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Here's a clue: "Pean a sun in splendour Or thereon an inverted triangle murrey." Stumped?
Heraldic insignia were borne on the shields of medieval knights to distinguish them from one another; hence, they were also called armorial bearings. They later became hereditary, and eventually were taken up not only by great families, but also by corporations and countries.
In 1974, with the approval of the Board of Governors, Sir George Williams University English professor David McKeen began negotiations with the Royal College of Arms in London about the armorial bearings of the new university. They were designed by McKeen to reflect the founding institutions, and included both the "sun in his splendor," the heraldic emblem of Jesuit institutions, and the YMCA triangle (body, mind and spirit).
On February 13, 1975, the Board of Governors approved the official Concordia colours, white, gold and maroon, a combination of the Loyola and SGW colours. On December 23, 1976, Concordia's new coat of arms was officially granted by the College of Arms.
On the ribbon stretched beneath the shield is the device Concordia (Latin for concord, a state of peace and harmony), signifying the university's aspiration as well as its participation in the life of the City of Montreal, the motto of which is Concordia Salus, or health through harmony.
The official description is:
"Pean a sun in splendour Or thereon an inverted triangle murrey surmounted by an open book argent edged Or bound azure. And for the crest, on a wreath argent, Or and murrey a sun in splendour Or thereon an inverted triangle murrey surmounted by an open book argent edged Or bound azure. Mantling, Murrey doubled argent and Or."
In plain English, pean is a sable fur spotted with gold; murrey is a corruption of mulberry, a purple-red colour; or is gold or yellow; argent is silver or white; and mantling is the ornamental drapery or scrollwork on an insignia. The terms are all specific to heraldry.
