Heraldry

[beccaelizabeth]

Today I learned that the city of Oxford's arms include a sinister green beaver with a blue tail
which I find absolutely hilarious.

Plus I've been looking for why
because bzuh
but the explanation is, basically, it has been that way since someone wrote it down.

They reckon the beaver has to do with the Norrey or Norris family, but why precisely it is green and blue (and silver) is lost to the ages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Oxford
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Norris,_1st_Baron_Norreys



I was looking because I got distracted inventing parody hogwarts with arms that keep the snake but add a rooster and lynx, because reasons. So to complete a very juvenile joke I wondered if there's such a thing as a heraldic beaver.

which there is, and it often bears ever so little resemblance to an actual animal, since heralds don't usually look at them
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Beavers_in_heraldry


adding a water animal does give a satisfying set of elemental associations

but this doesnt get over the very basic problem that the world does not need parody Hogwarts anyway.



... I am so bored.





Are there any animals associated with the stars?
If we're doing light vs darkness I can do sun and moon animals but moon is mirror is one of the dark realms along with shadow.
sun and stars are celestial but i'm mostly thinking of fire birds. even roosters with the sun up.


eh, it's not like i end up writing anyway.




Heraldry: humans are wild.

Comments

[kerk_hiraeth]

My guess would be the beaver might have a connection to the trade in Beaver pelts and the elephant to ivory, but maybe that's too obvious.