horseshoe

Although we expect to find fierce creatures and fearsome weapons depicted in a coat of arms this is not always the case – sometimes simple household objects are used A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P281. The horseshoe is a typical example of this. Sometimes these objects were chosen for the familiarity they would have for the obsever, helping them identify the owner. Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 100. In addition, the horseshoe, which is one the earliest symbols found in heraldry A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Horse-shoe can be seen as a “safeguard against evil spirits” and may still be found nailed above doorways today. The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P112