The Crest – Jodi May

The crest of Hillside Academy is almost as old as the school and was created by the headmaster following Mary Stone’s execution, a relative of the Stone family who inherited the school after her untimely death. George Hamilton-Stone created the crest to symbolize all that Mary Stone had tried to create with her all-girls school in the early fifteen hundreds. Unfortunately, the school was transformed into an all boys’ school after her death and didn’t welcome female students again until it became a mixed institute in the late eighteen hundreds.

You can read more about the history of the school on the History section of the School Wiki. This will be updated regularly to build a rich picture of the school!

In reality, the crest was created by Jodi May mid-way through the development of Hillside Academy, circa 2014. Read on for a breakdown of the crest and it’s various elements, including the infamous motto.

The Lion:

In heraldry, the lion represents bravery. It’s a common animal used in heraldry and it was chosen for the Hillside Academy crest (IRL) to represent the bravery of the characters. Two are positioned either side of the coat of arms in a ‘statant’ position. It is specifically two lions and not a singular since HSA is a mixed school and each lion stands for the bravery of men and of women. Equal fierceness.

In the books, the Lions is the name of the school rugby team. Sam Robinson, one of the Main 8, is a member of the team and Anna Clearwater’s boyfriend, Dave Scott, is the captain of the team. Only the Sixth Former side is called the Lions; the Lower and Upper school teams do not have official names. The Lions are a fierce-some and infamous rugby team, as their mascot and name suggests.

The Eagle:

The eagle is also a common icon in heraldry but it is usually positioned to the side of the coat of arms, either in flight or in a ‘statant’ position. On the HSA crest, the eagle is positioned at the head of the coat of arms, in flight, with it’s wings spread. This is in line with the common theme throughout the serious of ‘fight or flight’. Traditionally, the eagle represents not only nobility (symbolizing the elitism of the prestigious school) but also power – the wealthy offspring of the powerful who attend.

The Eagles is also the name of the school’s notorious hockey team of which, Anna Clearwater, one of the Main 8, is the captain. Like the Lions, it is the Sixth Form field hockey team and they too are known throughout the competition as ruthless and competitive, which is unsurprising given their captain. Also like the rugby team, the Lower and Upper school teams do not share the name the Eagles. This is reserved only for the all-girls hockey team.

The Antlers:

Antlers on a coat of arms represent strength and fortitude, an aspect especially important to HSA since the main school is built like a fortress and is often referred to by the characters as ‘fortress-like’. It is a sanctuary of sorts for most of its students. Furthermore, antlers also mean ‘one who will not fight unless provoked’ which felt in line with a lot of the behaviour of the characters throughout the series. It also stands for peace and harmony, another theme in the 24-book series and something all of the Main 8 are desperately seeking.

The Book:

Books on a coat of arms can mean one of two things depending on whether they’re open or not. The book on HSA’s crest is open; this signifies manifestation as well as denoting learning and willingness to listen. It is the symbol of knowledge and most teaching institutes with shields will possess books on their coat of arms.

On another level, it’s a nod to all of the books consumed by the characters in the series, especially Erika, Emily, Dominic and Will, who are all avid readers.

The Key:

The key is the symbol of power and knowledge; of guardianship and dominion. As Hillside Academy is the Head of the Sistership (a section of this Wiki will be dedicated to this) it was given a key for its coat of arms to symbolise its rank and title as the top.

Is the key also a symbol for some of the secrets kept hidden at HSA? Maybe…

The Anchor:

The anchor is the symbol of salvation, hope and religious steadfastness. Hillside Academy wasn’t founded with Church of England or Catholic values but George Hamilton-Stone, unlike his cousin, Mary, wanted the institute to adhere to the establishment rules at the time. The anchor was chosen for this reason. While no longer a religious school, it does still bear the mark of ‘religious salvation’ that appears to renounce HSA’s pagan heritage. It is for this reason that the coat of arms bears many conflicts, just like the school itself.

It also helps that the school is situated in Ilfracombe, a seaside harbour town in Devon, that was famous in the Victorian times for its Tunnel Beaches, which feature in the series. The anchor is a small nod to its seaside destination. It is also a nod to the effect the group of friends have on one another; anchoring and being steadying pillars to each other.

The Motto

Most traditional mottoes for coat of arms are in Latin. Translated, the HSA school motto means:

Strive. Fight. Unity.

The motto (IRL) has been through many changes and variations but was ultimately decided upon circa 2015 during the third redraft of the books. It accurately sums up not only the school’s morals – as well as those belonging to the headmistress, Ms Oldbridge – but the message of the book series as a whole.

It’s a motto that a lot of the character relate and depend upon, most notably, Elivia Spencer in the first chapter of Volume 1. It’s an encouragement, a beckoning to the light, a promise. Which is exactly what HSA is all about.

If you enjoyed this, why not check out more sections of the Wiki including Characters, the World (coming soon) and other parts of the School! After all, there’s so much!