Assassin insignia
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The insignia of the Assassin Order, though varying slightly in design over different time periods and countries, held essentially the same shape and style of an eagle's head. Each of its variations represented the uniqueness of the various sects of the Order, and the insignia was often used to decorate the armor and robes of leading Assassin figures in a number of time periods.
History[edit | edit source]
The inspiration for the insignia came from the Hidden Ones' co-founder Bayek, who carried an eagle skull necklace in remembrance of his late son Khemu. In 46 BCE, as Bayek and his wife Aya laid the foundations of the Hidden Ones, the former dropped the necklace onto the beach sand of Alexandria, renouncing his past and embracing his new identity as a Hidden One. After Bayek left, Aya picked up the eagle skull and saw the imprint it had left in the sand, which became the basis for the Hidden Ones' insignia.[1]
Following some stylistic changes, a larger version of the symbol was painted in blue on the rooftop of the newly-founded Hidden Ones bureau in Memphis, marking its location and purpose to all who knew what the symbol stood for.[2] By 38 BCE, another bureau was established in the Klysma Quarry in the Sinai Peninsula, also bearing the Hidden Ones' symbol on its walls and rooftop.[3]
This practice continued into the Middle Ages, as the insignia was used to prominently mark the entrances of Assassin bureaus and could be seen on the banners decorating the fortresses of Alamut in Persia,[4] and Masyaf in Syria.[5] During the Renaissance in Italy, it was used on the mechanisms in the many Assassin Tombs and on the banners and walls of Monteriggioni,[6] and was also displayed on the banners hung in the Tiber Island headquarters.[7]
In order to hide their intention from the Borgia or other forces that were trying to stop them, Leonardo da Vinci invented a special invisible paint that only the Assassins who were able to use Eagle Vision could detect, even at great distances. The paint was mostly used by Assassin scouts, usually drawing the symbol to mark a target house or item.[8] In Constantinople, Assassin Dens and ziplines had a small Assassin insignia atop them, while bomb-crafting stations were all painted with the Ottoman Assassins' own insignia.[9]
During the 18th century, many Assassins who became ship captains elected to fly flags bearing the insignia. In 1721, Edward Kenway adopted a second Jolly Roger for his ship, the Jackdaw, after officially becoming affiliated with the Brotherhood, which was a skull encompassed by the Assassin insignia.[10] Four years later, Edward would install a near-identical flag on the Zhang Wei Union's flagship, the Fenghuang.[11]
The ships belonging to the gangs affiliated with the Colonial Assassins during the Seven Years' War similarly flew flags bearing the Assassin insignia. In addition, gang members frequently hanged large banners with the insignia in the areas they controlled, while their headquarters always flew at least one Assassin flag, which had to be cut down by Shay Cormac during his liberation of the bases.[12]
By the Victorian era, the British Brotherhood was quite discreet with their iconography and took to signifying their allegiance by the use of a ring adorned with the Assassin insignia.[13]
Across various time periods, the insignia was worn openly on the armor and clothing of certain known Assassins, such as Roshan, Basim Ibn Ishaq,[4] Mario Auditore,[6] his nephew Ezio Auditore,[6] Lo Sparviero,[14] Shao Jun,[15] Achilles Davenport, John de la Tour, Ratonhnhaké:ton,[16] Aveline de Grandpré,[17] Nikolai Orelov,[18] and Saeko Mochizuki.[19] Certain modern-day Assassins also wore the insignia in the form of a tattoo, such as Daniel Cross[18] and Kiyoshi Takakura.[20]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- In the Sanctuary, all of the statues had different variations of the Assassin insignia on their waists.
- The cape worn during the Carnevale in Assassin's Creed II bore an emblem similar to the Assassin insignia.
- In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Desmond Miles searched for Assassin insignias painted onto the walls in order to guide him to the Colosseum Vault.
- The Levantine and Russian Brotherhoods' sigils are unique in that they are vertically asymmetrical. Additionally, reflecting the Levantine branch's historical origins as adherents of Nizari Isma'ilism that derived from Islam's Shia school, the Levantine crest contains ornamental white kufic on a red background in its center that translates to Ali, Muhammad's cousin and later son-in-law who ruled as the fourth Rashidun caliph and was also the first Shia imam.
- The insignia could be seen on the back of the Seusenhofer armor and the Armor of Brutus.
- The Mongolian Assassins' symbol uses a coin resembling currency used during China's Ming dynasty which occurred much later than the period the insignia originated from.
- As the Levantine Assassins' Mentor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad wore a cloak clasp in the shape of the insignia adopted by the Roman Assassins during the Renaissance. His robes were also adorned by multiple symmetrical insignia.[21]
- The outfits of both William Kidd[22] and Alonzo Batilla[23] featured the Assassin insignia; however, it is unknown if either of them possessed knowledge of the Brotherhood.
- The lifts attached to the main mast of the Aquila had pulley handles shaped like the Assassin's insignia.[16]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – Last of the Medjay
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – Birth of the Creed
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Hidden Ones – The Land of Turquoise
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage
- ↑ Assassin's Creed
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Assassin's Creed II
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Identity – Database: Assassin Mark
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 111
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jack the Ripper – Autumn of Terror
↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jack the Ripper – Database: Elizabeth Stride
↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jack the Ripper – Database: Catherine Eddowes
↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jack the Ripper – The Mother of All Crimes - ↑ Assassin's Creed: Identity
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Assassin's Creed III
- ↑ Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Assassin's Creed: The Fall
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance – 18 December 2013: "The Osaka Brotherhood"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance – 17 December 2013: "No Harm"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Passing the Torch
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Pirates