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Crown

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In heraldry nine crowns are recognised: The oriental, the triumphal or imperial, the diadem, the obsidional crown, the civic, the crown vallery, the mural crown, the naval, and the crown celestial.

The blockade crown (coroʹna obsidionaʹlis), presented by the Romans to the general who liberated a beleaguered army. This was made of grass and wild flowers gathered from the spot.

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A camp crown was given by the Romans to him who first forced his way into the enemy’s camp. It was made of gold, and decorated with palisades.

A civic crown was presented to him who preserved the life of a civis or Roman citizen in battle. This crown was made of oak leaves, and bore the inscription, H.O.C.S.—i.e. hostem occidit, ciʹvem servaʹvit (a foe he slew, a citizen saved).

A mural crown was given by the Romans to that man who first scaled the wall of a besieged town. It was made of gold and decorated with battlements.

A naval crown was by the Romans given to him who won a naval victory. It was made of gold, and decorated with the beaks of ships.

An olive crown was by the Romans given to those who distinguished themselves in battle in some way not specially mentioned in other clauses.

An ovaʹtion crown (coroʹna ovaʹlis) was by the Romans given to the general who vanquished pirates or any despised enemy. It was made of myrtle.

A triumphal crown was by the Romans given to the general who obtained a triumph. It was made of laurel or bay leaves. Sometimes a massive gold crown was given to a victorious general. (See Laurel.)

The iron crown of Lombardy is the crown of the ancient Longobardic kings. It is now at Monza, in Italy. Henry of Luxembourg and succeeding kings were crowned with it. Napoleon I. put it on his head with his own hands. It is a thin fillet of iron, said to be hammered from a nail of the true cross, covered with a gold circle, enamelled with jewels, etc.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Crotalum
Crotchet
Crotona’s Sage
Crouchback
Crouchmas
Crow
Crow over One (To)
Crowbar
Crowd or Crouth
Crowdero
Crown
Crown Glass
Crown Office (The)
Crown of the East
Crowns
Crowner
Crow’s-Nest (The)
Crowquill (Alfred)
Croysado
Crozier or Crosier
Crucial

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Civic Crown
Laurel