulers also appear to have used crowns featuring a crescent, sphere and crescent, or star and crescent.
Use of the star-and-crescent combination apparently goes back to the earlier appearance of a star and a crescent on Parthian coins, first under King Orodes II (1st century BCE). In these coins, the two symbols occur separately, on either side of the king's head, and not yet in their combined star-and-crescent form. Such coins are also found further afield in Greater Persia, by the end of the 1st century CE in a coin issues by the Western Satraps ruler Chashtana.[22] This arrangement is likely inherited from its Ancient Near Eastern predecessors; the star and crescent symbols are not frequently found in Achaemenid iconography, but they are present in some cylinder seals of the Achaemenid era.[23]
Ayatollahi (2003) attempts to connect the modern adoption as an "Islamic symbol" to Sassanid coins remaining in circulation after the Islamic conquest [24] although there is no evidence for any connection of the symbol with Islam or the Ottomans prior to its adoption in Ottoman flags in the late 18th century.[25]
Roman Empire[edit]
In the 2nd century, the star-within-crescent is found on the obverse side of Roman coins minted during the rule of Hadrian, Geta, Caracalla and Septimius Severus, in some cases as part of an arrangement of a crescent and seven stars, one or several of which were placed inside the crescent.[26]
Coin of Roman Emperor Hadrian (r. 117–138). The reverse shows an eight-rayed star within a crescent.
Roman period limestone pediment from Perge, Turkey (Antalya Museum) showing Diana-Artemis with a crescent and a radiant crown.
Medieval and early modern[edit]
Christian and classical heraldric usage[edit]
Further information: Crescent (heraldry), Star (heraldry), and Sun (heraldry)
The crescent on its own is used in western heraldry from at least the 13th century, while the star and crescent (or "Sun and Moon") emblem is in use in medieval seals at least from the late 12th century. The crescent in pellet symbol is used in Crusader coins of the 12th century, in some cases duplicated in the four corners of a cross, as a variant of the cross-and-crosslets ("Jerusalem cross").[27] Many Crusader seals and coins show the crescent and the star (or blazing Sun) on either side of the ruler's head (as in the Sassanid tradition), e.g. Bohemond III of Antioch, Richard I of England, Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse.[28] At the same time, the star in crescent is found on the obverse of Crusader coins, e.g. in coins of the County of Tripoli minted under Raymond II or III c. 1140s–1160s show an "eight-rayed star with pellets above crescent".[29]
The star and crescent combination appears in attributed arms from the early 14th century, possibly in a coat of arms of c. 1330, possibly attributed to John Chrysostom,[30] and in the Wernigeroder Wappenbuch (late 15th century) attributed to one of the three Magi, named "Balthasar of Tarsus".[31]
Crescents (without the star) increase in popularity in early modern heraldry in Europe. Siebmachers Wappenbuch (1605) records 48 coats of arms of German families which include one or several crescents.[32]
The star and crescent combination remains rare prior to its adoption by the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 18th century. In the late 16th century, the Korenić-Neorić Armorial shows a white star and crescent on a red field as the coat of arms of Illyria.
Great Seal of Richard I of England (1198)[33]
Equestrian seal of Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse with a star and a crescent (13th century)
Templar seal of the 13th century, probably of the preceptor of the commanderies at Coudrie and Biais (Brittany).[34]
The Polish Leliwa coat of arms (14th-century seal)
Coats of arms of the Three Magi, with "Baltasar of Tarsus" being attributed a star and crescent increscent in a blue field, Wernigerode Armorial (c. 1490)
Coat of arms of John Freigraf of "Lesser Egypt" (i.e. Romani/gypsy),[35] 18th-century drawing of a 1498 coat of arms in Pforzheim church.
Depictions of stars with crescents are a common motif on the stećak 12th to 16th century tombstones of medieval Bosnia
1668 representation by Joan Blaeu of Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bosnia from 1595 Korenić-Neorić Armorial
The coat of arms of "Illyria" from the Korenić-Neorić Armorial (1590s)
Star and crescent on the obverse of the Jelacic-Gulden of the Kingdom of Croatia (1848)
Islamic usage[edit]
Further information: Crescent § Middle_Ages
While the crescent on its own is depicted as an emblem used on Islamic war flags from the medieval period, at least from the 13th century although it does not seem to have been in frequent use until the 14th or 15th century,[36] the star and crescent in an Islamic context is more rare in the medieval period, but may occasionally be found in depictions of flags from the 14th century onward.
