Search Results for: rock

Rocket

Rocket or skyrocket (Accepted)

A rocket is a long cylinder with a conical point at one end, belching flame at the other; it is used as a projectile, and is more fully termed a “skyrocket”. The Chinese used them as fireworks and signals – the preparation of rockets was described by Marcus Graecus, Book of Fires for the Burning of Enemies, c.1300 [Singer 379] – but rockets were not found in period heraldry. The skyrocket has its point to chief by Society default. For related charges, see pole-cannon.

Thomas MacAndrew bears: Counter-ermine, a skyrocket bendwise Or.

Luke of Bright Hills bears: Or, on a pale between two crescents azure, a rocket Or.

Rock; Stone

Rock (Period)

A rock is an irregular mass of stone; it is also called a “stone”, though that usually implies a smaller mass. When used as an independent charge, the rock is drawn lumpishly to distinguish it from a roundel. Rocks are found in the canting arms of Pedrosa, c.1540 [Nobreza xvi]. When issuant from base, a rock becomes essentially a rocky mount.

A specific type of rock is the “flint”, used for striking sparks against a furison to start fires. It was used as one of the badges of the Order of the Golden Fleece, 1430 [Friar 170; Volborth 216]. The flint is depicted as a rock with spurts of flame issuant from the sides, sometimes radiating across the field.

Millstone (Period)

Period armory gives us the “millstone”: a large circular stone, turned by water power, used for grinding grain. It forms the base of the mill; it’s rendered essentially as a diapered roundel, frequently charged with a millrind. The millstone is a period charge, found in the arms of Spiser, c.1340 [Zurich 253].

Rocks come in many materials – basalt, marble, sandstone – so, strictly speaking, they have no “proper” coloration. Nonetheless, there are a few instances of “rock proper” or “stone proper” in Society blazonry; these assume the rock is grey granite, and are treated as if they were argent.

See also dolmen (menhir), grindstone.

Hallmundr Grimsson bears: Barry wavy azure and argent, a stone sable.

Piers Howells de Cambria bears: Azure, an owl reguardant Or perched atop a rock issuant from base argent.

Juliana Neuneker Hirsch von Schutzhundheim bears: Sable, a flint between four furisons in saltire, steels to center Or.

Winged monsters

Lion of St. Mark statant guardant (Period)

Winged stag segreant (Accepted)

This class of monster consists of beasts with wings grafted to their shoulders. Almost any beast may be so treated, such as the winged fox in the arms of Fuchs, mid-16^th C [NW 37], or even the winged fish in the arms of von Bruecdorp or Brockdorf, c.1370 [Gelre 33v]. Even other monsters, if normally wingless, may have wings added. The wings are eagle’s wings by default; other types of wings, such as bat’s wings, are also found in Society armory, but are unattested in period armory. Such cases must be explicitly blazoned. (This doesn’t apply to those monsters whose definitions include wings, such as the dragon.)

There are special terms for some winged monsters. A haloed winged lion may be blazoned a “lion of St. Mark”; it is found in the civic arms of Venice, 1413 [Conz.Const. cciii]. (St. Mark was the patron saint of the city.) A haloed winged ox may be blazoned an “ox of St. Luke”; it is found in the arms of Caravello, 1413 [Conz.Const. cliii]. Both evangelists’ monsters are frequently shown maintaining a book, that being their attribute, but such cases are nonetheless explicitly blazoned.

Bat-winged boar courant (Accepted)

Winged dolphin naiant (Accepted)

Rampant winged monsters may be blazoned “segreant”, since that term may be applied to any monster “half-bird, half-beast”; in that case, the posture of the wings is defined by the term. Winged monsters statant or couchant do not need their wings’ posture blazoned, either: the wings will be addorsed by default, that being their most distinguishable posture. The term “volant”, however, is ill-defined for non-birds, and should not be used for winged monsters; instead, the posture of the body should be blazoned in a standard way, with the wings’ position made explicit (e.g., a “winged lion courant, wings elevated and addorsed”).

The illustrations show a lion of St. Mark statant guardant; a winged stag segreant; a bat-winged boar courant, wings elevated and addorsed; and a winged dolphin, wings addorsed. For specific entries, see humanoid monster (angel), pegasus, pithon. See also winged charges.

Jon de Cles bears: Gules, a winged camel trippant argent.

Jean Pierre de Sabre bears: Or, a winged fish volant sable.

Harold von Auerbach bears: Vert, a bat-winged boar salient argent.

