The Washington herald., 1917-01-28
A CORNER IN ANCESTORS.
ANIMALS In HERALDRY.
omething About the Heraldtc Me-
nagerie-Always Interpret Beasts
and Birds in Coats-of-Armx In
Their Best Mood-Henwick Hall
and Blue.
By FRANCES CowLEs.

II your coat-of-arms shows a lion, a
wolf, a boar, a talbot or dog, a buck, a
stag. a crow, or any other sort of beast
OF the field or bird of the air you should
feel quite proud, for there are no her
aldic emblems older or more honorable
than these animal emblems. And he as
ISOLATION of certain animals with GER
tain clans or families dates far back in
the ages, thousands and thousands Of
years before there were any such things
as coats-of-arms, crests. or notices, be-
fore, in fact, there were any such things
as families. as we now understand them,
much less family names.
In the very primitive society Of cer-
tain Indian and Eskimo clans, that trace
descent through the mother-and so DO
not possess family relationships as we
understand them at all-there is this
strong animal association, and each clan
takes as its emblem a certain animal. the
image or skin of which they use as a
talisman. and the name Of which thew
sometimes use to designate their clan.
Sometimes among primitive peoples, too,
single individual will assume the pa
tronage of certain animal or he will
be called after an animal, sometimes for
some similarity of personal character
istics. For instance. the man who is fleet
or foot VIII take the deer. the crafty one
WIN bS Sdlitu IOA OF lne one VINO DOS
sesses unusually clear vision will take
the eagle.
The probability Is that many OF the
animal emblems now seen on the coats
ot-arms of certain families have been as
sociated with these families from a time
antedating the use of coats-of-arms as
We now know them. They may have been
the ancient tribal animal emblem in a
period before family names were estab-
hshed. While one family of Cox, for in
stance, using the cock on its coat-of-
arms may have adopted the emblem be-
cause OF the name. another family ray
have associated with IL the cock even
before 1t had the name Cox, and have
assumed the name because OF the en-
blem
The lion is almost universally looked
upon as the king OF beasts and IL is small
wonder that 1t was assumed IN England
py the royal family and that to bear 1t
on the coat-of-arms Is a peculiar mark
OF distinction. It was the emblem most
often used as a mark of royal favor. In
the coat-of-arms OF the Lloyd family We
nave red or gules background with n
gold lion rampant The Woodward fam
lily. probably In reference to the wood.
In their name. has two denizens of the
forest shown in its coat-of-arms. The
coat-of-arms Is described: Barry. Of six
azure and argent, three bucks heads ca
bossed or, on a chief of the third, a wolf
passant gules between two annulets sable
The crest is a VOLTS head argent, COL
Jared sable, studded or. between an acorn
branch and a fern proper.
The wolf Is one of the most ancient of
animal eniblems, and, besides being one
OF the sacred emblems of Egypt It was
the most highly honored animal OF Rome.
because Of the tradition, no doubt, that
~ Qg1v11tt Inc oK,I
she-wolf In their infancy. Or can II be
that the Romulus and Remus wolf story
originated because of a much more
ancient wolf veneration and worship of
the natives of southern Italy?
Used in heraldry the wolf is more usu-
ally an emblem of the chase than any,
thing else. The buck, which is popular in
English heraldry, is said to indicate pol
Icy. peace and harmony" or less usually
a talent for music
Among other interesting animals in the
heraldry menagerie is the boar that is
usually shown simply by a head In
ancient feudal usage in England the
boar's head was the condition of feudaI
tenure. 1t was the nominal fee due to the
king, and was paid every year amidst
considerable formality or merrymaking.
Contrary to popular opinion the boar's
head is not a symbol OF the chase, but
father VI hospitality ana soou cheer.
In general We are told all animals
used in heraldry should be taken in
their best characteristics. For instance
the fox should not be made the symobi
OF craftiness but rather of astuteness
and cleverness, the lion not Of ferocity
but rather Of nobility. the lamb not of
stupidity. but of innocence and meek
ness; and the dog or talbot always is
the emblm of faithfulness and unswerv-
ing devotion.