Crancelin, Her. (from the German Kranzlein, a small wreath). The chaplet that crosses the shield of Saxony. It is said to be an augmentation conferred by the Emperor Barbarossa, who took from his head his own chaplet of rue, and threw it across the shield of the Duke of Saxony. (Boutell.)
Crane’s-bills. Geraniums, so called from the shape of their seed-vessels.
Crannogs, Irish. Lake fortresses constructed on artificial islands.
Crapaudine Doors. A technical name for doors that turn on pivots at top and bottom, or are hung with so called centre-pin hinges.
Crash. The grey linen used for the kind of embroidery called crewelwork.
Fig. 203. Silver Crater (Roman). Found at Hildesheim.
Crater, Gr. and R. (κρατὴρ, from κεράννυμι, to mix). (1) A large and beautiful vase with a wide open mouth, in which the wine and water was mixed which was handed round at banquets and sacrifices. It was into vases of this description that slaves dipped a ladle (cyathus), with which they filled the cups. The beautiful silver crater shown in the illustration (Fig. [203]), of a date not later than the 1st century, was found with other treasures of a similar kind at Hildesheim, near Hanover, in 1869. It is now in the Berlin Museum. (2) The mouth of a volcano is named from its resemblance to the Greek crater. (3) A small constellation of the southern hemisphere called the Cup.
Crates, R. A frame or basket made of hurdles, and so a hurdle itself. (English, “crate.”)
Craticula, R. (dimin. of crates). A small hurdle, and by analogy, a gridiron, which looks like a small hurdle.