Hastini Chandra bears: Or, an Indian elephant passant gules, winged sable.

Jamie MacRae bears: Purpure, a winged stag rampant to sinister argent.

Niall Kilkierny bears: Vert, a winged sea-lion rampant Or.

Whale

Whale (Period)

Narwhal haurient (Accepted)

The whale is a large sea-creature, known today as a cetacean mammal, but regarded in period as a fish; it was hunted from ships for its meat, oil and baleen. It is found in period heraldic tracts (e.g., de Bara’s Blason des Armoiries, 1581 [88]), but Your Author has not found an unarguable example from period armory.

The medieval depiction of the whale was somewhat fanciful; the illustration is taken from Gesner’s De Avibus et Piscibus, 1560. If a naturalistic depiction is desired, it must be specified as a “natural whale”, or more explicitly, e.g., a “sperm whale”. The whale is naiant by default.

In Society armory, there is also the “narwhal” or “narwhale”, a cetacean with a long unicorn-like “horn” (actually its tooth). It’s generally depicted as found in nature. The illustration shows a narwhal haurient. For related charges, see dolphin.

The Baron of Smoking Rocks bears: Argent, a whale haurient embowed sable within a laurel wreath vert.

André of Stormhold bears: Argent, a whale naiant azure.

Arinbjorn Talverri bears: Or, a narwhal haurient bendwise purpure.

Triskelion; Triskele

Triskelion of armored legs (Period)

Triskelion arrondi, or triskele (SFPP)

A triskelion is a design first used in classical Greek art, with three embowed limbs conjoined in pall. The name derives from the Greek tri, skelos, “three legs”; the classical form does indeed use three bent legs, conjoined at the thighs. However, mundane armory doesn’t tend to use this term in blazon; most instances of triskelions are blazoned as “three arms” or “three legs” conjoined, and listed as such in mundane ordinaries. (The illustration shows the legs in armor, as in the arms of the Kings of the Isle of Man, c.1275 [ANA2 478].)

In Society heraldry, the most common form of triskelion is the “triskelion arrondi” or “triskele”: three pointed limbs, smoothly curved, and embowed. (The embowment is part of the definition of a triskelion; without it, the design would simply be three charges conjoined in pall.). With no examples from period armory, the triskelion arrondi is deemed a step from period practice.

Triskelion pommetty (Accepted); triskelion gammadion in annulo (Disallowed)

Some of the Society’s triskelions are based on certain crosses. Thus we have the “triskelion pommetty” and the “triskelion gammadion in annulo”. (The latter form, having been adopted by certain white supremacist groups, is no longer registerable.) Presumably, one could have a “triskelion fleury” as well, or some other triskelion based on a variant of cross.

Triskelions may also be made up of other charges, so long as they are bent or embowed. Thus there might be a “triskelion of dragon’s heads”, a “triskelion of three scarves”, or a “triskelion of chevrons”. One example of this type, the “triskelion of spirals”, has been deemed a step from period practice, but still permitted.

Similar to the triskelion is the “pentaskelion” which, as its name implies, has five limbs instead of three.

Triskelions may turn either clockwise or counter-clockwise; the fact is not blazoned. The most famous mundane triskelion, in the arms of the Isle of Man, has been depicted in period art going either direction; and the same is true of triskeles in Society heraldry. It is left to the artist’s license, and no difference is counted for it. For related charges, see arm, cross, leg, pall.

The King of Trimaris bears: Argent, on a fess wavy between two triskeles azure a crown of five points, each point tipped with a mullet argent, between overall a laurel wreath counterchanged.

Finngall McKetterick bears: Or, a triskelion of armored human legs vert.

Douglas Longshanks bears: Sable, a pentaskelion of armored legs argent.

Terryl of Talavera bears: Argent, a triskelion arrondi azure, between in pale two torteaux.

Sorcha ar Menez bears: Vert, a triskelion of spirals argent between in cross four mullets pierced Or.

Colm the Defrocked bears: Vert, a triskelion of demi-birds argent.

Goraidh Ailean na Gordanaich bears: Purpure, a triskelion pommetty pallwise Or.

Silkie

Silkie, or selkie (Disallowed)

The silkie, or selkie, is a monster from Scots legend, able to shift shape from a seal to a human and back. In Society heraldry, it’s drawn as a seal with a human head. The silkie is erect and guardant by Society default.

No examples of the silkie in period armory are known, and the standard Society depiction is likewise unknown. Pending documentation, the silkie has been disallowed for Society use. For related charges, see mermaid.