Some Mughal era (17th century) round shields were decorated with a crescent or star and crescent.
Depiction of a star and crescent flag on the Saracen side in the Battle of Yarmouk (manuscript illustration of the History of the Tatars, Catalan workshop, early 14th century).
A miniature painting from a Padshahnama manuscript (c. 1640), depicting Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as bearing a shield with a star and crescent decoration.
A painting from a Padshahnama manuscript (1633) depicts the scene of Aurangzeb facing the maddened War elephant Sudhakar. Sowar's shield is decorated with a star and crescent.
Use in the Ottoman Empire[edit]
Further information: Flags of the Ottoman Empire
Star-and-crescent flag of the Ottoman Empire, used as the naval ensign and state symbol from late 18th century, and as the official Ottoman national flag from 1844 to 1923.
The adoption of star and crescent as the Ottoman state symbol started during the reign of Mustafa III (1757–1774) and its use became well-established during Abdul Hamid I (1774–1789) and Selim III (1789–1807) periods.[37] A buyruldu from 1793 states that the ships in the Ottoman navy have that flag, and various other documents from earlier and later years mention its use.[37] The ultimate source of the emblem is unclear. It is mostly derived from the star-and-crescent symbol used by the city of Constantinople in antiquity, possibly by association with the crescent design (without star) used in Turkish flags since before 1453.[38]
With the Tanzimat reforms in the 19th century, flags were redesigned in the style of the European armies of the day. The flag of the Ottoman Navy was made red, as red was to be the flag of secular institutions and green of religious ones. As the reforms abolished all the various flags (standards) of the Ottoman pashaliks, beyliks and emirates, a single new Ottoman national flag was designed to replace them. The result was the red flag with the white crescent moon and star, which is the precursor to the modern flag of Turkey. A plain red flag was introduced as the civil ensign for all Ottoman subjects. The white crescent with an eight-pointed star on a red field is depicted as the flag of a "Turkish Man of War" in Colton's Delineation of Flags of All Nations (1862). Steenbergen's Vlaggen van alle Natiën of the same year shows a six-pointed star. A plate in Webster's Unabridged of 1882 shows the flag with an eight-pointed star labelled "Turkey, Man of war". The five-pointed star seems to have been present alongside these variants from at least 1857.
In addition to Ottoman imperial insignias, symbols appears on the flag of Bosnia Eyalet (1580–1867) and Bosnia Vilayet (1867–1908), as well as the flag of 1831 Bosnian revolt, while the symbols appeared on some representations of medieval Bosnian coat of arms too.
In the late 19th century, "Star and Crescent" came to be used as a metaphor for Ottoman rule in British literature.[39] The increasingly ubiquitous fashion of using the star and crescent symbol in the ornamentation of Ottoman mosques and minarets led to a gradual association of the symbol with Islam in general in western Orientalism.[40] The "Red Crescent" emblem was used by volunteers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as early as 1877 during the Russo-Turkish War; it was officially adopted in 1929.
After the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the new Turkish state maintained the last flag of the Ottoman Empire. Proportional standardisations were introduced in the Turkish Flag Law (Turkish: Türk Bayrağı Kanunu) of May 29, 1936. Besides the most prominent example of Turkey (see Flag of Turkey), a number of other Ottoman successor states adopted the design during the 20th century, including the Emirate of Cyrenaica and the Kingdom of Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and the proposed Arab Islamic Republic.
Contemporary use[edit]
State flags[edit]
The Ottoman flag of 1844 with a white "ay-yıldız" (Turkish for "crescent-star") on a red background continues to be in use as the flag of the Republic of Turkey with minor modifications.
Other Ottoman successor states using the star and crescent design in their flag are Tunisia (1956), Libya (1951, re-introduced 2011) and Algeria (1958). The modern emblem of Turkey shows the star outside the arc of the crescent, as it were a "realistic" depiction of a conjunction of Moon and Venus, while in the 19th century, the Ottoman star and crescent was occasionally still drawn as the (classical but "astronomically incorrect") star-within-crescent. By contrast, the designs of both the flags of Algeria and Tunisia (as well as Mauritania and Pakistan) place the star within the crescent.
