Search Results for: swan

Swan

Swan (Period)

The swan is a water bird, both graceful and fierce, famed for its death song; it was said to bring good luck. It’s found in the arms of Dale as early as 1387 [DBA2 153]. The young swan was also called a “cygnet”, especially for canting, as in the arms of Synnot, c.1470 [DBA2 178].

The swan is rousant or rising by default, as in the famous badge of Bohun, later of Henry IV [HB 109]. However, it’s very frequently found naiant in Society heraldry; this too is a period posture, as in the Belgian arms of Lanchals, c.1488 [von Volborth, The Art of Heraldry, 1987, p.90].

For related charges, see goose.

The Prince of Cynagua bears: Quarterly argent and Or, a swan rousant, wings elevated and addorsed sable, maintaining in its sinister foot a laurel wreath vert.

Amina de Talavera bears: Azure, a swan naiant argent crowned Or.

Nikolai Mikhailovitch bears: Or, three swans rousant gules.

Thomas Blackswann the Lefthand bears: Argent, three swans rousant contourny sable.

Nest

Dove reguardant atop a nest (Period)

A nest is a roost for birds, consisting of a shallow bowl woven of wooden twigs; its “proper” tincture is therefore brown. It’s never found in period heraldry except when a bird is sitting in it, as in the crest of Nobrega, c.1540 [Nobreza xxº]. The illustration shows a dove reguardant sitting in a nest. See also birdcage.

The Order of the Cygnets Nest, of Meridies, bears: A swan sitting in a nest proper within and issuant from an annulet argent.

Danamas of Starlinghurst bears: Azure, atop a demi-wall issuant from dexter base, a starling contourny argent perched in a nest Or.

Knot: Fidelis knot

Fidelis knot (Disallowed)

The Fidelis knot is a Society invention, as defined in the example armory. It is no longer permitted to be registered.

Macsen Fidelis bears: Per bend argent and vert, a black swan’s head erased at the neck proper and a Fidelis knot argent.

Goose

Goose (Period)

The goose is a water bird, noted for its foolishness and credulity; oddly, it was also a symbol of vigilance, due to the legend of the Capitoline geese saving Rome. It’s a period charge, found in the canting coats of Barnak (“barnacle geese”) c.1410 [TJ 1312] and of von Ganse (German Gans), 1605 [Siebmacher 182].

The goose is close by default, as in the illustration. When blazoned “enraged”, its wings are elevated and addorsed, its head is extended for a hiss: functionally equivalent to rising.

The “duck”, a smaller relative of the goose, is also found in period armory: the canting arms (Italian anatra) of di Anedre, mid-15^th C. [Triv 50]. It shares the same defaults as the goose. For related charges, see swan.

The Baron of An Dubhaigeainn bears: Azure, a duck naiant to sinister argent, billed, within a laurel wreath Or.

Mathilde Meyer bears: Per pale azure and argent, two geese respectant enraged counterchanged.

Emma of Wolvercote bears: Argent, three geese naiant azure.

Cross: Ermine spots

Cross of four ermine spots (Period)

The “cross of four ermine spots” is found as a charge c.1460, in the arms of Hurston or Hurleston [RH; also Legh 36v]. It is sometimes blazoned a “cross erminée” in mundane heraldry; the former blazon should be used, however, to avoid confusion with a “cross ermine” (i.e., an ordinary tinctured of a fur).

Maurya Etain Sableswan bears: Argent, a cross of four ermine spots within a bordure sable.

Mariana Francisco bears: Per bend sinister azure and gules, in canton a cross of four ermine spots argent, a bordure Or.

Cross: Celtic

Celtic cross (Accepted)

Equal-armed Celtic cross (Accepted)

The “Celtic cross” is found in Irish stone sculptures, dating from the 5^th Century; it’s characterized by a thin annulet conjoined to the limbs, which are broad and either straight or slightly tapered, extending beyond the annulet. The most common form of Celtic cross in the Society is Latinate, with an elongated lower limb, but an equal-armed variant is also found. These remain registerable as “Celtic crosses”.

In the past, the Society has also registered an “equal-armed Celtic cross” that was effectively a cross potent surmounted by an annulet; this form mimics a cross found in period heraldry, the arms of Cardinal St. Marie, 1413 [Conz.Const. lxxi], but with the annulet interlacing the cross potent. The latter remains registerable, but now is blazoned explicitly as a “cross potent interlaced with an annulet” and treated as two charges. The heraldic difference between all these forms of Celtic cross is negligible.

Celtic crosses made by adding an annulet to another type of cross (e.g., a “Celtic cross moline”) are considered a step from period practice as of this writing. Modern depictions of the Celtic cross, where the annulet and cross are thin lines of equal width (like a gunsight) are not permitted.

Siobhan an Lochllanach bears: Sable, a Celtic cross argent atop a mount Or.

Etain ingen Ghilla Phatraic bears: Or, a Celtic cross per pale purpure and vert.

Morgana Swansdottir bears: Or, a Celtic cross equal armed, quarterly pierced and throughout vert.

Seamus Albanach Mac Roibeirt bears: Bendy sinister sable and argent, an equal-armed Celtic cross gules.

Cross: Ankh

Ankh (SFPP)

The “ankh” may also be blazoned a “crux ansata” (literally “a cross with a handle”). It was an ancient Egyptian symbol of life. No period heraldic examples of its use have been found; the use of the ankh is deemed a step from period practice.

Mary the Melodious Lady of Flanders bears: Gyronny ermine and vert, a crux ansata Or.

Anne the Merciful bears: Per chevron azure and vert, a crux ansata argent.

Katriona Silverswan bears: Per pale azure and argent, an ankh counterchanged.

Birds

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.

Andirons, pair of

Pair of dog-headed andirons (Period)

A pair of andirons are a metal stand, used for holding logs in a fireplace; they are modernly also known as “firedogs”. Andirons are found in period rolls, in the attributed arms of the King of Ethiopia, mid-16^th C. [NW 92].

Period heraldic examples show andirons conjoined in pairs, stylized and frequently decorated with animal or human heads; the type of heads should be specified in the blazon. The illustration shows a pair of dog-headed andirons. Single andirons, stylized but not conjoined as part of a pair, are a step from period practice.

Diterich Schwarcz bears: Sable, a pair of dog-headed andirons conjoined respectant and on a chief argent a rose gules.

Galfryd Yrinmonger bears: Argent, a pair of dog-headed andirons conjoined respectant and on a chief purpure a smith’s hammer argent.

Pádraig Lowther bears as a badge: A pair of swan-headed andirons conjoined respectant argent.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings