Torver Shield

The Shield Symbols

It seems churlish to question the opinion of the Rev Thomas Ellwood but there

are some curiosities about the symbols as described in the above document.

Thor's Hammer is usually shown as a square headed hammer (right) like the modern lump hammer, where the one in the document more resembles a wood carver's or stone mason's mallet. Or could it be a slate riving mallet? That would certainly fit with local industry of the mid 19th century. The later version on the St Luke's signboard, reproduced in the Village Shield, is even more peculiar and doesn't resemble any hammer I have ever come across. The sloping face is clearly a mistake as any such hammer would be pretty useless.

The Cross reminding us of "the conversion of our heathen forefathers to Christianity" , which is a bit odd because its shape is in fact a 'Sun cross' or 'Celtic cross' deriving from the Neolithic or Bronze age periods long before Christianity came to Britain, or even existed. That is not to say that the Christian association is invalid because it was common for the early Christian missionaries to this land to adopt Pagan symbolism (and festivals) rather than oppose them outright and seek to abolish them. Yule became Christmas, holly became the Crown of Thorns etc.

The Fish deriving from the Greek 'ichthys' - Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour) - is possible, but it is hard to see why an actual fish would have been used rather than the simple ichthys symbol shown here, suggesting it may have had another origin, perhaps the famous Arctic char in the dark depths of Coniston Water.The weathervane fish on St Luke's tower seems the likely origin of the

shield fish and we don't know who made that or what he had in mind, so let it be.

The Crown explanation is undoubtedly correct since Queen Victoria was certainly Lady of the Manor of Torver and, significantly, donated £50 towards the building of the present Paley & Austin designed church of St Luke's. That would surely have ensured her recognition on the shield.

The Latin inscription (the original Vertor Christo) deserves a special mention for the little touch of genius displayed by the Rev Thomas Ellwood in choosing it. Perhaps you have already spotted it. Vertor Christo - I am turned to Christ. So simple. But if you take the two syllables VER-TOR (I am turned) and turn them, you get TOR-VER. How clever is that!

But whatever the truths of the symbols on the shield, the result of that venture by some unknown artistic villager long ago is that St Luke's church, and by kind consent, the Village of Torver, have a splendid Coat of Arms - not some lately cobbled together piece of modernist tat, but a truly historical and magnificent emblem depicting a Thousand Years of Torver.

Here's to the next Thousand Years.