Flag of Turkey
Flag of Algeria
Flag of Libya
Flag of Tunisia
The same symbol was used in other national flags introduced during the 20th century, including the flags of Azerbaijan (1918, re-introduced 1991), Pakistan (1947), Malaysia (1948), Mauritania (1959), and the partially recognized states of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (1976) and Northern Cyprus (1983). The symbol also may represent flag of cities or emirates such as the emirate of Umm Al-Quwain .
Flag of Azerbaijan
Flag of Pakistan
Flag of Malaysia
Flag of Mauritania
Flag of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Flag of Northern Cyprus
Flag of Umm al-Quwain
National flags with a crescent alongside several stars:
Flag of Singapore (1959): crescent and five stars (based on the five stars of the flag of the People's Republic of China)[41]
Flag of Uzbekistan (1991): crescent and twelve stars
Flag of Turkmenistan (2001): crescent and five stars (representing five provinces)
Flag of the Comoros (2002): crescent and four stars (representing four islands)
Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2003): crescent and southern cross

Symbol of Islam[edit]
Further information: Symbols of Islam
By the mid 20th century, the symbol came to be re-interpreted as the symbol of Islam or the Muslim community.[42] This symbolism was embraced by movements of Arab nationalism or Islamism in the 1970s, such as the proposed Arab Islamic Republic (1974) and the American Nation of Islam (1973).[43]
Cyril Glassé in his The New Encyclopedia of Islam (2001 edition, s.v. "Moon") states that "in the language of conventional symbols, the crescent and star have become the symbols of Islam as much as the cross is the symbol of Christianity."[3]
By contrast, some religious Islamic publications emphasize that the crescent is rejected "by many Muslim scholars".[4]
Municipal coats of arms[edit]
The star and crescent as a traditional heraldic charge is in continued use in numerous municipal coats of arms (notably the based on the Leliwa (Tarnowski) coat of arms in the case of Polish municipalities).
Coat of arms of Halle an der Saale, Germany (1327).
Coat of arms of Mińsk Mazowiecki, Poland.
Coat of arms of Przeworsk, Poland.
Coat of arms of Tarnobrzeg, Poland.
Coat of arms of Tarnów, Poland.
Coat of arms of Zagreb, Croatia.
Flag of Portsmouth, England (18th century): crescent and estoile (with eight wavy rays).[44]
Coat of arms of Mattighofen, Austria (1781)
Coat of arms of Oelde, Germany (1910).
Coat of arms of Niederglatt, Switzerland (1928)[45]
Coat of arms of Oberglatt, Switzerland (1928)[45]
Coat of arms of Niederweningen, Switzerland (1928)[45]
See also[edit]
Crescent
Lunar phase
Phosphorus (morning star) / Hesperus
Pentagram of Venus
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "There are also three cases [... viz., associated with the "Danubian Rider Religion"] where the star, figured as a radiate disc 'balancing the crescent moon', must represent Sol, balancing Luna who is represented as a crescent instead of in bust. The 'star in crescent' theme itself appears only once, on an engraved gem, accompanied by the lion and an indecipherable inscription [...] This theme is connected with the Orient and has a long history behind it in the Hittite, Babylonian, Assyrian, Sassanid and Iranian worlds. Campbell gives us valuable particulars. The heavenly bodies thus symbolized were seen as the powerful influence of cosmic fatalism guiding the destinies of men." Dumitru Tudor, Christopher Holme (trans.), Corpus Monumentorum Religionis Equitum Danuvinorum (CMRED) (1976), p. 192 (referencing Leroy A. Campbell, Mithraic Iconography and Ideology' '(1969), 93f.
Jump up ^ e.g. Catalogue of the Greek coins in The British Museum (2005), p. 311 (index).
^ Jump up to: a b Cyril Glassé , The New Encyclopedia of Islam (revised ed. 2001), s.v. "Moon" (p. 314).
^ Jump up to: a b "many Muslim scholars reject using the crescent moon as a symbol of Islam. The faith of Islam historically had no symbol, and many refuse to accept it." Fiaz Fazli, Crescent magazine, Srinagar, September 2009, p. 42.
