in armoury, denotes the uppermost part of an armoury; or that part rising over the cask or helmet. Next to the mantle, says Guillim, the crest or cognizance claims the highest place; being seated on the most eminent part of the helmet; yet so as to admit an interposition of some escrol, wreath, chapeau, crown, &c.

The ancient warriors wore crests to strike terror in their enemies, as the sight of the spoils of animals they had killed; or to give them the more formidable men, by making them appear taller, &c.

In the ancient tournaments, the cavaliers had plumes of feathers, especially those of ostriches and herons, for their crests; these tufts they called plumarts; and were placed in tubes, on the tops of high caps or bonnets. Some had their crests of leather; others of parchment, pasteboard, &c. painted or varnished, to keep out the weather; others of steel, wood, &c. on which were sometimes represented a member or ordinary of the coat; as an eagle, fleur-de-lys, &c. but never any of those called honourable ordinaries, as pale, fesse, &c. The crests were changeable at pleasure; being reputed no other than as an arbitrary device or ornament.

Herodotus attributes the rise of crests to the Carian, who first bore feathers on their casks, and painted figures on their bucklers; whence the Persians called them cock's.

The crest is esteemed a greater mark of nobility than the armoury, as being borne at tournaments; to which none were admitted till they had given proof of their nobility. Sometimes it serves to distinguish the several branches of a family. It has also served, on occasion, as the distinguishing badge of factions. Sometimes the crest is taken from the device; but more usually it is formed of some piece of the arms; thus, the emperor's crest is an eagle; that of Castile, a castle, &c. Families that exchange arms, as the houses of Brunswick and Cologne have done, do not change their crests; the first still retain the horse, and the latter the mermaid.

in Heraldry, the figure placed above the helmet in an achievement. See Heraldry.

CREST-fallen, a fault of a horse, when the upper part of his neck, called the crest, hangs to one side; this they cure by placing it upright, clipping away the spare skin, and applying plasters to keep it in a proper position.