Centaur passant (Period)

Leonine sagittary passant drawing a bow (Period)

The centaur is a monster from Greek myth, with the body and legs of a horse and the torso, arms and head of a human.  Male and female centaurs are found in Society heraldry; blazons of posture (e.g., “passant”) refer to the equine portion, not the human.

Nearly all of the period heraldic examples of the centaur show it with a bow and arrow, as in the arms of Bardi, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 278:81], or in the crest of Mackonele of the Yles, c.1601 [Bedingfeld 147].  Such cases may also be blazoned a “sagittary” or “sagittarius”.  When blazoned “proper”, the centaur has a Caucasian human torso and a brown horse’s body.

A “leonine-centaur” (or, with a bow, a “leonine-sagittary”) has the body of a lion, instead of a horse; it’s found in the attributed arms of King Stephen of England, c.1097 [Dennys 119].

The illustrations show a centaur passant and a leonine-sagittary passant drawing a bow.

Chuluun the Scribe bears:  Gules, two sagittaries salient addorsed Or.

Tatiana Aleksandrovna bears:  Or, a female centaur passant within a bordure gules.

Piers of Malmesbury bears:  Per pale gules and azure, in pale two leonine sagittaries passant argent.

As used in heraldry, the term “monster” describes any creature not found in nature:  a fabulous beastie, a product of the imagination.  Some heraldic monsters were thought to represent actual beasts (e.g., the antelope), but their forms differ so widely from the natural beasts that they are considered separate and imaginary creatures.  In such cases, if the natural beast is intended, the term “natural” must be included in the blazon; otherwise, the heraldic monster is used.

There are some special categories of monsters, classed by their form or construction.  These include:  chimerical monsters, humanoid monsters, sea-monsters, and winged monsters.

For specific monsters, see:  allocamelus, alphyn, amphisbaena, antelope, bagwyn, bog beast, boreyne, calamarie (kraken), calygreyhound, camelopard, centaur, chatloup, chimera, cockatrice, dragon, enfield, griffin, harpy, hippogriff, Hrassvelg monster, ibex, lamia, lion-dragon, man-serpent, manticore, man-tyger, mermaid, musimon, naga, Norse beasts, opinicus, orm, pantheon, panther, pegasus, phoenix, piping beast, pithon, salamander, sea-horse, sea-lion, senmurv, silkie, sphinx, tarasque, theow, tyger, unicorn, vegetable lamb, werewolf, yale, ypotryll.

This category of monster consists of those whose forms are basically human, but with additions or mutations.  There does not seem to be a default posture common to all of them.  When blazoned “proper”, period practice would assume the human parts to be Caucasian (pink or white) unless otherwise specified; Society blazon had once followed this, but is now more inclusive.  The human portions of these monsters now follow the same Society blazon conventions as human figures (q.v.).

Angel (Period)

Standing seraph (Accepted)

The “angel” is a human with a pair of wings on its back; it’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of von Engelhoffer c.1450 [Ingeram 140; also Siebmacher 97].  Its default posture is statant affronty, wings displayed (frequently displayed inverted) [Parker 10].  A specific variant of this is the Archangel Michael, so named in blazon:  winged and haloed, but armed and armor-clad (and frequently depicted vanquishing a dragon underfoot).

A Society variant of the angel is the “standing seraph”, with six wings:  two with tips up, two with tips down, and two covering the body.  Like the angel, it’s statant affronty by default.  (These are not to be confused with the “cherub” and the “seraph”, which are winged heads; these may be found under (human) head.)

Fury statant affronty, wings displayed (Accepted)

Satyr maintaining a panpipe (Period)

The “fury” is a creature from Greek myth, a winged woman with serpents for hair.  It appears to be unique to Society heraldry.

The “satyr” or “pan” is also from Greek myth; it combines the torso of a human with the hindquarters of a goat.  It is horned, and may be shown playing a panpipe.  The satyr is found as an heraldic charge in the arms of Arcos, c.1540 [Nobreza xl]; though cantingly armed with a bow, and blazoned as a “sagittary”, the creature has two feet, not four, and they are cloven.

Troll (Period)

Demon (Disallowed)

The “troll” is a charge from Scandinavian heraldry, found in the canting arms of Trolle, c.1440 [Raneke 412-413].  (It is sometimes, erroneously, blazoned a “devil” outside Scandinavia.)  The heraldic troll is distinguished by having no head:  its face is embedded in its torso.  It has clawed hands and feet, and a tail; by default, it is shown passant, with the head in full view, and one hand holding the tail.

Finally, there is the “demon” or “gargoyle”, like the satyr in having a beast’s hindquarters, but with the addition of bat-wings, a barbed tail, and sometimes talons.  Unfortunately, its best-known heraldic use, in the arms of the City of Brussels, dates only to the early 19^th Century.  Demons depicted in period books of hours vary too widely in appearance to be reproducible; therefore, pending evidence of their use in period armory, demons are no longer permitted in Society armory.

For specific entries of other monsters with human parts, see:  centaur, harpy, lamia, man-serpent, manticore, man-tyger, mermaid, silkie, sphinx, tarasque.

The Baron of the Angels bears:  Gules, a standing seraph affronty proper, winged Or, haloed of a laurel wreath proper.

The Canton of Trollhaven bears:  Argent, a troll within a laurel wreath vert and on a chief azure a three-arched bridge Or.

Francesca d’Angelo le Noir bears:  Argent, a brunette angel proper, winged and vested sable.

Rhys Gethin bears:  Vert semy-de-lys Or, the Archangel Michael argent haloed Or.

Jason the Blue bears:  Or, a four-armed demon azure, winged gules.

Marta as-tu Mika-Mysliwy bears:  Per chevron vert and Or, in base a satyr dancing and piping proper.

Megara di Alessandra bears:  Sable, a Fury rampant affronty, sinister hand lowered, proper vested argent, winged Or, maintaining in the dexter hand a torch bendwise sinister enflamed proper.