Jump up ^ A similar stele found in Babylon is kept in the British Museum (no. 90837).
Jump up ^ Michael R. Molnar, The Star of Bethlehem, Rutgers University Press, 1999, p78
Jump up ^ "the three celestial emblems, the sun disk of Shamash (Utu to the Sumerians), the crescent of Sin (Nanna), and the star of Ishtar (Inanna to the Sumerians)" Irving L. Finkel, Markham J. Geller, Sumerian Gods and Their Representations, Styx, 1997, p71. André Parrot, Sumer: The Dawn of Art, Golden Press, 1961
Jump up ^ Othmar Keel, Christoph Uehlinger, Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel, Fortress Press, 1998, p. 322.
Jump up ^ A.H. Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar: Being an Introduction to the Study of Hieroglyphs. 3rd Ed., pub. Griffith Institute, Oxford, 1957 (1st edition 1927), p. 486.
Jump up ^ W. J. Hinke, A New Boundary Stone of Nebuchadrezzar I from Nippur with a Concordance of Proper Names and a Glossary of the Kudurru Inscriptions thus far Published (1907), 120f. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, object nr. 29-20-1.
Jump up ^ J. V. Canby, Reconstructing the Ur Nammu Stela, Expedition 29.1, 54–64.
Jump up ^ B.C. McGing, The Foreign Policy of Mithradates VI Eupator, King of Pontus, Brill, 1986, p 97
Jump up ^ ""The star and the crescent, the emblem of the Pontus and its kings, were introduced by Mithradates and his successors to the Bosporus and appeared on Bosporan coins and locally produced jewelry. On the coins this symbol often appears near the head of a young man wearing a Phrygian cap, who is identified as either a solar deity or his deified worshipper. [...] the star and the crescent, the badge of the Pontus and its kings, shown on the Colchian amphora stamp, and appearing on engraved finger-rings discovered in this area allude to the possibility of an earlier association of the Pontic dynasty with the cult of mounted Mithra. Mithra in fact must have been one of the most venerated gods of the Pontic Kingdom, since its rulers bore the theoporic name of Mithradates [...] although direct evidence for this cult is rather meager." Yulia Ustinova, The Supreme Gods of the Bosporan Kingdom, Brill, 1998, 270–274
Jump up ^ Strabo (12.3.31) writes that Mēn Pharnakou had a sanctuary at Kabeira in Pontus where the Pontic kings would swear oaths. Mēn Pharnakou is a syncretistic Anatolian-Iranian moon deity not directly comparable to Zoroastrian Māh. Albert F. de Jong, Traditions of the Magi: Zoroastrianism in Greek and Latin Literature (1997), %A9n%20Pharmakou&f=false p. 306.
Jump up ^ "His royal emblem, an eight rayed star and the crescent moon, represented the dynasty's patron gods, Zeus Stratios, or Ahuramazda, and Mén Pharnakou, a Persian form of the native moon goddess." Andrew G. Traver, From Polis to Empire—The Ancient World c. 800 B.C.–A.D. 450, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002, p. 257
Jump up ^ "The significance of the star and crescent on royal coins has also been frequently debated. Many scholars have identified the star and the crescent as royal symbols of the Pontic kingdom. Their appearance on every royal issue suggests they were indeed important symbols, and the connection of this symbol to the royal family is definite. The nature of it, however, is still uncertain. Kleiner believed they were symbols of an indigenous god and had their origins in Persia. He associated the star and crescent with the god Men and saw them as representations of night and day (the star may be considered the sun here). Ritter, on the other hand, suggested that the star and crescent symbols derived from Perseus, just as the star symbol of the Macedonians did. […] Ma and Mithras are two other deities with whom the star and crescent symbol are associated. Olshausen believed that the star and crescent could be related to a syncretism of Pontic and Iranian iconography: the crescent for Men and the star for Ahura Mazda. Recently, Summerer has convincingly suggested that Men alone was the inspiration for the symbol on the royal coins of the Pontic kingdom. Deniz Burcu Erciyas, "Wealth, Aristocracy, and Royal Propaganda Under The Hellenistic Kingdom of The Mithradatids in The Central Black Sea Region in Turkey", Colloquia Pontica Vol.12, Brill, 2005, p 131
