Columns of Gediminas
Symbol of the statehood of Lithuania and Lithuanian ruling dynasty – Gediminids
The Columns of Gediminas or Pillars of Gediminas (Lithuanian: Gediminaičių stulpai, lit. 'Pillars of the Gediminids') are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania and its historical coats of arms. They were used in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, initially as a rulers' personal insignia, a state symbol, and later as a part of heraldic signs of leading aristocracy.
Appearance
The symbol appears in the following form: Horizontal line at bottom, vertical lines extend up at both ends. The square at the middle of the horizontal line is about half as tall as the vertical lines. Another vertical line rises from the top center of the square, giving an overall appearance that is close to a trident. This form is the one usually seen in modern times, often drawn on walls and fences as protest against the Soviet occupation of Lithuania.
It is notable that the ancient pre-Christian symbols of Lithuania did not follow the same strict rules of heraldry as their Western counterparts. Thus this symbol was used in or and argent, usually on the field gules, and was depicted in various shapes on flags, banners and shields.
Some Belarusian historians claim that the Columns directly go back to the symbol of the Rurikids, which was the trident.
Name
The name "Columns of Gediminas" was given in the 19th century by historian Teodor Narbutt, who supposed that the symbol was Gediminas' insignia.
“Columns of Gediminas” enters the record as symbol of the statehood of Lithuania and Lithuanian ruling dynasty – Gediminids. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Columns, Gediminas and Symbol can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q611856. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Columns of Gediminas” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.