Far from a Boar

[artisan]

Why was Richard III represented by a boar?

[indobrit]

"The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell, the Dog, rule all England under the Hog."

The Cat: Sir Thomas Catesby.

The Rat: Sir William Ratcliffe.

The Dog: Thomas, Lord Lovell, whose emblem was a talbot, a now-extinct breed of hunting hound.

The Hog: Richard III Plante � Gen�t, by the Grace of God of England, France, and Ireland, King. His emblem was a white boar.


The rhyme refers to the fact that the trio of men enjoyed enormous power and influence in the reign of Richard III.

[artisan]

All very well, but it doesn't answer the question.

[incitatus]

The boar was a heraldic device that richard himself chose. Quite why is beyond me, I admit but I shall try to find out......

[incitatus]

In heraldry a boar represents bravery, one who fights to the death. This was certainly rue of Richard. It was also on the escutcheon of henry 111, so may represent a claim of legitimacy.

[artisan]

So I take it Edward III was also a Yorkist monarch?