Parish of ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS, Observatory, Cape Town.
Diocese: Cape Town
The arms were approved by the parish council in 2007 and have been forwarded to the Bureau
of Heraldry for registration. It appears likely that one or two changes will be made. The arms as they are may however be blazoned:
Arms: Per chevron enhanced or and azure; a chevron enhanced wavy on its lower edge azure; in dexter chief an anchor erect
fouled proper with, its tail resting on the sinister fluke, a dolphin azure; in sinister chief five mullets azure, four large and one smaller, arranged as the Southern Cross; in base the figure of the Archangel Michael, vested gules with a surcoat argent charged with a cross azure, sleeved also argent, and armoured argent around the waist and on the feet and lower limbs, statant over a dragon prone vert, langued and armed gules, which he is slaying with a
spear.
Crest: Upon a wreath of the colours, a falcon statant before a chalice or and holding with its dexter claw a wooden staff proper ensigned of a cross botony or, to which is attached a banner of St George (argent, a cross gules).
Motto: Quis ut Deus?
Notes provided by Kerry Capstick-Dale indicate that the anchor-and-dolphin combination represent the municipality of Woodstock (incorporated into Cape Town in 1913), which featured this combination in the crest of its coat of arms.
St Michael’s lies in the part of the suburb of Observatory (known colloquially as Obs) north of Station Road, which before 1913 belonged to the Woodstock municipality; the section south of Station Road was part of Mowbray, and before that Rondebosch. Station Road is so named because it passes the Observatory railway station, which was in turn named for the South African Observatory (previously the Royal Observatory) which lies alongside the Liesbeeck River.
Capstick-Dale writes:
“The anchor similarly reflects that Obs is in a port city, and harks back to the present provincial and the old Cape Town coat-of-arms, and the fact that St Michael is also a patron saint of mariners.
“The dolphin was often substituted for the whale in religious art of Jonah and the whale. Therefore, it became associated apparently with rebirth and Christ’s resurrection according to Scriptures. The dolphin drawn with an anchor represents alternately the Christian soul anchored by Christ’s teaching and guidance, or Christ Crucified.”
Regarding the stars (mullets), he writes further:
“The stars of the Southern Cross reflect the fact that Obs takes its name from the SA Observatory, and less importantly, that the parish is located in the Southern Hemisphere. This serves to distinguish us from St Michael’s parishes elsewhere.”
The chevron has a dual symbolism rooted in nature: its sharp angle represents Devil’s Peak,[1] below which Observatory is situated, while its wavy edge represents the Liesbeeck River, which runs northward towards Table Bay at the eastern edge of Observatory.
Capstick-Dale notes: “Of interest in this connection, also, is the fact that the early church used St Michael to replace the fearsome pagan god Wodin, to whom mountains were sacred, hence the numerous mountain chapels (especially in Germany) named after St Michael.
Of the crest he writes: “The falcon has been used (to represent the nearby historic Valkenberg[2] estate), to which we added the communion chalice, and the traditional Anglican flag.[3]
“And finally, colours: blue is the traditional colour of St Michael, as it often is of port cities generally. To this green and gold was added, being the colours
used by schools in Obs. Green could also be taken to represent the green belt (around the river, Malta Park, Hartleyvale) in the suburb.”
The crest-wreath is shown in four colours with six twists; it is likely that the Bureau will require the colours to be reduced in number to two or perhaps three.
The flag of St George is shown hoisted on the staff by means of ropes; it is more usual for such a flag to be attached to a staff by means of a sleeve.
The motto translates as: “Where without God?”
For more about the Archangel Michael, see this
article.
About the parish:
Regular Anglican worship in Observatory began in 1895 when the land on which the parish church stands, part of the Malta Estate measuring 153
square roods and five square feet, was purchased by the diocese for £275. Construction began in 1898.
St Michael’s has its own website, including a detailed history of the parish.
Afrikaanse
blasoen:
Die voertaal van die parogie is Engels. Die blasoen mag egter so vertaal word:
Wapen: Gesny deur ’n verhoogde keper van blou, die keper aan die onderkant gegolf, die veld bo goud en onder silwer; bo regs ’n regop anker met ’n kabel in natuurlike kleure omwend en, met sy stert op die linkerhandse ankerpunt, ’n dolfyn van blou; bo links vyf vyfpuntige sterre van blou, vier groot en een
klein, wat in die vorm van die Suiderkruis gerangskik is; in die skildvoet die figuur van die aartsengel Michiel, in rooi aangetrek met ’n wit oorkleed waarop ’n blou kruis, die moue ook wit, en om die middellyf en op die voete en onderbene silwer gepantser, hy staan oor ’n groen draak, rooi getong en geklou wat op die rug lê, wat hy met ’n spies doodmaak.
Helmteken: Op ’n wrong van die skildkleure, ’n valk wat voor ’n goue altaarkelk staan en wat met sy regterklou
’n houtstaf vashou, met ’n goue knoppieskruis bo-aan, waaraan ’n banier van Sint Joris (in silwer, ’n rooi kruis) vasgemaak is.
Leuse: Quis ut Deus?
