Animals of Great Britain

In England there is a real cult of animals. Dozens of special newspapers and magazines are published for fans of “our little brothers.” Almost every second home in England has a pet. They breed dogs, cats, horses, cows, sheep and pigs. In first place are dogs (5 million), then cats (4 million), parrots (3 million), rabbits (1 million) and many others.

It is obvious that a dog or cat in English homes is a beloved family member. There is an opinion that “only a person who has a dog feels like a human.” Sometimes it seems that in English families pets occupy a higher position than children.

If it is true that you will not find greener grass in the world than English grass, then it is even more indisputable that nowhere in the world are animals surrounded by such passionate adoration as among the reputedly impassive Englishmen. This is confirmed by the fact that love for “our smaller brothers” is spreading in England and, so to speak, along the state line. A cat named Pat, officially called “Her Majesty’s Admiralty Hunting Cat,” was “registered” in the building of the Naval Ministry. He was in charge of the Admiralty mice. But this was not enough, so the treasury allocated 5 shillings daily for his additional food.

The British spare no expense in maintaining parks, which one would like to call the land of unafraid birds. Their numerous feathered inhabitants are not at all afraid of humans. And swans enjoy not only universal love, but also royal protection. A beautiful story is connected with the appearance of these proud birds in the British Isles.

... Once upon a time, in distant times, an English king was returning to his homeland from a crusade. He decided to give his knights a rest and ordered them to stop in a bay on the island of Cyprus. While the knights were resting, the king fell in love with a beautiful Cypriot princess. He asked for her hand, but the proud beauty refused to go to foggy England. The next day, the princess's servants brought two snow-white swans aboard the ship. “If you love me, then stay with me on the island,” the servants conveyed the words of their mistress. “We will live happily with you, like these two swans.” If you decide to leave, then take these birds with you, and let them be an eternal and living memory of our love.” The king ordered the anchor to be raised and sailed to his native shores. Since then, the English monarch has acquired another honorary title, “Lord of the Swans.” In turn, the swans acquired high royal protection.

Swans still enjoy all the benefits of freedom in England. Every year at the end of July the swans are marked. In addition to the special royal keeper of the swans, two ancient workshops of craftsmen from the City of London also take part in this process. Markers mark only those swans that are not direct descendants of the royal couple taken from Cyprus: they make a small incision on their beaks - each workshop puts its own special mark. All swans are recalculated at the same time.

But the pigeons in England cannot be counted. Tourists who have visited Trafalgar Square know that as soon as you sit down on a bench, a cloud of pigeons immediately flocks to it. Birds sit on the shoulders and arms of tourists and happily try the food offered. Everyone is happy, everyone is smiling.

But looking at the ravens, hardly anyone will smile except the British. This is proven by the following fact. In the Tower of London, according to tradition, six ravens sit on the state budget. It is believed that as long as there are crows, the Tower is inaccessible to enemies. For safety reasons, the crows' wings were clipped to prevent them from flying away. Each raven has its own name: Ronnie, Rex, Jackie, Regina, etc.

Conclusion 1: Although England is a kingdom of isolated life, the coat of arms of which could be an image of a hedge and the motto: “My home is my fortress!” (the British hide their feelings behind it), but the passion of the British for animals and plants proves that they are not alien to the feeling of love.

Heraldic animals of Great Britain

In the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language” by S.I. Ozhegov gave the following definition: “HERALDICS is a branch of historical science that studies coats of arms and their history; description of coats of arms." From another source I learned that the word “HERALDICS” is a derivative of the word heraut, which comes from heriwald, which means “messenger”, “messenger”. And the heraldic symbols of each state tell us about the historical traditions, political, religious, and natural features of the country. The heraldic animals of Great Britain have a lot to say.

The very first heraldic figure in Britain was a lion. When Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, was knighted by his father-in-law, King Henry I of England in 1127, Geoffrey was given a shield emblazoned with fancy gold lions.

At the beginning of the 12th century, the English king Richard the Lionheart began to use three golden lions as his coat of arms, which are still symbols of the British royal dynasty and decorate the shield on the coat of arms of Great Britain.

In English heraldry, a creature depicted standing on one hind leg and with its front paws seemingly boxing is a lion rising, but if it sedately steps across the shield, then it is a lion walking. In the English coat of arms the three lions are described as "walking and guarding". They walk and look at the viewer...

Among other more exotic animals, elephants were relatively well known to medieval heraldists. Henry III of England received one as a gift for his menagerie in 1254 from Louis IX of France. The elephant was considered a symbol of strength and reliability, so it was chosen for the coat of arms of the city of Coventry in England.

