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The Lion of Mansfield
The achieved arms of Edward de Mansfeld: a gold lion on blue beneath a gold chief with three red stars
The Legend of the Lion of Mansfield · 1288–1349

Sir Edward de Mansfeld

An English knight of the early fourteenth century, called the Lion of Mansfield — a name earned not in victory but in the defeat at Bannockburn. These pages present his chronicle, his arms, and the tales told of him.

Read The Crossing
Edward de Mansfeld standing beneath an oak at the edge of Sherwood, with Mansfield in the distance
An account preserved at Rufford
From the chronicle

And it is told that at one of the fords over the little burn there stood a knight of the shire of Nottingham, Edward of Mannesfeld, with certain of his men, and they held the bank so that others might pass over. Of his men three were slain there and are not buried. He himself was borne away insensible and came at length into England.

Rufford account, later 14th c.
The illustrated cycle

Tales

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Nottingham Castle rising above Castle Rock at autumn dusk
Tale II
October 1330 · Nottingham Castle

The Rock

Nottingham Castle, October 1330.

Forthcoming
Sixteen years · one difference

From the roll of arms

View the two shields

Edward de Mannesfeld

The Nottingham Roll, c. 1310

Edward de Mannesfeld — porte d'azure a un lion rampant d'or, armé et lampassé de goules.

(Edward of Mansfield — bears azure, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules.)

Le Lyon de Mannesfeld

The Clipstone Roll, c. 1326

Le Lyon de Mannesfeld — porte d'azure a un lion rampant d'or, armé et lampassé de goules, od le chief d'or a treis molettes de goules.

(The Lion of Mansfield — bears azure, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules, with a chief or, three mullets gules.)