As my father once explained it to me, the Carreras coat of arms is a prancing racehorse surmounted by four lucky stars. The name itself implies an interest in racing. Or as some described it, doings at crossroads, which the name can also mean. So I guess the earliest of the Carreras fancied themselves as horsemen, aficionados of the track, and questers after fortune. The lucky stars added a bit of deflection from the unfortunate consequences of those trades.
We know very little of the family at the time that the arms were granted, except that we were involved in the Reconquista of Spain. Lots was happening in the shadows, it was to say the least, umbrous.
But we are pretty sure that they were not involved with the Catalan Company and their peccadillos in Sicily and the Byzantine Empire – not the summit of chivalrous behavior. How do we know this? Just a family tradition that we had already taken a turn towards things maritime and artistic, with Carreras becoming merchants, mariners, craftsmen, and artisans in Catalunya.
Discover more from Louis N. Carreras, Woodcarver
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
My father once did some research on the Trulove family name and found a crest with horses on it. There is a legend that our Irish ancestors were horse thieves, so I thought the horses on the crest was pretty funny.
It seems a good thing that your family turned to the sea instead.
If all the families accused of horse thievery from Ireland were guilty, it’d have to be an awful lot of horses. I think it’s pure fake lore – they were good people who wanted a spicy back story.
I’m sure much of it is made up. My favourite Trulove myth is famous though, and I enjoy it: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Origins_of_the_Ayer_Name
My family crest are pretty funny. Kennedy is three armor heads and the name in Gaelic means “Ugly head” ugly meaning fierce. My Swiss crest is Schneebeli, “Little snowball.” The crest is three snowballs. Boil that down? A bunch of ugly guys having a snowball fight.
A snowball fight? I like it. Heraldry is usually so stuffy.