Strainer (Accepted)
A strainer is a cooking tool used to separate broth from solid matter such as vegetables or morsels of meat. Though a period artifact, we have no examples of its use in period armory; the long-handled form shown in the illustration is taken from the Luttrell Psalter, c.1340. The strainer has its handle to base by Society default. See also spoon.
Huon Damebrigge bears as a badge: In saltire a flesh hook and a strainer sable.
Stirrup (Period)
Leathered stirrup (Period)
A stirrup is a footrest for horse riders, a flat-bottomed ring of metal hung by a strap from the saddle. The standard heraldic form is the English stirrup; it is sometimes so blazoned. It’s a period charge, dating from 1308 in the arms of Kydemore [ANA2 549].
In medieval heraldry, the stirrup was usually drawn “leathered”, i.e., showing a bit of strap, though there are examples of unleathered stirrups as well (e.g., the badge of Gyfford, c.1520 [Walden 201]); in Society heraldry, the leather is not shown unless blazoned. The Society also has a single example of a “stirrup-cup”, which is identical to an inverted escutcheon in shape; this charge is unattested in period armory. See also spur.
The Order of the Golden Stirrup, of Æthelmearc, bears: A stirrup Or leathered gules.
Berengaria de Hainault bears: Azure, three stirrups Or, leathered argent.
Meadhbh inghean ui Bhaoighill bears: Per fess azure and Or fretty azure, a stirrup Or.
Star of David (Period)
The star of David is a geometric figure, comprising two equilateral triangles, voided and braced. Alternatively, it may be described as a mullet of six points voided and interlaced. It’s also called a “shield of David”, a “Mogen David”, or a “seal of Solomon”.
The star of David appears in Jewish texts as early as the 11th Century (in the Leningrad Codex), and as a decoration on gravestones and synagogues; in modern times, it has been adopted as a universal symbol of Judaism. As an heraldic charge, it’s found in the arms of Compan, 1548 [Vigil Raber’s Armorial of the Arlberg Brotherhood of St. Christopher, fo.740]. For related charges, see knot, polygon, shield.
Judith bat Avram of York bears: Quarterly azure and purpure, in the second quarter a shield of David argent and Or.
Israel ibn Jacob bears: Paly wavy of twelve sable and argent, a star of David Or.
Moshe Mashughannah bears: Or, a star of David azure within and interlaced with another vert.
The term “star” was once used in Society heraldry as a synonym for “mullet”, particularly in the phrase “stars au naturel”: mullets of various sizes and shapes, so as to represent actual heavenly bodies. Such natural depictions of the night sky, along with constellations (e.g., Orion), are no longer permitted in Society heraldry; and the ambiguous term “star” has been discarded in favor of “mullet“, “estoile“, or “comet“, as the case may be.
Petr Aleksivich of Novgorod bears: Azure semy of stars, a hawk volant contourny wings addorsed argent.
Staple (Period)
A staple is a fastener for holding loose items firmly to a surface; it’s a squared-off U-shape, with the ends pointed. It is found in the canting arms of Stapelton, temp. Henry VI [Bedingfeld 61]. The staple’s points are to base by default. See also crampon, nail.
The Order of the Golden Staple, of the Barony of Rowany, bears: Per pale vert and gules, a staple Or.
Steffan von Urwald bears: Sable, a staple argent.
Vestia Antonia Aurelia bears as a badge: A staple inverted gules.
Staircase bendwise (Period)
A staircase is a flight of steps for ascending from one floor to a higher floor in a building. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms (Italian gradino, “step”) of Gradenigi and of Gradallon, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 272:361, 365]. By its definition, the staircase must be set diagonally; it is bendwise by default. See also edifices.
Estrith Rasmusdatter bears as a badge: Gules, a staircase bendwise sinister Or.
Bourdon, or pilgrim’s staff (Period)
Ragged staff (Period)
A staff is a wooden pole, which might be used as a support or a weapon. The unmodified term is rendered in Society armory as a simple, smooth pole, also known as a “rod”; but two other forms of staff are more prevalent in period armory.
The “bourdon” or “walking staff” is drawn with a handhold on its tip. It was frequently drawn with a hook as well, for carrying a bag of belongings, and might then be blazoned a “pilgrim’s staff” or “palmer’s staff”; the terms are essentially synonyms. The bourdon is found in the canting arms of Burdon, c.1285 [ANA2 221].
