Wolfsangel

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Wolfsangel (German pronunciation: [ˈvɔlfsˌʔaŋəl] , translation: 'wolf's hook') or Crampon (French pronunciation: [kʁɑ̃pɔ̃] ) is a heraldic charge from mainly Germany and eastern France, which was inspired by medieval European wolf traps that consisted of a Z-shaped metal hook (called the Wolfsangel, or the crampon in French) that was hung by a chain from a crescent-shaped metal bar (called the Wolfsanker, or the hameçon in French). The stylized symbol of the Z-shape (also called the Doppelhaken, meaning 'double-hook') can include a central horizontal bar to give a Ƶ-symbol, which can be reversed and/or rotated (ꑭ); it is sometimes mistaken as being an ancient rune due to its similarity to the "gibor rune" of the pseudo Armanen runes. It became an early symbol of German liberty and independence after its adoption as an emblem in various 15th-century peasant revolts and also in the 17th-century Thirty Years' War. In pre-war Germany, interest in the Wolfsangel was revived by the popularity...

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