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Disambig icon This article is about the kingdom in the books and games. For the dissolved elven kingdom in The Witcher: Blood Origin, see Xin'trea. For the capital seat for both kingdoms, see Cintra (city).
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This is Cintra. Is that right?
Yes. South of Transriver and Sodden. This way, here, flows the River Yaruga, flowing into the sea right at Cintra.
Big Quote Right
- pg. 269 Blood of Elves (U.K. edition)


Cintra (Elder Speech: Xin'trea) is one of the Northern Kingdoms, located south of Sodden, Riverdell, and the great river Yaruga.

Cintra was a very powerful kingdom in the times of Queen Calanthe, but was conquered by Nilfgaard during the First Nilfgaard War. After the Second Nilfgaard War, the kingdom was nominally an independent state, but was actually ruled by Emperor Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard because of his marriage to Empress Cirilla, also known as False Ciri.[7]

Cintra's neighbors are Sodden, Brugge, and the Nilfgaard province of Nazair. When Emhyr var Emreis proclaimed False Ciri queen, he also named her princess of Brugge, duchess of Sodden, heir of Skellige, and sovereign of Attre and Abb Yarra.

History[]

Ancient Times[]

Once known as the elven city of Xin'trea, Cintra was built on its ruins after the eastern expansion of humans approximately five hundred years ago, and the abandonment of the city by the elves.[4][8]

Northern Wars[]

In 1263, after the continued expansion of the Nilfgaardian Empire to the Amell Mountains, Emperor Emhyr var Emreis began a full scale invasion of the North, beginning with the kingdom of Cintra. The Nilfgaardian Army crossed the Marnadal Stairs and crushed the Cintran Army at the mouth of the mountain pass, which became later known as the Battle of Marnadal. They continued north and slaughtered the kingdom's fortified capital, killing nearly the entire royal family, with Queen Calanthe committing suicide rather than be captured.[8] Many of the capital's residents were left homeless and fled to nearby Verden, Temeria, Brugge, and Skellige.[4]

After marching north and being defeated at the Battle of Sodden Hill, the Nilfgaardian Army marched south again and took control of the occupied lands of Cintra and Upper Sodden.

National Emblems[]

For time immemorial, in the kingdom of Cintra's coat of arms three golden lions on azure have been. They say that under this very emblem the ancestors of Cintrans entered the Yaruga Mouth ages ago and that this very emblem was adopted as the coat of arms by their Chieftain. The House of Ravens–Cerbins used these arms in days of yore and such they are now adayes: Azure, three lions passant Or, onely that since the reign of King Coram II the lions are crowned.

The images below depicts historical and alternative coats of arms and flags; for the most recent versions established by King Coram II, see the infobox. All the images have been created by SMiki55 according to descriptions in novels and dynastic notes, except the vectorised version from Wiedźmin: Gra Wyobraźni by Ruttou and the drawing by Stanislav Komárek.

Coats of Arms[]

Historical arms Variant with lions rampant, apparently beared by Queens vectorised version from Gra Wyobraźni drawing by Stanislav Komárek

Flag[]

Historical flag Azure Cross variant, flown by certain Cintran ships and hang in the throne room

Notable Cintrans[]

Locations[]

Territories, Vassal States, and Provinces[]

Notable locations[]

Notes[]

  • Despite the kingdom's tradition of married-in men automatically inheriting the throne if the previous king is dead despite a living queen, Cintra, like the rest of the southern kingdoms, raises boys and girls like the elves do: they're all taught how to fight, ride a horse, and go hunting from the time they're children, regardless of gender.[4]

References[]

  1. While Cintra is a monarchy and women can inherit the throne, any man the queen marries would be considered the main ruler of the country and not the queen. This also means that if there isn't currently a king, if a princess marries her husband would automatically become king of Cintra without having to wait for the previous generation to die.
  2. before Nilfgaard invaded and after Emhyr's marriage to False Ciri
  3. all the books and games
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Blood of Elves
  5. used in some parts of the games
  6. Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
  7. Time of Contempt
  8. 8.0 8.1 The World of the Witcher
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