Theyoke and arrows (Spanish:Yugo y flechas) or theyoke and the bundle of arrows (Spanish:Yugo y haz de flechas) is a symbolicbadge dating back to thedynastic union of Spain'sCatholic monarchsFerdinand II of Aragon andIsabella I of Castile. SubsequentCatholic monarchs continued to use it on their shields to represent aunited Spain and symbolize "the heroic virtues of the race".[1]
It was also an allusion to the names of the founding monarchs:Y stood foryugo and for Ysabel (in contemporary spelling) andF stood forflechas and for Ferdinand. The yoke referred to the legend of theGordian knot, as did Isabel and Ferdinand's mottoTanto monta; the bundle of arrows alluded to the ancient proverb that arrows can be easily broken one by one, but areunbreakable if tied together.[2]
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Many possessions of theSpanish Empire incorporated the yoke and arrows into their coats of arms. Although these countries and territories are no longer part of Spain, some of them retain this symbol in their heraldry, e.g., thecoat of arms of Puerto Rico andPanama City. Additionally, minted coins included the symbol since at leastJoanna of Castile's reign.[3]
On 24 January 1927,far-right writerRafael Sánchez Mazas noted the poetic importance of the symbol, which connected the Catholic monarchs and the envisioned Spanish future, at a conference inSantander.
One account of its official induction into thenational syndicalist movement creditsJuan Aparicio López [es], who suggested it for theJuntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista (JONS) during its founding in 1931; while a student at theFaculty of Law of Granada [es], he was purportedly told by socialist professorFernando de los Ríos that if fascism were to arise in Spain, the yoke and arrows would serve as its symbol, as opposed to thefasces. According toRamiro Ledesma, the yoke and arrows symbol was unanimously accepted upon the 1934 merging of JONS andFalange Española intoFalange Española de las JONS. That year,José Antonio Primo de Rivera is quoted as attributing further meaning to the symbol: "the yoke of labor and the arrows of power".[4] As for its historical importance, he explained the yoke represented King Ferdinand's subjugation of his enemies and the arrows, Queen Isabella'sexpulsion of Muslims.[5] This iteration was popularly referred to as a spider (araña)[6] or crab.[7]
During theSpanish Civil War, the symbol was used as one of the major emblems of theNationalist faction. Following their victory in 1937, Falange became the sole legal party, being reorganized into theFET y de las JONS, and their yoke and arrowsa main symbol of theFrancoist regime, even being conferred as theImperial Order of the Yoke and Arrows. It was eventually removed during theSpanish transition to democracy, together with the also appropriatedEagle of Saint John.
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Following the death of Franco and transition to democracy, it is no longer representative of Spain orits monarchy and is mostly considered a symbol of the Fascistfar-right, though it continued to be present in the personal coat of arms of KingJuan Carlos I.[8] In October 2007, theSpanish Cortes banned Francoist symbols, including the yoke and arrows. Opposition claimed Prime MinisterJosé Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's administration was "opening old wounds" and "denying Spain its history".[9] Upon his accession to the Spanish throne in 2014, KingFelipe VI discontinued their use as part of his personal coat of arms.[10]
