The Thame Emblem
The Thame town emblem will be familiar to most people in Thame, as it appears on Thame Town Council stationery.
But what lies behind the design of the emblem, and what does the Latin motto 'Vetus Tamen Vivet' mean?
Well, there is no single historical significance to the design itself. Rather, it contains representations of some key elements of Thame's history and is based around a real cross, of some antiquity, found at Thame in 1940.
The Latin motto is of twentieth century origin. 'Vetus Tamen Vivet' can be taken literally or as a pun. The Latin word 'tamen' means 'yet', and so 'ancient yet alive' would be a good translation. 'Ancient Thame lives' would also be a good way to interpret the phrase, as Thame used to be spelt without the 'h'.
A ring found in the Thame Hoard
The emblem is made up of a double transverse cross, taken from a ring found in the Thame Hoard in 1940, with a wheatsheaf to the left and a pair of wool shears to the right.
Wheat and wool were key elements of Thame's economy throughtout the Middle Ages. The wool trade in particular brought great wealth to the town.
The Thame Hoard