Jump up ^ "Devotion to Hecate was especially favored by the Byzantines for her aid in having protected them from the incursions of Philip of Macedon. Her symbols were the crescent and star, and the walls of her city were her provenance." Vasiliki Limberis, Divine Heiress, Routledge, 1994, p 15. "In 340 B.C., however, the Byzantines, with the aid of the Athenians, withstood a siege successfully, an occurrence the more remarkable as they were attacked by the greatest general of the age, Philip of Macedon. In the course of this beleaguerment, it is related, on a certain wet and moonless night the enemy attempted a surprise, but were foiled by reason of a bright light which, appearing suddenly in the heavens, startled all the dogs in the town and thus roused the garrison to a sense of their danger. To commemorate this timely phenomenon, which was attributed to Hecate, they erected a public statue to that goddess [...]" William Gordon Holmes, The Age of Justinian and Theodora, 2003 p 5-6; "If any goddess had a connection with the walls in Constantinople, it was Hecate. Hecate had a cult in Byzantium from the time of its founding. Like Byzas in one legend, she had her origins in Thrace. Since Hecate was the guardian of "liminal places", in Byzantium small temples in her honor were placed close to the gates of the city. Hecate's importance to Byzantium was above all as deity of protection. When Philip of Macedon was about to attack the city, according to the legend she alerted the townspeople with her ever-present torches, and with her pack of dogs, which served as her constant companions. Her mythic qualities thenceforth forever entered the fabric of Byzantine history. A statue known as the 'Lampadephoros' was erected on the hill above the Bosphorous to commemorate Hecate's defensive aid." Vasiliki Limberis, Divine Heiress, Routledge, 1994, p 126-127. This story survived in the works , who in all probability lived in the time of Justinian I. His works survive only in fragments preserved in Photius and the 10th century lexicographer Suidas. The tale is also related by Stephanus of Byzantium, and Eustathius.
Jump up ^ "Cybele Plaque" from Ai Khanoum, Bactria, 3rd century BCE. Helios is shown separately in the form of a bust with a rayed halo of thirteen rays. F. Tissot, Catalogue of the National Museum of Afghanistan, 1931-1985 (2006), p. 42.
Jump up ^ H. G. Liddell, A History of Rome from the earliest times to the establishment of the Empire (1857), p. 605. C.f. forumancientcoins.com.
Jump up ^ Michael Alram, Nomina Propria Iranica in Nummis, Materialgrundlagen zu den iranischen Personennamen auf Antiken Münzen (1986); C. Augé, "Quelques monnaies d'Elymaïde," Bulletin de la Société Française de Numismatique, November 1976; N. Renaud, "Un nouveau souverain d'Elymaïde," Bulletin de la Société Française de Numismatique, January 1999, pp. 1-5. Coins of Elymais (parthia.com).
Jump up ^ "The star and crescent are common Persian symbols, being a regular feature of the borders of Sassanian dirhems." Philip Grierson, Byzantine Coins, Taylor & Francis, 1982, p118
Jump up ^ "A rare type with crescent and star alone on the reverse is probably Chashtana's earliest issue, struck before he extended his power into Malwa." H.H. Dodwell (Ed.), The Cambridge Shorter History of India, Cambridge University Press, 1935, p. 83.
