Last modified: 2010-12-03 by rob raeside
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Carr, 1961, says "Liverpool's arms date
from 1797, when the heralds, having never heard of Litherland close by, were
left to choose between the pool of laver - that is, the seaweed Porphyra - and
the pool of the liver, a bird unknown to naturalists; and, failing to find a
figure of the imaginary bird, they invented a sort of short-necked cormorant,
into whose beak they put a couple of fronds of Porphyra in case it was Liverpool
after all. This very neat instance of heraldic hedging did not, however, meet
with the success it deserved, for the old name was discovered to be Litherpool -
that is, the sluggish pool - yet the cormorant and the seaweed remain, for they
are in the grant."
Carr therefore suggests that cities may use banners of arms..
Jarig Bakker, 2 April 2002
![[Arms of Liverpool]](../images/g/gb)lp.jpg)
It is a cormorant on the arms of Liverpool. It was inspired by an American
flag with a bald eagle on it, and developed with a hint of the famous Liverpool
humour. The "liver birds" are Oliver and Olivia - she looking out to sea waiting
for her true love to return, he looking into the city to see if the pubs are
open!
Valerie Sullivan, 16 June 2004
The late Fritz Spiegl, who was an
authority on all things Liverpudlian (and who wrote a four volume series
entitled 'Lern Yersel Scouse' under the pseudonym Linacre Lane), claimed that
the Liver Bird was based on a pelican, the local artist who was commissioned to
draw the bird (a) had never seen one and (b) was drunk at the time.
Ron Lahav, 18 April 2005
Concerning the Liverbird, I can't believe
people think the Liverbird is a cormorant. I felt the need, being from Liverpool
myself and being very proud of my city, to set the record straight. The original
seal of Liverpool was based on the heraldic emblem of King John, which was an
eagle. The original seal was broken some time during Liverpool's history and
when the new seal was created the artist couldn't quite render the eagle as well
as the original, so it came to look something like a cormorant.
Neil Evans, 7 May 2006