Title: The Battle Family Crest Date of Completion: 2025 Designer/Commissioner: John Battle

Here is the long version of the Provenance of our Crest.

Provenance Note for the Battle Crest

Origins and Purpose

This crest was created as a lasting emblem of the Battle family, uniting personal history, artistic vision, and Irish heritage. It was designed not only as a decorative device but as a symbol of legacy — to be preserved, remembered, and passed forward.

Heraldic Elements

• Shield: Outlined in gold, representing honor and continuity.
• Cross and Fleur-de-lis: At the top of the shield, these symbols evoke faith, resilience, and the refinement of tradition.
• Chevron: A green chevron points upward, signifying growth, aspiration, and the bridging of past and future.
• Central Flower: A stylized trillium with cream petals and a red heart, symbolizing rarity, renewal, and the enduring beauty of life.
• Oak Leaves and Acorns: Emblems of strength, rootedness, and the promise of future generations.
• Banner: Bearing the family name BATTLE in bold capitals, affirming identity and continuity.

Motto

Beneath the shield is inscribed the Irish proverb: “An rud is annamh is iontach” (What is seldom is wonderful).

This phrase, drawn from the Irish oral tradition of seanfhocail, affirms the family’s belief in the value of rarity, uniqueness, and the extraordinary nature of what endures.

Legacy

The crest stands as a finished emblem — a synthesis of artistry, heritage, and philosophy. It is intended to be preserved as a marker of identity and a testament to the family’s story, while also serving as inspiration for future generations who may carry its symbols into new forms of art, narrative, or tradition.

Here is a short version of the provenance of our crest.

Battle Family Crest

“An rud is annamh is iontach” — What is seldom is wonderful

This emblem unites heritage and artistry:

• Shield and Chevron — growth, aspiration, and continuity.
• Cross and Fleur-de-lis — faith and refinement of tradition.
• Trillium Flower — rarity, renewal, and beauty.
• Oak Leaves and Acorns — strength, rootedness, and legacy.

Completed in 2025, the crest stands as a finished symbol of identity and permanence, honoring both family story and Irish tradition.

The above explanation is provided by Copilot. Here is what I have to say about it. This emblem or crest or coat of arms represents my notion of the Battle family that is descended from Jack Battle: His full name is John Joseph Battle. He grew up in Ontario and came to Paris, Michigan. He worked in lumber camps when the white pine forests of Michigan were being clearcut. The trees were floated down the rivers and went to lumber mills all along the way.

The wild lily called trillium was my mother’s (Anna Battle’s) favorite flower, so I worked it into the design. The motto is in Gaelic. It says literally: The thing that is seldom is wonderful. It can also be expressed as: The rare thing is wonderful.

This guy on the internet will teach you how to say it: https://www.myirishjeweler.com/blog/irish-saying-what-is-seldom-is-wonderful/?srsltid=AfmBOooiW4b1Cu59plxnKUGQ6gfrHRfDcysMp7i0WPaNh47_lT9hTA3K

Here is my guide to pronouncing the motto.

an = ahn

rud = as in rudder

is = ess

annamh = ah-nuff’ Pronounce u as the -o-o in hoot

is = ess

iontach = een’-takh Sound een as the -e-a-n of bean

Here is my phonetic version all laid out:

ahn rud ess ah-nuff ess een’takh