Jump up ^ Achaemenid period: "not normally associated with scenes cut in the Court Style"; Persepolis seal PFS 71 (M. B. Garrison in Curtis and Simpson (eds.), The World of Achaemenid Persia: History, Art and Society in Iran and the Ancient Near East (2010), p. 354) PFS 9 (M. B. Garrison, Seals And The Elite At Persepolis; Some Observations On Early Achaemenid Persian Art (1991), p. 8). Parthian period: "[t]he Parthian king Mithradates I conquered Mesopotamia around 147 BC, and Susa in about 140 BC A later Parthian king, Orodes II (58-38 BC), issued coins at Susa and elsewhere which display a star and crescent on the obverse. The succeeding ruler, Phraates IV (38-3/2 BC), minted coins showing either a star alone or a star with crescent moon. In representing the star and crescent on their coins the Parthians thus adopted traditional symbols used in Mesopotamia and Elam more than two millennia before their own arrival in those parts." John Hansman, "The great gods of Elymais" in Acta Iranica, Encyclopédie Permanente Des Etudes Iraniennes, v.X, Papers in Honor of Professor Mary Boyce, Brill Archive, 1985, pp 229–232
Jump up ^ "Sasani coins remained in circulation in Moslem countries up to the end of the first century (Hijra). This detailed description of Sasani crowns was presented because the motifs mentioned, particularly the crescent and star gradually changed into Islamic symbols and have often appeared in the decorative patterns of various periods of Islamic art. [...] The flags of many Islamic countries bear crescents and stars and are proof of this Sasani innovation." Habibollah Ayatollahi (trans. Shermin Haghshenās), The Book of Iran: The History of Iranian Art, Alhoda UK, 2003, pp 155–157
Jump up ^ "when we come to examine the history of the crescent as a badge of Muhammadanism, we are confronted by the fact that it was not employed by the Arabs or any of the first peoples who embraced the faith of the prophet" "The truth is that the crescent was not identified with Islam until after the appearance of the Osmanli Turks, whilst on the other hand there is the clearest evidence that in the time of the Crusades, and long before, the crescent and star were a regular badge of Byzantium and the Byzantine Emperors, some of whom placed it on their coins." William Ridgeway, "The Origin of the Turkish Crescent", in The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 38 (Jul. - Dec. 1908), pp. 241-258 (p 241)
Jump up ^ Selene and Luna on Roman Coins (forumancientcoins.com): "Bronze coin of Caracalla from Nicopolis ad Istrum with a single star in the arms of the crescent moon; coin of Geta showing five stars; a denarius of Septimius Severus with an array of seven stars." Roman-era coins from Carrhae (Harran): Carrhae, Mesopotamia, modern day Harran (wildwinds.com)
Jump up ^ In the 12th century found on pennies of William the Lion (r. 1174–1195). William Till, An Essay on the Roman Denarius and English Silver Penny (1838), p. 73. E.g. "Rev: short cross with crescent and pellets in angles and +RAVLD[ ] legend for the moneyer Raul Derling at Berwick or Roxburgh mint" (timelineauctions.com). Seaby SE5025 "Rev. [+RAV]L ON ROC, short cross with crescents & pellets in quarters" (wildwinds.com).
Jump up ^ Bohemond III of Antioch (r. 1163–1201) "Obv. Helmeted head of king in chain-maille armor, crescent and star to sides" (ancientresource.com)
Jump up ^ "Billon denier, struck c. late 1140s-1164. + RA[M]VNDVS COMS, cross pattée, pellet in 1st and 2nd quarters / CIVI[TAS T]RIPOLIS, eight-rayed star with pellets above crescent. ref: CCS 6-8; Metcalf 509 (ancientresource.com).
Jump up ^ "The earliest church in the Morea to include a saint holding a shield marked by the crescent and star may be St. John Chrysostom, which has been dated on the basis of style to ca. 1300 [...]" Angeliki E. Laiou, Roy P. Mottahedeh, The Crusades From the Perspective of Byzantium and the Muslim World, Dumbarton Oaks, 2001, p 278
Jump up ^ p. 21; adopted by Virgil Solis in his Wappenbüchlein (1555)
Jump up ^ Sara L. Uckelman, An Ordinary of Siebmacher's Wappenbuch (ellipsis.cx) (2014)
Jump up ^ Richard is depicted as seated between a crescent and a "Sun full radiant" in his second Great Seal of 1198. English heraldic tradition of the early modern period associates the star and crescent design with Richard, with his victory over Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus in 1192, and with the arms of Portsmouth (Francis Wise A Letter to Dr Mead Concerning Some Antiquities in Berkshire, 1738, p. 18). Heraldic tradition also attributes a star-and-crescent badge to Richard (Charles Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, 1909, p. 468).
Jump up ^ Found in the 19th century at the site of the Biais commandery, in Saint-Père-en-Retz, Loire-Atlantique, France, now in the Musée Dobré in Nantes, inv. no. 303. Philippe Josserand, "Les Templiers en Bretagne au Moyen Âge : mythes et réalités", Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l’Ouest 119.4 (2012), 7–33 (p.24).
