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This is the official council line.

The history of civic life

Pages in The history of civic life

1. The history of civic life

• History of the Coat of Arms

History of the Coat of Arms

Mary Dormer Harris, the local historian, thought that the elephant had a religious meaning. Animals were often treated as religious symbols and the elephant is seen, not only as a beast so strong that he can carry a tower - Coventry's castle - full of armed men, but also as a symbol of Christ's redemption of the human race.
The animal, according to one story, is supposed to sleep standing, leaning against a tree. Hunters sever the trunk, and he falls helpless to the ground, until a small elephant approaches and pulls him up with his trunk. This was seen in medieval times as the type of fall of Adam and Eve and of Christ's redemption of the human race.
The elephant’s enemy was said to be the dragon and Coventry is also said by some to be the birthplace of St. George, who slew the dragon.
The older arms for the city also showed a tree – said to be Cofa’s Tree from which Coventry took its name, but that is no longer used.
Description of the Arms and Supporters

Arms

The Crest, a cat-a-mountain, or wild cat. It is generally said to be a symbol of watchfulness. The helmet is that of an esquire with the visor closed, as with all boroughs. The Shield is coloured red and green, the traditional colours of the city dating back to at least 1441. The device is a golden elephant and on its back a gold castle with three domed turrets.
The Supporters

The Supporters, granted in 1959, are the Eagle of Leofric (husband of Lady Godiva) and the Phoenix. The Black Eagle of Leofric is a symbol for the ancient Coventry and the Phoenix arising from the flames represents the New Coventry reborn out of the ashes of the old.
The Motto

Camera Principis (the Prince's Chamber) is believed to refer to Edward, the Black Prince. The Manor of Cheylesmore at Coventry was once owned by his grandmother, Queen Isabella, and eventually passed to him.

Don't know why we have the red cross, unless at some point some bloke somewhere gave us a load of parcels.

Otis said:

Don't know why we have the red cross, unless at some point some bloke somewhere gave us a load of parcels.

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Not sure but I suspect it may be to do with st George who according to some legends lived near Coventry. Of course the Red Cross is also the flag of England and associated with the crusades.


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The cross is to represent St George isn't it?

The Elephant was awarded to the council after a two day long courtroom tribunal

I still maintain that Elephants roamed freely around the streets of Coventry back in the olden days.

Not forgetting, St. George had associations with Caludon castle.....

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/st-george-come-coventry-what-7017800

Any Cally lads will recognise a couple of names in the piece.

Joy Division said:

The Elephant was awarded to the council after a two day long courtroom tribunal

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Well they had to get rid of the elephant in the room didn't they!

bezzer said:

Not forgetting, St. George had associations with Caludon castle.....


http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/st-george-come-coventry-what-7017800

Any Cally lads will recognise a couple of names in the piece.

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Of all the tripe that continually gets repeated abt our club and the city this spectacular myth abt St George has to be the most ridiculous. And yet it just persists.

JimmyHillsbeard said:

Of all the tripe that continually gets repeated abt our club and the city this spectacular myth abt St George has to be the most ridiculous. And yet it just persists.

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The myth may not have any truth to it but that doesn't mean it hasn't been believed for many hundreds of years. It gets repeated because in the Middle Ages and beyond many people did believe it. Maybe people believed it enough to accept and not question the coat of arms that was granted to the city


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JimmyHillsbeard said:

Of all the tripe that continually gets repeated abt our club and the city this spectacular myth abt St George has to be the most ridiculous. And yet it just persists.

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I'll have you know St. George was born in Gulson Hospital and used to go dancing at the Locarno in town.

It is also rumoured that he worked in Jill Hanson's record shop every Saturdays and nearly had an eye out at Top Spot nightclub.

lifeskyblue said:

The myth may not have any truth to it but that doesn't mean it hasn't been believed for many hundreds of years. It gets repeated because in the Middle Ages and beyond many people did believe it. Maybe people believed it enough to accept and not question the coat of arms that was granted to the city


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I think you're right in almost every sense except I think the myth itself is only about 20-30 years old, first heard in the 1980s I believe.

JimmyHillsbeard said:

Of all the tripe that continually gets repeated abt our club and the city this spectacular myth abt St George has to be the most ridiculous. And yet it just persists.

Click to expand...

JimmyHillsbeard said:

I think you're right in almost every sense except I think the myth itself is only about 20-30 years old, first heard in the 1980s I believe.

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Not at all, there are 14th century and 16th century accounts which supposedly talk of St George living / coming from Coventry. Clearly the patron Saint of the Uk did not come from Coventry but this is not a newly made up rumour or story.