Timandra of Thule bears: Azure, atop a rock in base a female silkie, all argent, headed proper, crined sable, in her hair a cinquefoil argent.

Kathleen O’Shee bears: Per pale sable and argent, a selkie sejant guardant counterchanged atop a mount counterchanged argent and vert.

Siobhán inghean Aodhagáin bears: Purpure, a silkie and a bordure embattled argent.

Serpent

Serpent erect (Period)

The serpent is a cunning reptile, the embodiment of sin to the early Christian fathers. It is also blazoned as a “viper”, or more modernly, simply a “snake”. Its most famous example is in the canting arms (Italian biscia) of Visconti, Dukes of Milan, dating at least to 1413 [Conz.Const. cxlviiº].

The standard heraldic form is of a non-descript venomous serpent, but sometimes an exact species is mentioned: the “adder” and “asp” are specified in mundane armory, while the “cobra”, the “rattlesnake”, and the “natural python” (among others) are found in Society armory. (These latter, not being found in period Europe, carry a step from period practice.) Early depictions of the serpent (still seen in the Visconti arms) give its head a wyvern-like crest.

Serpent nowed (Period)

Serpent involved (Period)

In period armory, serpents may be found “erect”, as in the above cited arms of Visconti; “nowed”, or knotted, as in the arms of von Löfitz, 1605 [Siebmacher 156]; and “glissant”, or gliding forward, as in the arms of von Elchingen, c.1450 [Scheibler 93]. When glissant or erect, the serpent’s body is frequently drawn wavy, sometimes exaggeratedly so.

In the Society, we have examples of serpents in annulo, head biting the tail; this posture is variously blazoned as a serpent “in annulo”, “in annulo vorant of its own tail”, or “involved in annulo”. This latter usage, with “involved”, doesn’t match that of period heraldry: there, a serpent involved is coiled in a spiral, head outside and in chief, as in the arms of Throckmorton, d.1570 [Woodcock & Robinson, Heraldry in Historic Houses of Great Britain, p.74; cf. Parker 529]. None of these postures seem to be the default; the serpent’s posture must be explicitly blazoned.

Due to the fame of the Visconti arms, and the fact that its main charge was used to show allegiance to the Ducal House of Visconti, the serpent depicted therein – a serpent glissant palewise, either azure or vert, vorant of a demi-human – is not permitted in Society armory.

For related charges, see eel, man-serpent, naga, Norse beast, pithon, sea-serpent.

Þorfinna gráfeldr bears: Argent, three serpents nowed gules.

Ragnachar Radagaist bears: Vert, a serpent in annulo argent.

Fiora Forte bears: Vert, two serpents erect respectant and entwined, the dexter argent and the sinister Or.

Matheus le Vaus bears: Quarterly argent and azure, a serpent glissant palewise counterchanged.

Lillias Dubh bears: Argent, a serpent involved sable.

Roundel

Roundel (Period)

A roundel is an ancient heraldic charge, consisting of a simple circular shape. Its use dates from the earliest heraldic records: bezants are found in the canting arms of Biset, c.1244 [Asp2 222].

Roundels of different tinctures have special names in blazon: A roundel Or may be termed a “bezant”; a roundel argent, a “plate”; gules, a “torteau”; vert, a “pomme”; sable, a “gunstone”, “pellet”, or “ogress”; azure, a “hurt”; purpure, a “golpe”. The use of these special names is discretionary. Note that only “bezant”, “plate”, “torteau” and “pellet” have been found in period blazons.

Also included in the roundel family is the “fountain“, a roundel barry wavy azure and argent. A Society-specific variant is the “t’ai-ch’i”, a roundel per fess embowed-counterembowed argent and sable, charged with two counterchanged roundels. As a non-European artistic motif, the t’ai-ch’i is not currently registerable; those already registered are deemed a step from period practice.

T’ai-ch’i (Disallowed)

Roundel echancré (Disallowed)

Roundels with complex edges (e.g., the “roundel echancré”, with three semi-circular notches; the “roundel embattled”; &c) have been registered in the past; but their use has been disallowed, pending evidence of period use.

The roundel is considered a shape upon which arms may be borne; thus, like the lozenge and escutcheon, when used as a fieldless badge it must not itself be charged. See also astrolabe, bowl (dish), egg, labyrinth, moon, shield, sphere, yarn.

The Exchequer bears: Azure, a pale checky gules and argent between six bezants in pale three and three.

Alewijn van Zeebrouck bears: Sable, three roundels argent.

