[MR] History Blog: Love Token and the Giant Crane

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble friends,

Today's History Blog reports on a medieval badge that was found during
restoration of a giant medieval crane in Gdańsk, Poland.

The badge is a love token featuring a turtle dove above a banner with the
Latin phrase *Amor Vincit Omnia*, or Love Conquers All. Two loops on the
back, now broken off, would have allowed the badge to be sewn onto a hat or
garment. Similar badges were popular in western Europe, and the Prioress in
Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales* is described as wearing one.

The crane is said to be the oldest surviving port crane in Europe, dating
from the mid-15th century when Gdańsk was part of the Hanseatic League. It
was used to lift heavy cargo to and from ships, and was powered by 16 men
walking in four squirrel-cage treadwheels. It could lift two tons up to 80
feet.

The crane is currently undergoing restoration and will open this spring as
part of Poland's National Maritime Museum.

The History Blog story is at https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69492 .

More views of the crane are at https://zabytek.pl/en/obiekty/gdansk-zuraw .

More about treadwheel cranes is found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treadwheel_crane .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.