Coat of arms of the London Borough of Enfield

The enfield is a fictitious creature sometimes used in

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

Description

The enfield has the head of a fox, forelegs like an

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

's talons, the chest of a

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

, the body of a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

, and the hindquarters and tail of a

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

. It is occasionally portrayed with wings.

O'Kelly

The earliest known example of the enfield is the crest of the Ó Cellaigh clan of Ireland. Ó Cellaigh of

Uí Maine U, or u, is the twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pronounced ), ...

are the most documented O'Kelly sept in early Irish history and annals. The enfield appears in ''

Leabhar Ua Maine Leabhar Ua Maine (also Leabhar Uí Dubhagáin, Book of Uí Maine, Book of Hy-Many and RIA MS D ii 1) is an Irish genealogical compilation, created c. 1392–94. History Previously known as ''Leabhar Uí Dubhagáin'', after Seán Mór Ó Du ...

''. The ancient tradition among the O'Kellys is that they have borne this fabulous animal since the days of King

Tadhg Mór Ua Cellaigh Tadhg Mór Ua Cellaigh, 36th King of Uí Maine and 1st Chief of the Name. Background Ua Cellaigh was the first King of Uí Maine to bear the surname Ua Cellaigh, derived from his grandfather, Ceallach mac Finnachta, who was in turn a sixth-gener ...

who fell "fighting like a wolf dog" on the side of the High King of Ireland,

Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...

, at the

Battle of Clontarf The Battle of Clontarf () took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse- Irish alliance comprising the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbea ...

in 1014. When Tadhg Mor fell this mythical beast issued from the nearby sea to protect the dead body of the chief until it was retrieved for proper burial by his kinsmen. The animal is sculptured on many old (–1650) tombstones of the O'Kelly family in the Abbey of

Kilconnell Kilconnell () is a small rural village in County Galway, Ireland. The village gives its name to the barony of Kilconnell, formerly held by the Lords de Freyne. In 2006 David Tye purchased the original feudal Barony of Kilconnell created in 1170 ...

(founded ca. 1353 by King William Buidhe Ó Cellaigh), and in the old church of Cloonkeen. In 1859, an excavation project found a bronze 15th century O'Kelly seal 20 ft deep in a bog, prompting considerable research on the origins of the O'Kelly enfield on the seal: Williams (1989) suggests that the enfield on the crest of the O'Kelly's is derived from the onchú.

Modern uses

The beast was on the coat of arms of the

Municipal Borough of Enfield Enfield was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1850 to 1965. History The parish of Enfield adopted the Public Health Act 1848 ( 11 & 12 Vict. c. 63) in 1850, and formed a local board of health of 12 members to govern the ...

, which was amalgamated with the

Municipal Borough of Edmonton Edmonton was a local government district in north-east Middlesex, England, from 1850 to 1965. History Edmonton local board of health, local board was formed in 1850 for the parish of Edmonton, London, Edmonton All Saints. In 1881 Southgate, Lond ...

and the

Municipal Borough of Southgate Southgate was a local government district of Middlesex from 1881 to 1965. It was part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District. Incorporation and development The area was historically part of the parish of Edmonton, which ...

to form the

London Borough of Enfield The London Borough of Enfield () is a London boroughs, London borough in Greater London, England. The main communities in the borough are Edmonton, London, Edmonton, Enfield, London, Enfield, Southgate, London, Southgate and Palmers Green. Enfi ...

. It is unclear whether the beast has any historic connection with the town, but it still makes a striking example of

canting arms Canting arms are heraldry, heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus. The expression derives from the latin ''cantare'' (to sing). French heralds used the term (), ...

. It is used on the logo and the modern coat of arms of the London Borough of Enfield and as an emblem by some organisations there: for example, on the badges of Enfield County School,

Chace Community School Chace Community School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Forty Hill, Enfield Town, England. It is situated on Churchbury Lane with its fields backing on to Baker Street. Chace is spelled with a 'c' rather than a 's' ...

, Enfield Ignatians R.F.C. and of the football clubs Brimsdown F.C., Enfield (1893) F.C. and Enfield Town F.C., as well as

Oneida FC Oneida FC (Oneida Football Club) is a soccer club based in East Boston. The organisation was established in 2011 and plays its home games at East Boston Memorial Stadium, owned by the city of Boston. The field also hosts American football and bas ...

. In Australia, it was used in the crest of the former

City of Enfield The City of Enfield (formerly District Council of Yatala South) was a local government area of South Australia from 1868 to 1996. It was known as Yatala South up until 1933, which was named for its local government area predecessor, the District ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

(which was named after the London borough), and is still used by the Enfield Brass Band. It was also used as the centrepiece of the squadron crest of 38 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

References

External links

The Enfield Society
{{Heraldic creatures Heraldic beasts Mythological hybrids