The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-27
ROYAL ANIMALS EMBLEMs.
Origin Of Some of the Arms of Euro.
mean SOypreipns


the originals forms only the fieur-de-lys
survives. The white horse of Kent Is
older, perhaps. 1t preserves the mem
DRY Of the Eskings, descendants of Hen
sist, but is no longer royal. Our En-
glish lion Is modern comparatively-sc
much so that the French even now,
when in bitter mood, call him leopard.
The reason is curious and profound. like
all matters connected with ehraldry
That science was undeveloped, not to
say unborn, when the early Planta-
genets set three walking lions on their
shields in the natural attitude, 'slde
face After they turned the heads of
the creatures full face" But that
made all the difference when heraldry
began to be perfected. A lion walking
full face" becomes ipso facto d Loop
ard by the magic of that wondrous art,
and the scornful chivalry of France
tainted out blameless sovereigns with
endeavoring to substitute the king Of
beasts for the 'uncleah panther" which
was their fitting emblem.
The dragon cognizarlce Of the House
of Cerdic became the standard Of the
realm, if it can be said that the realm
possessed one after triumph Of Wessex.
Patriotic Welshmen demonstrate that
the dull Saxon stole it from their kings
and they have the support of Lord Ten
nyson, at least. We all recollected the
description OF Arthur on his throne at
! Camelot encompassed by dragons.
They "clung' to his crown, they
"writhed down" his robes, they "crept"
from the back Of his chair; while "all
the rest Of them" disported themselves
through knots and loops and folds in
Vulnerable But the WEelshman could
not possibly have loved dragons more
than the Saxon. One might say that
the latter used no motif in decorative
work of any kind, on stone or metal or
illuminated page, but this. And he did
not learn it from any foreigner assured
~ seeing that his nearest kinsfolk, the
Mortimer, showed uSt the same odd
fancy. 1t may be traced TO the popu
larity of the myth of Sigurd, who slew
the Dragon Fafnir subject Of which
the Northern artist never tired.
1t is commonly said that the dragon
of Wessex flew for the last time at
Hastings. Harold had his own stand
ard-he was no son Of Cerdic. William
VI 4tIoillltpDuly otSCl luce IL q man
fighting, sumptuously embroidered with
gold and gems. The conqueror pre-
sented it to the Pope But the dragon
was certainly conspicuous for it is fig
ured ON the Bayeux tapestry. Hastings
was not the last field in which English
men marched to battle under it. Rich
ard OF DEVICES mentions that the terri
BILE standard Of the dragon was unfurl-
ed and borne in front" when Occur de
Lion attacked Messina. Such illusions
to the flag of the army in general are
very rare in feudal times, and it may
well be that the national dragon was
hoisted whenevr the king appealed to
his English subjects Henry Ill or
more probably his sagacious son, raised
it at Lewes "a dragon in manner of
standard or ensign of red sancenet,
embroidered with gold, the tongue of
the dragon appearing as though contin-
ually in motion, and eyes of sapphire"
Perhaps the tradition was growing dim
by that time for the chronicer says
that this symbol was interpreted to
mean mo quarter
The feur-de lys is such a hopeless
puzzle that grave authorities, regard it
DIS lfl6 CDtluDltu IlS uIe VI d lIuS, oti-
ers recognize Phallio emblem. others
a bee with wings spread; this last view
commended itself strongly to Napoleon.
There are serious arguments and illus
trations in favor of each origin; the
one fact tolerably certain Is that
Frankish kings bore cognizance which
has developed into the fleur-de-lys, as
soon as history gets clear view Of
them. Almost certainly, however, that
cognzance was not flower of any sort
in the beginning.
The history of the double headed
eagle in Europe is known well enough.
The German Emperor Conrad saw it
at Constantinople when crusading in
1147. Learning that the device repre-
scented sovereignty over east and west, |
he thought it adapted to his own case,
and annexed it. The Counts of Flanders
were equally struck in the next Crusade
and followed the same course. 1t was
finally appropriated by the House of
Austria in 1885, afterward Prussia and
Russia yielded to the fascination of its |
beauty But when we quit these modern
inanities and seek the double-headed |
eagle in its native home, we are led into |
The very beginnings of things. Tracing |
the symbol upward, it is found as a
common ornament among the Mamluks
Of Egypt, evidently introduced by the |
artists whom they fav-
bred. In the Museum at South Ken
sington are several exquisite works Of |
hat period showing the double-headed |
eagle. 1t has been suggested that |
saladin bore it. His cognizance was |
an eagle, but one may think |
hat Christian chronicers would have |
mentioned it had the bird been double
headed But the device appears at an
EARLIER date on the coinage of the Prince
If Singar, in Mesopotamia; also it was
,culptured on the walls of the city Of |
AMT in that region. Passing an indef-
lite number Of centuries, we find it up
IN the golden ornaments of Mycenae. |
But the original is identified, so far,
mong that most mysterious of peoples, |
he Hittites. With them it was a very |
loly and powerful symbol evidently,
hough the significance is not yet as
ertained On the enormous monoliths
# granite before the palace at Eyuk,
louble-headed eagles are carved, hold
ng an animal. So in that Wondrous
ave-temple Of Borghas- Keui, where
he gods are sculptured in procession,
wo of them ride upright on the mystic
ird. 1t is carved above the gates of
tiles and on their massive walls. We
hall know more, doubtless in good
ime.-From The Pail Mall Gazette.