We know what the CMC's cutie marks are, but something about them just majorly caught me attention. They are shields with marks that represent them. Why I bring this up? Well, in Past Sins, Nyx's cutie mark is a blue shield with the moon insignia embroidered on the shield, call me crazy, but is that a whee bit too much of a coincidence to make the CMC's cutie marks and Nyx's shields?

4785688

It's a European shield design, commonly associated with the crusades. I might question why three ponies would have the design in a world where we haven't seen many shields and the crusades never occured, but it's pretty easy to call a coincidence.

4787647

It's a European shield design, commonly associated with the crusades.

It's called a coat of arms, an aspect of heraldry, and it actually has more to do with knights and chivalry in general.

Note that the CMC have identified their group with a shield logo since they founded it. It's simply something they associate with being a Cutie Mark Crusader, presumably because they had a vague understanding of heraldry and how knightly orders work.

Interestingly, these cutie marks actually seem to follow the traditional rules of heraldry, at least to a basic degree. Specifically, the actual shield part is called the escutcheon. The three colored lines is a type of ordinary (that is, pattern) called a pale. The symbols in the center are called charges.

I might question why three ponies would have the design in a world where we haven't seen many shields and the crusades never occured,

...If they've never had any crusades, how the heck could they possibly know the word crusader?

Obviously somepony went crusading at some point.

4787771

The word existed before the war.

I'm aware somewhat of what a coat of arms is, but that's how it's associated with Crusaders, through the crusades in which the knights took part. Probably a strained connection in reality of course.