MANDRAKE:

In ancient times human figures were often cut out of the root, and wonderful virtues ascribed to them. It was used to produce fecundity in women. Another superstition is that when the mandrake is uprooted it utters a scream, in explanation of which Thomas Newton, in his Herbal to the Bible, says, "It is supposed to be a creature having life, engendered under the earth of the seed of some dead person put to death for murder." Mandrake are also called 'love apples', from the old notion that they excited amorous inclinations; hence Venus is called Mandragoritis, and the Emperor Julian, in his epistles, tells Calixenes that he drank its juice nightly as a love-potion; symbol of love, fecundity, gallantry and benevolence.

LAPWINGS

(pewit, plover, tyrwhitt, sea-pye): An ancient bird said that to protect its young, by luring the enemy from its nest by flying away and crying loudest when furthest from its nest. An Old World wading bird of the family Charadriidae, characterized by a markedly slow beat of the wings, dark, glossy plumage, and distinctive white markings.

Denotes one who protects the young with cunning and ruse rather than force or confrontation.

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MANTLING

(or Cappeline,  Lambrequin)

This device of the painter/designer was created to give prominence to the coat of arms and crest and is considered in theoretical heraldry to represent the lambrequin, or covering of the helmet, to protect it from the weather. Typically, the colors of the mantling are the principal color(s) and metal of the Coat of Arms..

Many authorities have considered it to have been no more than a fantastic series of flourishes, devised by artistic minds for the purpose of assisting ornamentation

MAIDEN

Word comes from the Middle English, from Old English mægden, m[AE]den, diminutive of mægeth; akin to Old High German magad meaning maiden and also the Old Irish word mug which meant serf. It usually signifies an unmarried woman, a young unmarried woman or a virgin as in, 'Maiden innocence'. The Greek and Roman Maiden Goddesses of Diana/Artemis were goddesses of fertility, and probably the best-known association with deities the Maidens enjoy. Maidens in heraldry denote purity and redemption and virtuousness.

It is said that only a young maiden could capture the Unicorn as it was attracted to chastity and purity, so the noble huntsmen would take a maiden with them when hunting this shy and wild creature.

The ancient Celts and many other cultures tell of folk and mythological tales involving the Maiden; the folkloric maidens, in many Indo-European and Asian fables and legends were said to be capable of being transformed into swans.

THE SCIENCE OF FOOLS?

Heraldry is "The science of fools with long memories" [J.R. Planché The Pursuivant of Arms]

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LOBSTER

(crayfish): The Crayfish and Lobster, along with the Crab were used to symbolize the Zodiacal sign of Cancer; water symbol. Denotes tenaciousness; one that moves quickly; also regeneration, steadfastness, resoluteness. In antiquity, crustaceans were a rare luxury food, and they were also enjoyed at medieval and Renaissance tables. The lobster was thought to be the enemy of serpents and hence a symbol of temperance. Bearers would also use the Lobster to represent the trade of lobster harvesting. Lobsters and crabs are symbols of the Resurrection. This may derive from an observation passed on by Pliny, that both lobsters and crabs cast off their old shells in the spring and acquire new ones.

LUCE

(hake, pike): from the Latin luci-us, from the Greek lukos (a wolf), meaning the wolf of fishes. Now commonly called the pike. Bestowed on one not to be set at naught or underestimated. Russian mythology holds that the pike/luce was an evil water spirit, blamed for annihilating the fish population in many rivers.

Free software for Windows and Mac. Tips: Use "open" to open a wmf file. To ungroup the image, click once on it and choose "modify" (top command bar), then select "break". To group an image you select the image with your mouse, then choose "modify" then "Group. To download software click on the Logo.

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