As for a spectacular myth have you ever heard why St Andrew is patron saint of Scotland, legend has it his remains were transported by divine guidance from Constantinople to the site where the town St Andrews stands now...

As ever with religion, its all about who can tell the biggest and best story and then claim their version is correct...

JimmyHillsbeard said:

Of all the tripe that continually gets repeated abt our club and the city this spectacular myth abt St George has to be the most ridiculous. And yet it just persists.

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The only George that means a lot to us Coventrians has to be St George Curtis !

The elephant with a castle on it's back is quite a common symbol in the christian world. During visits to Denmark I've come across it a few times in stately buildings.

skybluetony176 said:

The elephant with a castle on it's back is quite a common symbol in the christian world. During visits to Denmark I've come across it a few times in stately buildings.

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Did you get kicked out?

Nick said:

Did you get kicked out?

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From Denmark?

skybluetony176 said:

From Denmark?

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From the stately buildings

Nick said:

From the stately buildings

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No. I was always a paying customer on a tour.

JimmyHillsbeard said:

I think you're right in almost every sense except I think the myth itself is only about 20-30 years old, first heard in the 1980s I believe.

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I was at Cally in the 70's and knew of the 'story' then.

st george did indeed come through the coventry academy but sisu sold him for a cheap buck

talk of getting him back on loan in january though.

JimmyHillsbeard said:

I think you're right in almost every sense except I think the myth itself is only about 20-30 years old, first heard in the 1980s I believe.

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You should keep your ear more closely to the ground


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This is from Wikipedia. So it must be right Coventry gets a mention at the bottom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howdah

A derived symbol used in Europe is the "elephant and castle": an elephant carrying a castle on its back, being used especially to symbolize strength. The symbol was used in Europe in antiquity, and more recently has been used in England since the 13th century, and in Denmark since at least the 17th century.
In antiquity, there was Roman use of war elephants, and turreted elephants feature on the coinage of Juba II of Numidia, in the 1st century BC.[SUP][2][/SUP] Elephants were used in the Roman campaigns against the Celtiberians in Hispania, against the Gauls, and against the Britons, the ancient historian Polyaenus writing:
Caesar had one large elephant, which was equipped with armor and carried archers and slingers in its tower. When this unknown creature entered the river, the Britons and their horses fled and the Roman army crossed over.[SUP][3][/SUP]However, he may have confused this incident with the use of a similar war elephant in Claudius' final conquest of Britain.

12th century Spanish painting of a war elephant.


Alternatively, modern uses may derive from later contacts with howdahs. Fanciful images of war elephants with elaborate castles on their back date to 12th century Spain, as at right.
Notably, 13th century English use may come from the elephant given by Louis IX of France to Henry III of England, for his menagerie in the Tower of London in 1225, this being the first elephant in England since Claudius; see History of elephants in Europe.
Today the symbol is most known from the Elephant and Castle intersection in south London, which derives its name from a pub, using the old site of a cutler's, who had used the symbol of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers. The Cutlers, in turn, used the symbol due to the use of ivory in handles.[SUP][4][/SUP]
The elephant and castle symbol has also been used since the 13th century in the coat of arms of the city of Coventry, and was used in the 17th century by the English slaving monopoly, the Royal Africa Company, which led to its use on the guinea coin.

The collar of the Order of the Elephant.


The symbol of an elephant and castle is also used in the Order of the Elephant, the highest order in Denmark, since 1693.
Another example of an elephant image from India that was modified in the move to Europe is the change from the elephant piece in Chaturanga (ancient Indian chess) to the bishop piece in European chess, clergy replacing elephantry.

Anyways … anyone seen the Bolton kit this season?


http://www.soccerjerseyplus.co.uk/w...anderers_home_shirt_detail_macron_2014_15.png

JimmyHillsbeard said:

Anyways … anyone seen the Bolton kit this season?


http://www.soccerjerseyplus.co.uk/w...anderers_home_shirt_detail_macron_2014_15.png

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Who came up with that design, its terrible!

chiefdave said:

The cross is to represent St George isn't it?

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George Curtis?

chiefdave said:

Who came up with that design, its terrible!

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I know. But still, the elephant the red and green halves wtf is going on?

JimmyHillsbeard said:

I know. But still, the elephant the red and green halves wtf is going on?

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They had it on their old badge before that horrible BW graphic thing they had.

looks like just an elephant to me.....

Otis said:

I'll have you know St. George was born in Gulson Hospital and used to go dancing at the Locarno in town.

It is also rumoured that he worked in Jill Hanson's record shop every Saturdays and nearly had an eye out at Top Spot nightclub.

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Not surprised he was in Top Spot, that place was full of dragons !