cross bow

Given the martial nature of the origins of Heraldry, in the identification of knights and men-at-arms it can come as no surprise that mediaeval weaponry of all types are frequently to be found in a coat of arms Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 89. The cross bow is illustrated in its conventional form that we would still recognise today. In common with the simple bow, it can be taken as a symbol of “martial readiness”. The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P111