Just to show that pub signs don't need to be serious, here's a picture from the Three Kings pub in London's Clerkenwell.As you'll see, it's an unusual take on a traditional theme and shows the three kings as Henry VIII, Elvis and King Kong.
Whilst it perhaps isn't what signwriters would have been painting centuries ago, it is a reflection of the present times. Plus it gives passers by something to smile at.
If it's still there a hundred years from now, our contemporary musical and film culture will be reflected in it, giving a historical clue to future drinkers. It's a lovely looking historic pub too and very well patronised.
Online sources claim that Three Kings was the badge of the Mercer's Company or the mark of Cologne, the source of the finest linens. However, I've not been able to verify either. There is also the connection with the nativity to consider.
However, a learned Oxford paper and Bible encyclopedias say that the Magi, or three kings, were three out of 24 saints adopted as patron saints for travellers, taking us back to the earliest inns as refuges for pilgrims
Adapted from A Book About Pub Names available from Lulu.com or CompleteText.com
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