Johan (Göransson) Kyander's seal - or his father's, Göran Andersson Kyander's?

Started by Pontus Kyander on Thursday, April 4, 2013
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4/4/2013 at 12:53 PM

The seal (current portrait image) with a personal coat of arms apparently belonging to Johan Göransson Kyander 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 to use until 1762.

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). 1660 he was enlisted at 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 Göran Andersson Kyander was elderly, and died the following year, in 1659. His brother Anders was right 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) be considered appropriate to even 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.

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