In armorial books you can find many examples of mythological creatures, such as griffins, dragons, unicorns, etc.

The griffin is a heraldic monster with the head and wings of an eagle, the paws and tail of a lion. This animal was considered the protector of gold and hidden treasures.

The coat of arms of London is the main symbol of the city (adopted in 1380). On the coat of arms, two dragons hold a shield. They remind us of a dragon that supposedly once lived in the Thames and guarded the city. The Latin motto on the ribbon is “Domine dirigenos” (Dominate and rule us). The ancient Britons made the dragon a symbol of the fight against Saxon invaders. Among the Celts, the dragon symbolized the ability to inspire terror, as well as invincibility and independence. Crosses on the shield and wings of dragons - the cross of St. George (symbol of England).

Saint England St. George is represented on the ancient gold-red sovereign coin. This coin inspired a person with a sense of prosperity and confidence in his financial capabilities. On one side of the coin was an image of Queen Victoria or King Edward VII, and on the other was St. George slaying the dragon.

On the flag and coat of arms of Wales you can see the image of a red dragon. The dragon adopted the flag of Wales from the standards of the Roman legions stationed in that colony. After the Romans left Britain at the end of the 4th century AD. e. the dragon took its place on the flag of the created kingdom as a symbol of commitment to the civilized Roman way of life.

A creature very familiar to English heraldry, the bonacon is an animal that resembles a bull with blunted horns turned inward.

The unicorn was considered the most beautiful creature in the heraldic menagerie. It is essentially part horse, part antelope with large curling horns growing from its forehead. The unicorn is also depicted with the tail of a lion, the legs of a goat and a small tuft of hair under the chin. It is completely white, except for the horns, mane and hooves, which are depicted as shield holders.

The national coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was formed under Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901. It is depicted in the form of a shield, supported on both sides by a crowned lion rampant (symbol of Scotland) and a unicorn on a chain (symbol of Wales). The lion and unicorn symbolize power and labor.

Hunting victims and domestic animals were also heraldic. Deer hunting was an exclusive sport for the nobility, so after lions, deer began to appear more often on shields. The English Cottington family took into their coat of arms two female deer, arranged “running from the middle in different directions.” As a result, the resulting animal in this coat of arms has a rather comical appearance of Tyanitolkaya...

In Italian heraldry greyhounds are popular, while British heraldry favors tabolts, large and powerful ancient hounds. In Mr. Phillips's Kleinode from London Newfoundland. At the beginning of the 19th century, Mr. Phillips swam in the sea near Portsmouth. Soon he found himself caught in a strong current. A dog walking nearby saw the man's predicament. The dog dived into the water and pulled him to safety. When Mr. Phillips discovered that his four-legged savior was lost, he took the brave dog home and gave him all the honors he could. The happy Phillips family "wrote" this story into their new heraldic name and motto. The full description of the Phillips family kleinod (crest) was as follows: above a green mountain in front of a sitting Newfoundland of natural color, with his head turned back, a shield. At the base of the shield there are waves of the sea, a man floating in them, his natural-colored right hand raised. Motto: Auspice Deo extuli mari - “Guided by God, I pulled him out of the sea.”

Since the 18th century, Wales has celebrated a national holiday on March 1 - St. David's Day. On this day, the Welsh everywhere hang his image with a dove on his shoulder - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

In Great Britain, coats of arms are still visible everywhere, in every city. Numerous monuments, municipal buildings, towers, and educational institutions are marked with coats of arms. Hampton School is a private school for boys in the outskirts of London. The school's coat of arms features a huge lion. In the right hand is a feather, in the left is a shield with three small lions. The Latin inscription under the shield: “Wisdom surpasses strength.”

Lions to this day remind of the national power of the British crown. The white stone lion on South Bank (London) looks peaceful and good-natured. It stands next to Hungerford Bridge. And the majestic griffin continues to guard the heart of London City.

At the base of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square there are 4 bronze lions, which symbolize Nelson's naval victories: at the Battle of Cape Saint Vincent (1797), at the Battle of Abukir (1798), near Copenhagen (1801) and at Trafalgar .

The English College of Heraldry in London is today the most active and oldest heraldic body in the world. The College of Heraldry has its building across the Thames. Decorative plaques bearing the heraldic symbols of the Stanley family, Earls of Derby, are attached to the façade of this establishment. The symbol of the Stanley family is the leg of an eagle, “torn off a la quise” (that is, “torn off at the thigh”)..

Conclusion 2: English heraldry provides “symbolic” shelter for various animals, which speaks not only of the great interest of the British in the creatures of nature, but also of the desire to use them to reflect their character traits, express their thoughts and feelings.