What is Saint Sebastian's coat of arms?

Answer 1

St Sebastian is supposed to have lived at the time of the Emperor Diocletian, becoming a soldier in the Imperial army in 283 AD. He was later shot to death with arrows for his Christian beliefs.

Heraldry did not develop until around 1140 AD, some 850 years after the time of Sebastian, so it would have been impossible for him to have a coat of arms. Later heralds sometimes allocated very odd coats of arms to historic figures (including, bizarrely, Adam and Eve) but the idea of knighthood and coats of arms was not even considered in Sebastian's day.

Answer 2

Saint Sebastian's coat of arms typically features a crown of martyrdom, an arrow, and a shield or banner with his image. The arrow represents his martyrdom, as he was famously tied to a tree and shot with arrows for his Christian faith. The crown symbolizes his status as a martyr and the shield or banner often displays his image or other symbols associated with him, such as a palm branch or the words "Sanctus Sebastianus" (Latin for Saint Sebastian).