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arms were designed, in
1985, by the armiger who
was born in Johannesburg
in 1966, the son of
Derrick Henry de Paula
Lopes and Louise Pauline
Désirée Happé.
Because
there is a Portuguese
ancestral lineage in the
male line, it was
decided by the armiger
to have a shield bordure
(border) consisting of a
total of 30 blocks of
red and silver. The 30
blocks refer to both the
number 30 and those of 3
& 0. The number 30
refers to people who are
open and honest and say
what they mean and feel.
They are also creative;
this refers to the
armiger. The number 3
symbolizes
self-expression,
charisma and
spontaneity, creativity
& inspiration. The
number 0 symbolizes
infinity, eternity, and
the end and beginning of
cycles. It is a number
that indicates trust in
inner wisdom and
intuition.
Red
was chosen to represent
the colour of fire and
blood; the applicant's
Portuguese ancestors
have been tested for
"the purity of their
blood", because an
ancestor by the name of
Luis Lopes dos Santos,
wanted to become a
member of the Holy
Inquisition in Portugal
("Habilitações do Santo
Oficio"; Qualification
of the Holy Office).
Silver represents
purity, a clear
conscience, good
intentions, and good
heartedness. These
colours, Red &
Silver, have also been
chosen because they are
the colours of the coat
of arms of the Order of
Malta [another ancestor
of the applicant, by the
name of Francisco de
Paula Lopes dos Santos,
was 'Capitão do Corpo de
Malta'. The post of
captain he held in the
corps elevated him and
his family to civil
nobility; “nobreza
civil”].
The
blue shield symbolizes
stability for the mind
and body. It also
symbolizes trust,
loyalty, self-assurance,
intelligence, wisdom,
and faith.
The lions represent
bravery & strength.
They are turned towards
each other, symbolizing
the past and the
present. The chevron
symbolizes support and
strength. The French
lily represents the
Virgin Mary [Catholic,
'Santa Fé, family
background) and purity.
Genealogical research
has shown that the
family name has changed
four times over the
centuries. The family
was known in the
seventeenth century as
LOPES LAVRADOR. In the
eighteenth century the
name changed twice,
first to LOPES DOS
SANTOS and then to DE
PAULA LOPES DOS SANTOS.
The current family name
DE PAULA LOPES came
about in the nineteenth
century. The applicant's
grandparents all come
from different
countries: Paternal
Grandson of Anibal de
Paula Lopes [Brazil] and
Gladys Copestake Harpur
[Great Britain] &
Maternal grandson of
Paul Louis Elize Happé
[Dutch Indies] and
Frederika Louise
Wilhelmina Visscher [The
Netherlands].
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