garb

Europe in the middle ages was still a largely agrarian society, and the wealth of the nobility resided in their estates and land. Since most people still lived and worked on the land they would find farm implements instantly recognisable, (an important feature for a coat of arms), even if they seem obscure to us today. Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 86 The garb for example is an ancient word for wheatsheaf, something now more frequently seen in Inn signs than in the field! A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Garbe