Why is the emblem of madrid a bear?

Question

who made the "oso de madrono"? When was it made? and why is it significant?

Answer 1

Hi MSA,

  I'm sorry for my English, here you can find all (and more) the answers to your question.  I hope everything is clear.

  The Monument of the Bear and the Tree strawberry in Madrid was realized in 1965 by the sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé.

  The idea of doing a monument of the Shield of Madrid  was at first to shape a few copies of the " Bear and the Tree srtawberry " in a small scale, to donate them to the illustrious visitors who were coming to Madrid. Then it passed to the idea of raising a monument at big size.

  It weghts almost 20 tons!  This statue is sometimes translated as the Bear and the Strawberry Tree.  The Madroño tree (which sounds like Madrid) is not native to Madrid.  And it is not a strawberry tree.  The berries of the Madroño tree are red like strawberries.  However they are very sweet and are really not good eaten raw (unlike strawberries), but are only good to eat when made into a jam.

They are the official symbol of Madrid. But why? Opinions vary. The practical theory is that the bear standing on its hind legs with its front paws on the tree trunk represent possession and ownership of wood necessary for constructing buildings. The sentimental theory is based on the fact that bears love sweet things and constantly try to extract honey from beehives. According to legend, because they suffer from sore eyes, they get stung and bleed from their wounds to such an extent that it relieves them of some of the pain. Next, they grope around desperately for a madroño tree and start gobbling the fruit, whose bitterness belies its rich red exterior (it only looks like a strawberry) and shocks the palate into further reducing the pain by the virtue of sheer distraction. So, masochistically, they rid themselves of their discomfort. The first theory makes sense as a metaphor for how Madrid has grown. The second is rather cute but doesn't seem to have any particular relevance. Take your pick.

I link you the Bear sculptor's page, it's in Spanish but I think that pictures are very interesting!

Answer 2

Following a dispute in the 13th century over hunting rights on the land which was owned by the church, agreement was reached that the church owned the soil, but Madrilenos owned everything above the ground - namely game. Hence the symbol of Madrid was born - a Bear (the church's emblem) sniffing a tree. This bear can be seen across the city today, emblazened on taxis, buses, pavements, bins and almost everything belonging to "the city".

http://www.pbase.com/colinb3469/madrid_y...

El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry tree)

Bears were plentiful around Madrid - herein probably lies the origin of Madrid 's shield El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry tree - a favourite morsel of bears in Spain ). The area around Madrid was known as Ursaria for some time. The Libro de Montería (Book of the Hunt by King Alfono XI states: Madrid , un buen lugar de puerco y oso ( Madrid a good place for swine and bear).

http://www.iberianature.com/material/spa...

What is certain is that, from that time, the coat of arms of the local clergy continued the same as the old one of the city: a bear rampant with four paws grazing, on a field of silver, which we now know was the emblematic standard of the men of Madrid on the fields of Las Navas de Tolosa.

The City Council, however, modified its insignia or emblem, perhaps to make a statement on their new and now legitimate properties, for it depicts a bear on foot, on hind legs, eating fruit from the branches of a tree. Such it is as we know it today.

http://www.nova.es/~jlb/mad_in94.htm

There are several theories regarding the origin of the name, "Madrid". Madrid was founded by Ocno Bianor (son of King Tirenio of Tuscany and Mantua) and was named "Metragirta" or "Mantua Carpetana". Others contend that the original name of the city was "Ursa" ("bear" in Latin), due to the high number of these animals that were found in the adjacent forests, which, together with the Madrone tree ("madroño" in Spanish), have been the emblem of the city from the Middle Ages

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid

Directly opposite this building is the most important of the 3 statues to be seen in the square, "El Oso y El Madroño" (the Bear and the Strawberry Tree). Official symbol of the city (and as such, chosen as the background to ¡go Madrid!'s web pages), this bronze statue is the work of the sculptor Antonio Navarro Santa Fe. A reproduction of the Mariblanca statue (the original is in the Municipal Museum) and a statue of Carlos III (placed here by popular demand) can also be found in the square.

Lots of information from different view points

Anna