COAT OF ARMS AND MOTTO

Sketches for the Association’s coat of arms are included in the correspondence exchanged in 1966 between Raymond Dubé, the forerunner of our Association, and some Dubés of the United States. The central section of our coat of arms, strongly inspired by the shield of the seignior du Bé who lived near Ménéac in France’s Brittany, is closely linked to the origin of our name. This same shield is also incorporated in the municipal blazon adopted by the city of Ménéac in 1973.

This heraldic element may be described as follows: “Gules, with three shields argent, each charged with three ermine spots of sable.”(1) It would appear that Raymond added the other elements surrounding the shield, except the motto also thought to be of very old origin. The meaning of the Celtic-language Be da Veva inscription does not lead to unanimity. Some people associate the motto to a yearning for reincarnation: disappearing to come back to life. The crest, on the upper part of the motto ribbon, is crowned by a spread-leg phoenix, a mythical bird that, once burned, would rise from its own ashes. The presence of the phoenix is congruous with the interpretation of the motto.

Obviously, the Association des Dubé has given a second life to this very old shield, far from its place of origin. The coat of arms and motto were adopted when the Association was founded in 1995. Raymond’s sketches were given a fresh, modern look by Michel, son of the Association’s first president Charles-Henri.
 

(1) “Gules [red], with three shields argent [white], each charged with three ermine spots of sable [black].”