Why does the Marlet/Merlette looks like a duck?

70eldo · #1 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 08:36 AM

We side tracked in the CTS section, discussing the stylised birds in the original Cadillac crest are ducks or not and called Merlettes/marlets. When you google images on merlettes you find more crests with birds that look like ducks or swans, or even herons and owls... But the photos (google images on merlette) clearly show a swallow type of bird.

So I got curious and started looking for clues:

Martlet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charge (heraldry) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Merlette Family Crest

The Rutherford Coat of Arms

Armorial Gold Heraldry Dictionary

Interesting how the french stylised merlette lost its beak and feet. Also, that the real bird hardly has real feet.

306

Now, for those who don't mind the complete details, here is a link to an article that discusses the same question on the merlettes:

The Martlet

So, the stylised birds in the Cadillac crest are French style, feetless and beakless ducklings... and called merlettes/marlettes because of misinterpretation of merle, martlet, merula...

RobertCTS · #2 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 09:04 AM

Good job Eldo!

Ever since I can remember the birds in the Caddy crest have been called DUCKS. "In the coat of arms of Cadillac, used by General Motors for the car of that name, are French martlets, i.e. ducklings".

The birds on the crest appear to be aquatic birds which Marlettes are not. Yet many crests uses this bird and call it a marlette.

The Truth about the Cadillac Coat of Arms

70eldo · #3 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertCTS

Good job Eldo!

Ever since I can remember the birds in the Caddy crest have been called DUCKS. "In the coat of arms of Cadillac, used by General Motors for the car of that name, are French martlets, i.e. ducklings".

The birds on the crest appear to be aquatic birds which Marlettes are not. Yet many crests uses this bird and call it a marlette.

Of course they were referred to as ducks. They clearly look like ducks! But I got curious why they officially call them Merlettes when a merlette does clearly not look like the stylised bird in the crest... anyway, hope to have cleared up some questions by this. It was an interesting quest

RobertCTS · #4 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 70eldo

Of course they were referred to as ducks. They clearly look like ducks! But I got curious why they officially call them Merlettes when a merlette does clearly not look like the stylised bird in the crest... anyway, hope to have cleared up some questions by this. It was an interesting quest

Geez Eldo it's just you and me again.

I think we agree.

70eldo · #5 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 10:16 AM

yup, I guess we represent a more intelectual point of view here at CF

CadillacSTS2003 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 11:58 AM

they are Ziggys!!!!
Ziggy is his name!

codewize · #7 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 05:47 PM

**Shrug** I always called them ducks.

**Jesda** · #8 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 08:08 PM

Lets hope GM never Oldsmobilizes the Cadillac badge.

urbanski · #9 (**permalink**) 08-15-06, 08:16 PM

ducks are cool

Frost · #10 (**permalink**) 08-16-06, 03:44 AM

Wel now, isn't that just Ducky!

I confess I have grown to like the new arts/science rendering of the grand old shield, though. There is just something "rich" looking about it. as the previous crest/wreath was beginning to look a bit dated, imo.

70eldo · #11 (**permalink**) 08-16-06, 07:06 AM

It sure looks a lot better on the new generation!

RobertCTS · #12 (**permalink**) 08-16-06, 08:34 AM

The new logo is pretty..but it says nothing. A boring change IMO

Benzilla · #13 (**permalink**) 08-16-06, 10:16 PM

I heard on some website that they are swans. Put on the crest because of a Mr. Swan that gave the Cadillac plant a lot of help when it burned down in the early 1900s. I'll see if I can find a link.

And on the new caddys, I think the old crest would be totaly wrong, I mean I hated the old one the last couple of years before they changed to the new one, they did something to the wreath, it came up farther, and had black lines through it. To me that looked like crap. But I don't like it when people put the new crest on an old caddy, let it stay old school!

Just my 2 cents

RobertCTS · #14 (**permalink**) 08-17-06, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzilla

I heard on some website that they are swans. Put on the crest because of a Mr. Swan that gave the Cadillac plant a lot of help when it burned down in the early 1900s. I'll see if I can find a link.

And on the new caddys, I think the old crest would be totaly wrong, I mean I hated the old one the last couple of years before they changed to the new one, they did something to the wreath, it came up farther, and had black lines through it. To me that looked like crap. But I don't like it when people put the new crest on an old caddy, let it stay old school!

Just my 2 cents

I'm glad you're only worth 2 cents!

I'm into nosalgia. So I like the old crest. It had meaning as the new one means nothing. Did you notice when Oldsmobile went to an absract logo the company went belly up? j/k

Benzilla · #15 (**permalink**) 08-18-06, 01:01 AM

yeah, I mean, I love the old crest, and "old Cadillac" its like old hollywood, we'll never get it back, which is sad as hell IMO. But to keep the old crest on the new "art and science" generation would be sorta odd I think.

And I remember when Oldsmobile changed the logo, it was so sad, I mean, what is a big O with a line through it supposed to mean? The thing is, a lot of people put them on the old ones and think it looks good, god that pisses me off.

Now I'm worth 4 cents