Jump up ^ In 15th-century Europe, it was widely assumed that the gypsies were Egyptians (hence the name gypsies), and several gypsy leaders are known to have styled themselves as "counts of lesser Egypt". Wilhelm Ferdinand Bischoff, Deutsch-Zigeunerisches Wörterbuch (1827), p.14
Jump up ^ Pamela Berger, The Crescent on the Temple: The Dome of the Rock as Image of the Ancient Jewish Sanctuary (2012), p. 164f
^ Jump up to: a b İslâm Ansiklopedisi (in Turkish). 4. Istanbul: Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı. 1991. p. 298.
Jump up ^ "It seems possible, though not certain, that after the conquest Mehmed took over the crescent and star as an emblem of sovereignty from the Byzantines. The half-moon alone on a blood red flag, allegedly conferred on the Janissaries by Emir Orhan, was much older, as is demonstrated by numerous references to it dating from before 1453. But since these flags lack the star, which along with the half-moon is to be found on Sassanid and Byzantine municipal coins, it may be regarded as an innovation of Mehmed. It seems certain that in the interior of Asia tribes of Turkish nomads had been using the half-moon alone as an emblem for some time past, but it is equally certain that crescent and star together are attested only for a much later period. There is good reason to believe that old Turkish and Byzantine traditions were combined in the emblem of Ottoman and, much later, present-day Republican Turkish sovereignty." Franz Babinger (William C. Hickman Ed., Ralph Manheim Trans.), Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time, Princeton University Press, 1992, p 108
Jump up ^ e.g. A. Locher, "With Star and Crescent: A Full and Authentic Account of a Recent Journey with a Caravan from Bombay to Constantinope"; Andrew Haggard, "Under Crescent and Star" (1895).
Jump up ^ "Mosque and minaret are surmounted by crescents; the air glowing over the Golden Horn is, as it were, full of moons." Hezekiah Butterworth, Zigzag journeys in the Orient vol. 3 (1882), p. 481.
Jump up ^ Lee Kuan Yew (1998). The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore: Times Editions. pp. 342–343. ISBN 978-981-204-983-4.
Jump up ^ The symbolism of the star and crescent in the flag of the Kingdom of Libya (1951–1969) was explained in an English language booklet, The Libyan Flag & The National Anthem, issued by the Ministry of Information and Guidance of the Kingdom of Libya (year unknown, cited after Jos Poels at FOTW, 1997) as follows: "The crescent is symbolic of the beginning of the lunar month according to the Muslim calendar. It brings back to our minds the story of Hijra (migration) of our Prophet Mohammed from his home in order to spread Islam and teach the principles of right and virtue. The Star represents our smiling hope, the beauty of aim and object and the light of our belief in God, in our country, its dignity and honour which illuminate our way and puts an end to darkness."
Jump up ^ Edward E. Curtis, Black Muslim religion in the Nation of Islam, 1960–1975 (2006), p. 157.
Jump up ^ The blazon of the coat of arms is attested in the 19th century, as Azure a crescent or, surmounted by an estoile of eight points of the last (William Berry, Robert Glover, Encyclopædia Heraldica, 1828). This is apparently based on minor seals used by Portsmouth mayors in the 18th century (Robert East H. Lewis, Extracts from Records in the Possession of the Municipal Corporation of the Borough of Portsmouth and from Other Documents Relating Thereto, 1891, p. 656). The medieval seal showed no such design (Henry Press Wright, The Story of the 'Domus Dei' of Portsmouth: Commonly Called the Royal Garrison Church, 1873, p. 12). The claim connecting the star and crescent design to the Great Seal of Richard I originates in the mid 20th century (Valentine Dyall, Unsolved Mysteries: A Collection of Weird Problems from the Past, 1954, p. 14).
^ Jump up to: a b c Peter Ziegler (ed.), Die Gemeindewappen des Kantons Zürich (1977), 74–77.
Charles Boutell, "Device of Star (or Sun) and Crescent". In The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume XXXVI (New Series). London: John Nicols & Son, London, 1851, pp. 514–515
External links[edit]
Media related to Star and crescent at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition of ☪ at Wiktionary
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