Coat of arms of Oslo
Oslo’s arms show Saint Hallvard seated with a millstone and arrows in his hands.
Swedish description in the Heraldica record SV
The text below is the Swedish description in the Heraldica record. Whether its wording is an official blazon has not been independently verified. The editorial text is based on the linked Oslo City Archives source.
I blått fält en naturfärgad sankt Halvard klädd röd med gloria av guld hållande i dexter hand en kvarnsten av silver och hållande i sinister hand ett störtat pilknippe av silver och varunder en naturfärgad kvinna åtföljd av fyra femuddiga stjärnor av guld, på skölden en murkrona, timbrering ett valspråk av guld (UNANIMITER ET CONSTANTER | OSLO).
The design of the arms
The Oslo City Archives describes the arms as a depiction of the city’s patron saint, Saint Hallvard. A woman lies at his feet, and he holds a millstone and a bundle of arrows. The archive says the woman represents the person Hallvard sought to protect and also notes an alternative interpretation of the arrows.
From a medieval subject to the present arms
The image of Saint Hallvard is known from the Middle Ages, although its visual treatment has changed over time. According to the Oslo City Archives, the present official arms were introduced in 1924 for the 300th anniversary of Christiania.
Sources: Oslo byarkiv: Oslos byvåpen
Sources and image rights
Heraldica record · Image file page on Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata
Wikimedia Commons lists this image as: Public domain
Creator listed on Commons: Unknown authorUnknown author
More image information
Vexilla is an independent heraldic information service, not an official representative of the municipality. The rights information shown is reported by the image sources and has not been independently verified. A Public Domain label alone does not remove restrictions on using official arms.
Licence information for the Heraldica reference image: CC BY-SA 3.0. Rights information may differ between image sources.
https://www.oslo.kommune.no/politikk-og-administrasjon/nedlastbare-maler/byvapenet/