CAMEMS HERALDRY EXPLAINED - Dr. Peter Stiffell

The chough, that avian British survivor, thought until recently to have been relegated to the west of Britian and the safety of Arthur, its return to Kent after centuries makes it a fitting time for its return in heraldry. The Canterbury Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies’ (CAMEMS) use of the bird in their heraldry is a welcome sight and a symbol of hope and renovation. Choughs have a special place in Kent, with them having a long-standing relationship with Kent, most famously with Canterbury’s most famous resident, St Thomas Becket (d.1170). Legend states that when the archbishop was slain, a passing crow witnessed the event and dipped its beak and feet in the martyr’s blood, giving the bird its red features. The saints’ posthumous coat of arms has since then contained three choughs. The bird’s image can be found throughout Canterbury, primarily in the cathedral. In some areas, the bird is known as a becket, or beckit.

Art historian, MEMS alumni and CAMEMS ‘Friend for Life’ Dr. Cassandra Harrington created the heraldic shield. Cassandra’s link with Canterbury made her the perfect choice when it came to a designer who not only knew the city’s historical significance, but in its artistic landscape. In her own words Cassadra explains her reasoning for the design.

“The burgundy and gold palette evokes the warm, heraldic tones often associated with institutional and civic identity throughout the medieval and early modern periods. The choice of the chough felt especially appropriate for CAMEMS, given the bird’s long-standing association with Kent and Canterbury - most famously through its connection to Thomas Becket, but also through its broader heraldic and cultural presence in the region.

For the artwork itself, I wanted the style to resonate with the medieval and early modern period while still functioning clearly as a modern emblem. My initial line drawing was based on a fifteenth-century chough carving from the screen at St Credan, Sancreed. I was struck by the character and expressiveness of that carving, and I aimed to preserve something of its stylised medieval feel (especially the textured feathers, the strong silhouette, and the distinctive beak) while refining it into a clean, graphic form suitable for a contemporary shield logo. I also adapted the red text to white and introduced a more calligraphic typeface, for improved readability, stylistic cohesion, and contrast.”

Yet, Becket was not the only saint linked to Canterbury, St. Edmund Rich, Becket’s successor the following century (r.1233 to 1240) was known for his distinction in the scholarly arts and for being a very vocal archbishop. His teaching of Aristotle to his students and his contributions to Oxford, St. Edmund Hall bears his name, made him one of Canterbury’s finest adopted children.

The use of warm colours and the chough highlight CAMEMS’ dedication to the scholarly world and to Canterbury’s historic and literature significance. Gold, that most precious colour is the sign of wealth, its divine attributes dates to Antiquity while medieval and early modern rulers used the metal to promote their status as God’s anointed, even God himself received gold from one of the Wise Men from the East.

Burgundy symbolises wealth, power and sophistication, its hint of purple teasing a royal link. The colour embodies depth, refinement and elegance while also being approachable. For the city whose residents included martyrs, saints, poets and scholars, Canterbury was an intellectual city which provided its residents access to the entitlement enjoyed by Oxford and Cambridge.

With the chough’s return to its historic partner, CAMEMS’ mission to return Canterbury to its scholastic past makes the heraldry fitting to the overall scholarly cause.

Dr. Peter Stiffell (Friend) https://drpeterstiffell.com