The first talk about the trident as a state emblem began in 1918, when the Central Rada adopted its state symbol. The then political leaders explained such a choice by the fact that the trident since the time of Kievan Rus was considered a sign of power and continuity of the traditions of Ukrainian statehood. There is a version that the coat of arms denotes a diving falcon, which seeks to catch its prey. It was this symbol that the Kiev prince Svyatoslav used when he went on military campaigns. Although from the time of the collapse of Kievan Rus until the beginning of the twentieth century, this sign was used quite little. The trident symbol was found exclusively in the heraldry of family coats of arms, cities or in books. An example of this is the Cossack coats of arms, in which crosses or anchors in the form of a trident were stylized.
However, some historians believe that the trident was present on the territory of modern Ukraine long before the aforementioned events. According to archaeological finds, it was widely used by the Trypillian tribes in the III-IV century BC. In those ancient times, the trident was the sign of the elders. Examples of the use of the trident symbol are found in archaeological finds in Podillia, Olbia and many other interesting places. Subsequently, after the Trypillians, the trident symbol was used by the Scythians, who considered themselves to be direct descendants of the Atlanteans. It is interesting that the first written mention of the trident as a whole is found in the work of Plato "Thimen" and dates back to 360-350 BC. Plato in it describes the kings of the Atlanteans, who dressed in blue robes, adorned with a golden trident.
Thanks for attention! Hope it was interesting))
Olga