Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Hord

 Hord

Hord, William, Bailiff 1411.

Arms: Gules, on a chief Argent a raven Proper

Hord, alias Hoord, Richard, Sheriff 4 Rich. II, 1381.

Arms: Argent, on a chief Or a raven Proper.

The arms of Hord, William, Bailiff 1411.

This one is nicely subtle. We can easily discern a heraldic pun (known as canting arms) from the raven in the arms of Hord; the surname "Hord" derives from the Old English word hord (meaning a treasure or a hidden hoard of valuables), thus making a raven (well-known for collecting and hiding shiny, bright objects) a brilliant, cheeky play on words.

Ravens and their corvid cousins (like crows and magpies) are famous in folklore for collecting shiny things. There are well-documented anecdotes of wild crows and ravens leaving small trinkets like buttons, beads, or shiny metal pieces for humans who regularly feed them. One of the most famous historic English anecdotes of a raven collecting shiny objects is the story of "The Bishop and the Jackdaw" from 1726. While it famously involves a jackdaw, similar tales of thievery are historically attributed to the famous ravens at the Tower of London (Historic Royal Palaces). However, this reputation is mostly a myth; scientific studies show they do not have a universal obsession with sparkly or metallic objects.  

Today, this historical fascination lives on with the ravens kept at the Tower of London. The birds are notorious kleptomaniacs known for making off with keys, trinkets, and metal objects, protected by a legend stating that if the ravens ever leave, the Crown and Britain will fall.