For centuries, wars between Christians and Muslims shaped Europe’s political and cultural landscape. Many of the modern states that boast of tolerance today were, in fact, built over the legacies of religious conflict.
Yet traces of that past still appear across several European cities and regional municipalities, where official emblems continue to display images of severed heads, often understood to be heads of Muslims. These symbols evoke memories of Christian military victories and resurrect imagery from medieval campaigns.
In recent years, activist groups have increasingly criticised these displays, arguing that they reflect Europe’s deeper, unresolved racial and religious biases. To them, the continued use of these symbols signals a refusal to confront a violent past that still echoes into the present.
The Moor’s Head
These heads are known as “the Moor’s head”. Some depictions show a dark-skinned man called “the Black Moor”, while others feature bearded men with brown complexions. Despite stylistic variations, the icon across many flags is unmistakably that of a severed head.
The term “Moor” historically referred to dark-skinned peoples, particularly communities in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. In European Christian culture, however, the word largely referenced Muslim populations, especially those who settled in Andalusia. Over time, the symbol became tied to the memory of Muslims from North Africa, particularly those from regions close to Spain, such as Morocco.
The Roots of the Story
The widespread presence of these severed heads suggests a direct connection to periods of conflict with Muslims. Many historical accounts trace the origin of the symbol to the Battle of Alcoraz in 1096, when the forces of the ruler of Aragon, Pedro I, defeated the armies of the Almoravids during the Reconquista.
The battle held enormous significance in Christian European history, especially in Spanish memory. It was considered a turning point in what later became known as the “Wars of Reconquest” that culminated in the expulsion of Muslims from Andalusia and ultimately the fall of Granada in 1492.
Aragon: The First to Use the Severed Heads
The region of Aragon in Spain still uses these symbols today. Its official flag displays severed heads arranged on the four corners of a red cross.
Historical sources explain that the emblem of the Kingdom of Aragon originally depicted four severed Moorish heads, marking one of Europe’s earliest uses of Muslim heads as heraldic imagery. This dates back to the late ninth and early tenth centuries (905–1499).
Aragon’s historical expansion across various regions, including Sicily and Sardinia, helped spread the emblem. Even today, the severed heads appear on the flags of the Balearic Islands and Corsica, reflecting the lingering shadow of the medieval confrontations.
Corsica: “Nothing but the Head”
Corsica’s regional flag features a single severed head on a white background. The earlier version displayed a blindfold covering the eyes, later removed by the island’s government in 1980.
Some accounts link the Corsican emblem to the influence of Aragon during its presence on the island. However, other narratives claim it symbolises victory in a battle between Muslim Moors and Corsicans.
According to these accounts, Corsican forces ambushed a group of Moorish raiders who landed on the island, and their commander, Count Arrigo, ordered the severed head of the defeated enemy leader to be used as a military emblem. Corsican nationalist Pasquale Paoli later adopted the symbol, which remains strongly tied to Corsican identity.
The Story Repeats in Sardinia
The Italian island of Sardinia also uses a flag bearing four black severed heads positioned on the arms of a cross. This emblem directly mirrors the ancient flag of the Kingdom of Aragon, though its earlier version used dark-skinned heads instead of black ones.
Sardinia did not adopt this flag officially until 1950, but the symbol appeared centuries earlier during periods when the island was under Aragonese rule.
Blood Beneath the Heads
The northern Spanish city of La Puebla de Arganzón presents a particularly stark example: its flag depicts severed Muslim heads with visible drops of blood beneath each one.
These heads refer to the end of the rule of the Banu Qasi, a Muslim dynasty that governed several areas of northern Spain during the early Islamic era. Their presence in the region ended in the tenth century.
Notably, these symbols are not restricted to small towns. Other European regions far removed from Islamic rule retain similar emblems, including parts of Switzerland and some areas of Belgium.
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