Show british history gleaned from public house signs much of britaina Brit ains history and more of its manners and feelings can be gleaned from various public house signs seen in villages and towns says pearsons london weekly many of these were selected out of compliments of the reigning king or lord of the manor the blue boar was the badge of richard III the bulls head of henry VIII and the hart of richard 11 II the fox and hounds and hare and hounds were named in compliment to a sporting squire and the green man probably originated when the squires gamekeeper married and was promoted to the village public it is thought that the saracens saracena Sara cens head was thus named by a crusader after his return from the holy wars the is said to refer to the stuart kings whose shield was cheeky checky the spread eagle being the arms of germany indicated in past days that german wines were sold in that inn and the castle being the arms of spain signified that spanish wines were sold |