Page 232 - Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects

rather than for cutting, but more joined shortly before sundown on
generaIly it was reserved as a the 26th Aupst instead of waiting
weapon carried by such troops as until dawn on the 27th as Philip
palace guards, etc.
able shouting and jumping in the
Conter - A fom of elbow guard air by the French forces which was
introduced about 1260.
greeted by compleie silence in the
ranks of the English. Suddenly,
however, when the French were in
cornfortable bow shot, the English
archers took a pace fonvard and
firing four or five tirnes faster tlian
their adversaries literally shot the
French army to pieces.
This virtual slaughter was fol-
Iowed by an attack by the close-
ranked Knights of France, which
was met with the sarne repetition -
the step forward, followed by the
ruthless whistIing of arrows aimed
at the horses. and once the Knights
were unseated they were easy prey
to the swords and axes of the Eng-
lish. The battle ended soon after
midnight when the surviving French
wandered away in the darkness.
Craniquin - An instrument working
The French casualties were put at
on the sarne principal as a lifting somewhere in the neighbourhood of
jack which was used ta load certain between 13,000 and 30,000 whereas
types of cross bow.
the English losses, ascertained frorn
al1 available records, did not exceed
Crécy, Battle of - One of the more 50.
famous victories in early English
history. It took place on the 26th Crest - The emblem worn on the
and 27th August 1346 when the top of the helmet as a further means
French Knights under Philip VI of identification of a leader in addi-
attacked the English who were tion to his coat of arms.
1 ocated between the villages of had intended. There was consider-
Crécy and Wadicourt. The English Crested Amour - A kind of ridged
had taken up a position on a low or fluted amour developed towards
ridge with woods on their right and the end of the 15th century.
behind them. It is estimated that the
French army consisred of something Crinet - A protective amour for
over 40,000 while the English only the horse's neck. It was constructed
had about 13,000, of whom about of a series of overlapping plates to
3,000 were Knights and men-at-arms allow free movement.
and well over half the remainder
were archers. The French army Cros Bow - One of the earliest
lacked discipline, which was one of forms of shooting weapon. It was
the principal features of the English not, however, recognised as
and, because of this, the Battle was weapon suitabte for warfare until