shepherds crooks

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, the garb Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 86 might fall into this category. The shepherds crooks is a typical example of farming features that speak of a long heritage in the countryside. Its appearance may be intended to remind us of the shepherds watchfullness over his flock. The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P94