yew tree

Amongst the natural objects depicted on a coat of arms, trees feature frequently, either in whole or as individual branches and leaves. A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P94, 262, 407. Sometimes the species or the part of tree was chosen as an allusion to the name of the bearer, as in Argent three tree stumps (also known as stocks) sable” for Blackstock A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1847, P309. Trees of course had long been venerated and its use in a coat of arms may have represented some association with the god Thor The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P112There is some debate over the meaning of the yew tree, being associated with death (it is a common resident of English graveyards) but also “Hope and an eternal life beyond the tomb” (an Egyptian interpretation). The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P130