Martlet (Period)

The martlet is an heraldic bird, in many ways a stylized and generic bird.  Blazoned as a merle, merlette, or merlotte (“blackbird”), it was found in French armory as early as c.1185, in the canting arms of Mello [Pastoureau 150].  In English armory, the French term quickly became conflated with the martinet, a type of swallow or swift [Brault 241], and soon became highly stylized in form.  The martlet is found as early as c.1244, in the arms of the Earls of Pembroke [ANA2 210].  It remained a popular charge through the end of our period:  of the birds, only the eagle was more frequently used.

While the martlet’s exact form varied throughout period, by far the most common trait was its lack of legs:  small tufts of feathers take their place.  (This is due to the legend that the martlet was always airborne, never lighting on the ground.)  For purposes of Society blazonry, this lack of legs is the martlet’s defining characteristic.  The martlet was sometimes drawn without a beak (especially in France); post-period depictions (especially in England) gave it the forked tail of the swallow.  The illustration is taken from the arms of Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, in the Luttrell Psalter, mid-14^th C.

In the English system of cadency, the martlet is the brisure of the fourth son.  The martlet is close by default.

Éadaoin na Slebhte bears:  Gules, three martlets Or.

Tamsin Wylde bears:  Barry vert and argent, six martlets Or.

Lie de Camurac bears:  Per chevron vert and azure, three martlets argent.

Swallow volant (Period)

The swallow is a speedy bird whose migratory habits were known to medieval naturalists.  Its notable feature is its forked tail, which is exaggerated in armorial emblazons.  The swallow is a period charge, found in the canting arms of Swalow, c.1395 [DBA3 371].  The illustration shows a swallow volant.

The Society also has examples of the “swift”, an heraldically indistinguishable bird.  For related charges, see martlet.

Lena Vogelsang bears:  Or, three swallows volant azure.

John of Ean Airgead, called the Mad Celt, bears:  Vert, a chimney swift migrant palewise argent.

Myfanwy Dolwyddelan bears:  Quarterly azure and vert, in bend two swallows volant Or.

Dunghill cock (Period)

The cock, or cockerel, is the male chicken, noted for its fighting spirit; it is found as early as c.1285, in the canting arms of Cockerel [ANA2 201].  The cock is often blazoned more fully as a “dunghill cock”, to distinguish it from male birds of other species:  e.g., the peacock; the turkeycock; the “heathcock” or male partridge; and the moorcock.  (The term “rooster” is a modern American usage, and no longer used in blazon.)

All these types of cock are statant close by default.  There are some terms which appear to be unique to the Society:  A dunghill cock without wattles or crest may be blazoned a “gamecock”, as the wattleless breed was favored in cockfights.  A dunghill cock rising may also be blazoned a “cock hardy”.

Chicken hens are also found in heraldry (as in the canting arms of the Counts of Henneberg, c.1340 [Zurich 82]), as are capons (in the canting arms of Capenhurst, 1610 [Guillim1 164]).  These seem to be much less common than males, however.

Merwenna Maycock bears:  Per fess embattled Or and gules, two cocks counterchanged.

Konrad Partman bears:  Per pale vert and Or, a dunghill cock rising, wings displayed gules.

Sabine de Provence bears:  Quarterly azure and ermine, a hen close Or.

Anne of Bradford bears:  Azure chapé, a chicken martletted close to sinister Or.

Birds in Society heraldry follow most of the conventions as those of mundane heraldry.  As a rule of thumb, most birds are statant close by default.

There are some bird postures unique to Society heraldry.  A bird “stooping” is volant to dexter base, with the body bendwise sinister and the wings addorsed and swept back.  A bird “striking” has its wings elevated and addorsed, its head lowered, and its talons extended; for purposes of difference, it is indistinguishable from a bird rising.  A bird “migrant” or “migratory” is tergiant, wings displayed or displayed inverted, head erect; with no other qualification, a bird is migrant to chief.  The posture is no longer allowed, pending period examples.

Any bird known to period Europeans may be used in Society armory – though, if the bird is not itself European, its use may be considered a step from period practice.  (An exception is made for non-European birds actually used in period European armory.  The turkeycock is perhaps the prime example of this.)  The unmodified term “bird” can be used in blazon to refer to a generic bird, vaguely pigeon-shaped; it will conflict with all “standard” birds, as classified below.

In terms of difference between birds, as of this writing the Society’s policy classes every bird into one of four categories:  crane-shaped (e.g., cranes, storks, herons), swan-shaped (e.g., swans, geese, ducks), poultry-shaped (e.g., chickens, quail, peacocks), and “standard bird” (e.g., corbies, doves, raptors).  (One might assume a fifth category, “other”, to cover anomalies such as the ostrich.)  Birds from different categories, when in period postures for those birds, will usually be considered completely different for purposes of conflict.

For specific birds, see:  cock, crane, crow, dove, eagle, falcon, firebird, goose, hummingbird, martlet, moorcock, ostrich, owl, peacock, pelican, penguin, popinjay, roc, sea-mew, simurgh, swallow, swan, turkeycock, vulture.

Grim Finch bears:  Argent, a bend per bend sable and azure, in chief a finch volant, wings addorsed azure.

Eleanor of Pica bears:  Vert, a magpie proper maintaining in its dexter talon a feather argent.

Linnet of Liddington bears:  Quarterly azure and Or, four linnets counterchanged.

Luke Aucher bears:  Argent, a great auk close sable and a chief rayonny gules.

Robin Vinehall the Ambivalent bears:  Or, in fess two robins close addorsed, tails crossed in saltire proper.

Wilhelmina Brant bears:  Or, two pheasants respectant and in chief three garden roses slipped vert.

Božena z Prahy bears:  Gules, a pigeon between flaunches argent.