Martlet - Modern Significance

Modern Significance

The formerly supposed inability of the martlet to land is said by some modern commentators to symbolize the constant quest for knowledge, learning, and adventure. Thus the martlet has been incorporated into the modern arms of McGill University, in which the women's athletic teams are named the McGill Martlets; the University of Houston and the University of Houston Law Center; Simsbury, Connecticut (where the store is called the Martlet's Nest); the University of Victoria (where the student newspaper is also called The Martlet). The significance of the martlet in the arms of various ancient English colleges and schools is derived quite simply from elements within the arms of their founders.