Šatės

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Historical data: Šatės town, Skuodas district. The centre of Šatės eldership is located near the Šata river, from which, according to linguists, the name of the town came. Now, this hydronym origin of the name of the town has lost its relevance in part because Šatės for locals first associated with the "Ryklės" mountain.
In 16th. century this town was known as a village. It is believed that Šatės was one of the Grand Duke holdings. For a long time, Šatės is famous for St. John's day (catholic feast day). People from other parishes also come to this catholic feast day. It is said that the hill in Šatės has swallowed the church, and if you will hold your ear near this hill in midnight, you will hear a bell sound. Therefore, it was decided to depict a heraldic figure of three green hills in the coat of arms.
When considering possible symbols of Šatės coat of arms, particular attention was paid to the ethno-cultural tradition of the town. The hill is the centre of attraction for local people, used for walks, meetings and it’s like a sacred place surrounded by legends. This is a particularly popular motive in both Lithuanian singing and narrative folklore. In a wider world context, the hill is considered as a symbol of the proximity of the deity.
Lithuanian Heraldry Commission, during the meetings also discussed new symbols: bell, lily of the valley and cross. It was decided to refuse the first variant and to use the symbol of the lily of the valley because of its shape, which reminds the bells and because of their meaning in Lithuanian folklore. Usually thelily of the valley is also referred as angel calls or chimes. This symbol is also associated with the habits of the local people of Šatės town - every spring they go down to pick up the lily of the valley on the "Ryklės" hill which is covered with these flowers. The third symbol, complementing the meaning of the coat of arms, is a green cross that grows out of the blooming lily of the valley of the hill. The cross is an allusion of St. John the Baptist and symbolizes the unity of the local people. In addition, the cross on the top of the hill is like a symbol representing that God is nearby us. This meaning is strengthened by the golden colour of the shield, symbolizing nobility and honesty.
The sketch of the Šatės coat of arms was created by the artist Rolandas Rimkūnas. It was approved by the Lithuanian Heraldry Commission on 14 of April 2011.