ACACIA BRANCH OR LEAVES: It is said that the gods were born underneath the goddess Saosis' Acacia tree, north of Heliopolis. Horus (Egyptian God) was supposed to have emerged from an Acacia tree and as such this symbol was betoken on one to signify eternal and affectionate remembrance both for the living and the dead.

ACORN: Denotes antiquity and strength. Acorns hold high significance as a Scandinavian and a Celtic symbol for life, fertility, and immortality.

AGRICULTURAL TOOLS: Implements of husbandry representing one whom laboured in the earth and was dependent upon providence; see also Scythe and Sickle, Plough.

ALERION: An eagle displayed (wings spread) but without beak or claws; denoted one who was injured in a war and thus was prevented from fully asserting his power.

ANCHOR: The Christian emblem of hope and refuge; awarded to sea warriors for special feats performed; the Greeks and Romans referred to the anchor as sacred as it was always dedicated to some god. The anchor was given to Clement of Rome and Nicolas of Bari. Nicolas of Bari is the patron saint of sailors. Also signifies steadfastness and stability. In seafaring nations, the anchor is a symbol of good luck, of safety, and of security, and thus of trust and confidence.

ANNULET: The emblem of fidelity; a ring worn as a sign of Knighthood (Roman)…it stood as the symbol of nobility and jurisdiction, and was the gage of royal favour and protection; also a mark of Cadency of the fifth son. See Cadency.

ANT: Denotes great labour, wisdom, and providence in one's affairs; diligence and industriousness.

ANTELOPE (heraldic): A mythical beast with the body of a stag, the tail of a unicorn, a tusk at the tip of the nose, tufts down the back of the neck, chest, and thighs. ; one of the most ferocious of beasts, wild and untameable. Beware to all beholders.

ANTELOPE: The word comes from Medieval Latin anthalopus and from Late Greek antholops. It was only the Egyptian elite who were allowed to hunt various species of Antelope and Ibex and considered them magical, and even had amulets made in their shapes. In Heraldry, Antelopes seem to appear more often in the arms of royalty but not exclusively so. The symbol represents action, agility and sacrifice and a very worthy guardian that is not easily provoked, but can be fierce when challenged. In Sumerian mythology, the antelope was both a lunar and solar animal. As a solar creature it was sacred to the God Ea who was sometimes called Ea-Onnes ("the antelope of Apsu and of creation") and the God Marduk. In its lunar form the antelope or gazelle was sacred to the Goddess Astarte. In Egyptian Lore, this animal represented Osiris and Horus, but was also sacred to the Goddess Isis, and it was sacrificed to the desert God Set. In most of Asia Minor the antelope was considered to be a lunar animal and associated with the Great Mother. In India it was an emblem of Shive, the chariots of Chandra.

ANTLERS: Strength and fortitude; once used as a symbol of divine power in Assyria, Mesopotamia and Egypt.

ANVIL: Denotes honour and strength; chief emblem of the smith's trade. ANGEL: According to Dionysius the Areopagite, angels were divided into nine orders: Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones, in the first circle; Dominions, Virtues, and Powers, in the second circle, and Principalities, Archangels, and Angels, in the third circle. They denote dignity, glory, virtue and honour; missionary; bearer of joyful intelligence.

APPLE: Denotes liberality, felicity, and peace; temptation, fertility. In Greek mythology, Hera received an apple as a symbol of fertility upon her engagement to Zeus.

ARM (bare): Signifies a labourious and industrious person.

ARROW: An ancient and honourable symbol sometimes referred to as the emblem of affliction; martial readiness; if with a cross it denotes affliction; a bow and arrow signifies a man resolved to abide the uttermost hazard of battle.

ASS: The ass has enjoyed a marked favour above all other beasts of burden in many ancient countries. In Heraldry times it was the symbol of patience, peace and humility.

AXE: See Battleaxe and Hatchet.