Johan Göransson Kyander - johan Kyander's seal - or his father's?

Started by Pontus Kyander on Monday, April 1, 2013
4/1/2013 at 6:11 AM

The seal (current portrait image) with a personal coat of arms is photographed from a 1658 oath of loyalty from the burghers of Viborg to Karl X, King of Sweden. The document is at the National Archives (Riksarkivet) Stockholm, in Livonicasamlingen II.
The bird can be assumed to be a heron or a stork.
The helmet is open, which was usually a sign of aristocracy, but was not forbidden for non-aristocrats until 1762.

Now, there should be some questions added to this: there is no doubt that the name by the seal is Johan Kyander.
But Johan Kyander was not yet graduated from the high school/lukio/gymnasium/läroverk in Viborg, Finland (he graduated in 1660). !660 he was registered a the Tartu/Dorpat University, and in 1663 in Åbo/Turku.
In other words, how come a young student, a younger brother to Anders Kyander pulls out such an adult gadget?
My only conclusion is that he comes as a representative of the family. His father was elderly, and died in 1659. His brother Anders was then a regiments pastor and likely not able to make it.
I find it very unlikely that a student would a) afford to make a prestige object like this; b) is unlikely even to own one.
I suggest that this seal was in fact his father's.
This does not necessarily make the seal a "family crest", but it is interesting that it has possibly been passed on over two generations.

Create a free account or login to participate in this discussion