Nigel the Byzantine bears: Purpure bezanty and a bordure Or.

Duncan of Blackrock bears: Per fess and per bend sinister argent and vert, two pellets in bend.

Marius del Raut bears: Per chevron ermine and sable, three roundels counterchanged.

Ynir Cadwallen bears: Azure, a roundel echancré and in base a bar Or.

Morgan ap Llewellan Peregrine bears: Sable, a t’ai-ch’i, the line of division forming a hawk’s head erect, voided, orbed argent.

Pot; Cauldron

Fleshpot, or posnet (Period)

Cauldron (Period)

A pot is a round vessel, usually of metal, intended to hold food. In medieval armory, the default form of pot is two-handled and three-legged; it is more fully called a “fleshpot” or (in the Randall Holme roll, c.1460) a “posnet”. This form is found as early as c.1370, in the arms of von Spanheim [Gelre 44].

Another common form of pot was the “cauldron”: more spherical in shape, with a bail handle, which may be called its defining trait. The cauldron is hung over the fire by its handle to cook food; it’s sometimes called a “cooking pot” for that reason. The cauldron is a period charge, found as early as c.1340 in the arms of Diessenhofen [Zurich 153]. In Society armory, it is sometimes drawn with a fire beneath it, or hanging from a tripod: the arms of Larrea, mid-16^th C., show a cauldron so suspended [Armeria 358].

Spouted pot (Period)

Three-footed pot (Accepted)

There is also the “spouted pot”, called a pot à verser in French, used for storing and pouring liquid. It’s found in the canting arms (German Weinkanne) of Schilling von Cannstatt, c.1450 [Scheibler 131; also Siebmacher 112]. The default form is with a single spout, facing dexter; two-spouted pots are also found, in the arms of von Stedenberg or Stettenberger, c.1450 [Ingeram 158, 269; also Siebmacher 104]. (The same French term, pot à verser, is also used for a slightly different pouring vessel, made of earthenware rather than metal. This variant, blazoned in German as a Weinkrug, is found in the arms of von Prackbach, 1605 [Siebmacher 93].)

Pipkin (Accepted)

Kettle (Accepted)

Of the various pots unique to Society armory, we find the “three-legged pot”, like the cauldron but three-footed and without a handle; the “pipkin”, a ceramic cooking vessel with three feet and a long handle, dating to the 15^th Century; and the “kettle”, a metal cookery pot, not spherical like the cauldron, but wider than it is deep, with a lifting handle on both sides. No difference is granted the various types of cookery pots.

There is also the “clay pot”, not metal but pottery: a flat-bottomed, wide-mouthed crock (much like a modern flower-pot).

Clay pot (Accepted)

For related charges, see amphora, caldera gringolada, frying pan, ink bottle (ink pot), pitcher, vase (urn). See also cat (in its curiosity).

Aubrey Ericsdatter bears: Sable, three cauldrons Or.

Agnes Berengarii de Gerona bears: Vert, five cauldrons in saltire Or.

Brekke Franksdottir bears: Sable, a cooking pot hanging from a tripod above a base in flame argent.

Roberto Valason bears: Argent, a peacock in its pride azure gorged of a pearled coronet argent between two barrulets between two spouted pots reversed vert.

William Taylor the Pure bears: Per pale purpure and vert, a bear’s leg palewise issuant from base Or, maintaining a clay pot argent.

Claire le Potter bears: Per bend sinister gules and azure, a kettle argent and a bordure Or.

Dametta of Arundel bears: Per pale purpure and sable, a gryphon segreant maintaining a chalice, on a chief argent three posnets per pale purpure and sable.

Parlane of Glenord bears: Pean, on a three-legged pot argent two dolphins haurient respectant sable.

Mons von Goarshausen bears as a badge: Issuant from a pipkin sable a flame gules.

Pole-cannon

Pole-cannon (Accepted)

A pole-cannon is a very large-bore firearm, mounted at the end of a sturdy stick for the (theoretical) safety of the user. The defining instance in Society armory is based on a design used at Crecy, 1350 [cf. Stone 229]; similar weapons were used on the Tudor warship Mary Rose, c.1545 [Rule 158]. The mouth is to chief by Society default.

For related charges, see cannon, gun. See also rocket.

Ioseph of Locksley, the Rhymer bears as a badge: Per fess vert and argent, in saltire two pole-cannons Or, hafted sable, enflamed proper.

Melchior Woelffling van Meckelenburch bears: Azure, a pole-cannon Or enflamed proper, on a chief argent three mushrooms purpure.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings