+44 (0)1827 716917
clive@templarinsignia.co.uk
Home PageHelp
 
Page: 1 of 2 16 Items Found 0 Items in Basket

click for more images		 Robin Hood
Did Robin Hood exist, or is he just a fictional character? Personally I believe that there were at least two real-life individuals who provided the inspiration for the outlaw hero of the ballads: Sir Robert of Locksley in Warwickshire, and Robin Hood of Wakefield in Yorkshire - a yeoman supporter of Thomas Earl of Lancaster, who lived during the early fourteenth century. However, the original ballads, which were first mentioned in the late fourteenth century, have not survived. These would probably have been much more informative, in that they would most likely have contained original details which would have made identification of the real Robin easier. Over the decades, the ballads evolved to such an extent that the historical characters behind them became obscured.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 40mm overall.		  
Code: KTB160Price: £7.50

click for more images		 Herne the Hunter
Herne is an intriguing character from British folklore. His story dates back at least as far as Shakespeare's day; for he is mentioned in the play, 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'. He is supposed to be the ghost of a huntsman who killed himself in Windsor Great Park during the reign of King Richard II (1377-1399). After death, he returned to haunt the forest, crowned with a pair of antlers. Initially he sought revenge upon those who had wronged him in life; but later he assumed the role of the forest's spectral guardian. In Celtic mythology, however, there was a god called Cernunnos, who was also endowed with a pair of antlers: and it is certainly tempting to see a connection between Herne and Cernunnos because of this.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 55mm overall.		  
Code: KTB159Price: £7.50

click for more images		 The Cerne Abbas Giant
The Cerne Giant, also known as the Rude Man of Cerne, is a 180 ft tall figure carved into the hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England. Just below the turf lies a layer of chalk, and it is into this layer that the Giant has been etched. For obvious reasons, he is regarded as a fertility symbol; however his age is a matter of debate. The general feeling is that he must be ancient; and he has been tentatively identified as a Celtic god, like Nodens or Cernunnos. Others regard him as being more recent; perhaps no earlier than the 16th or even the 18th century. This is due to the fact that no document has ever been discovered which mentions him before the 18th century.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 83mm overall.		  
Code: KTB158Price: £12.50

click for more images		 The Witch's Cauldron
A cauldron is one of the traditional attributes of a witch. Ostensibly for brewing up spells and potions, modern witches uphold it as a symbol of renewal and rebirth; and some leap over a cauldron as a fertility rite. There can be no doubt that metal cooking pots in the past were status symbols. Not only do they feature in Celtic heroic tales, but they are also found in graves and as ritual deposits. In ordinary dwellings, the hearth was the focus of the home, and a cauldron would have been a prized possession; so it would be patched-up to prolong its working life. Hence this cauldron's contented face is made-up from metal patches that have been applied over the years.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 30mm overall.		  
Code: KTB157Price: £6.50

click for more images		 Graymalkin
Graymalkin features in William Shakespeare's play, 'Macbeth'. According to folklore, every witch is meant to have an imp as a helper. This imp normally disguises itself as a harmless-looking animal; and is known as a Familiar. One of the three witches in 'Macbeth' has a cat as her Familiar, called Graymalkin.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 38mm overall.		  
Code: KTB156Price: £6.50

click for more images		 Updraxi
Witches' Familiars come in all shapes and sizes. Mother Shipton was a famous 16th century witch from Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England. She is said to have foretold many modern inventions; and the cave where she lived is a tourist attraction to this day. However, her Familiar was apparently unique in the history of witchcraft; for instead of a cat or a stoat, Mother Shipton had a dragon, whom she would summon with the words, 'Updraxi, call Stygician Helluei!'

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 60mm overall.		  
Code: KTB155Price: £7.50

click for more images		 The Hare of Eostre
Eostre was a pagan Saxon goddess whose festival was assimilated into the Christian calendar as Easter. Eostre's symbols were a hare and an egg; and these are the origin of the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 53mm overall.		  
Code: KTB154Price: £7.50

click for more images		 The Unicorn
Many different animals have been proposed as the prototype for the Unicorn. Probably the first mention in the West of this fabulous creature was by the Greek historian, Ctesias, around the year 398 B.C. He described these beasts as being about the size of a horse, with a single horn growing from their foreheads. These horns, Ctesias claimed, possessed magical properties; like being an antidote to poison.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 40mm overall.		  
Code: KTB153Price: £6.50

click for more images		 The Tooth Fairy
One of my more whimsical designs. According to folklore, the Tooth Fairy comes to children in the night. From under their pillows she takes their milk teeth which have fallen out, and leaves silver coins in their place.

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 45mm overall.		  
Code: KTB152Price: £7.50

click for more images		 The Frog Prince
A badge inspired by the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale. However, I can't guarantee that if you kiss him, he'll turn into a human prince!

We have hand crafted this badge in pewter and enamel. It is approximately 30mm overall.		  
Code: KTB151Price: £6.50
e-commerce by Concept500