The “ragged staff” is a thick staff with raguly sides, like a tree trunk with the side-limbs lopped off. This form dates from c.1360, in the arms of von Lipe or Leipa [Gelre 33v], but is most famous as an element in the badge of the Earls of Warwick, 15th C. [HB 155].
Club (Period); crutch (Period)
Ambassador’s staff (Accepted); belaying pin (Accepted)
Other types of staff in period armory include the “club” (also called a “shillelagh” in the Society), a length of wood with a burl at the top, used as a cudgel; it’s found in the arms of von Keul, 1605 [Siebmacher 72]. There’s the “crutch” or “crutchstaff” (also, poetically, called a “potent”), found in the arms of di Scanci, mid-15th C. [Triv 331]; it comes in varying forms depending on era, with the illustration being typical.
Of the staves unique to Society armory, there are the “herald’s staff” or “ambassadorial staff”, a short staff with ribbons; the “belaying pin”, used on sailing ships to secure lines and quell mutinies; the “jester’s bauble”, a short stick with a miniature jester’s cap on its end; and the “wand”, a term implying a more naturalistic drawing, perhaps with a leaf or two.
Jester’s bauble (Accepted); wand (Accepted)
All staves are palewise by default. Their “proper” coloration is brown, the color of wood. (The exception is the jester’s bauble: when blazoned “proper”, it’s shown with a Caucasian face and a brown wooden handle; the colors of the cap must be explicitly blazoned.) For related charges, see bend (baton), caduceus, crozier, distaff, juggler’s clubs, mace, scepter, slip (branch), thyrsus, torch (firebrand). See also golf club, pole-arm, spear.
The Ambassador of Atenveldt bears: Per pale azure and argent, in canton a sun in his splendour Or, in sinister base two ambassadorial staves in saltire azure.
Ivan Dragonstone bears: Purpure, on a chief erminois a rod fesswise argent.
Addison the Wanderer bears: Potent, two palmer’s staves in saltire Or.
Bertrade Deslapins bears: Or, two ragged staves in saltire sable.
Georgis Ker bears: Or, a wooden club bendwise proper.
Catriona the Lame bears: Argent, a crutch sable within a bordure azure.
Dianna Wyndalan of Kidwelly bears: Barry wavy sable and gules, in saltire a belaying pin and a sword argent.
Quin of the Eastern Harhar bears: Argent, a jester’s bauble gules and in chief four golpes in arc.
Squirrel maintaining a nut (Period)
The squirrel is a small tree-dwelling beast of the rodent family, whose medieval reputation was of diligence and, oddly, anger. It is a period charge, found in the arms of Hadlaub, c.1340 [Zurich 478].
The squirrel is sejant erect by default. In that posture, it’s often drawn maintaining a nut between its forepaws, even when not specifically blazoned (though it frequently is).
Regana van Kortrijk bears: Azure, a squirrel argent.
Peregrine Fairchylde bears: Vair, a squirrel rampant gules.
Joscelin le esqurel bears: Sable, in pale three squirrels courant Or.
Carpenter’s square, point to dexter chief (Period)
A carpenter’s square, or squire, is an L-shaped instrument, used for truing right angles; the edges are often marked as rulers, though this is artistic license. It is found in the arms of Atlow, c.1520 [DBA2 401]. A similar charge, the “engineer’s square”, is found in the canting arms (German Winkel) of Wynckler or Winckler, c.1450 [Ingeram 25; also Siebmacher 161].
The square doesn’t seem to have a default orientation; it must be specifically blazoned; but period examples always display the square with one arm vertical and the other horizontal. The illustration shows a carpenter’s square, point to dexter chief.
Thomas Quilliam bears: Azure, a carpenter’s square, point to chief argent.
Maimuna al-Bukhariyya bears as a badge: Argent, a carpenter’s square palewise, corner to dexter chief gules.
Spur with leathers (Period)
Prickspur (Accepted)
A spur is a pointed piece of metal worn on a rider’s heel to urge the horse forward. The default form of spur is the roweled spur, with a six-pointed mullet attached to a U-shaped frame and buckle. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms (Italian sperone) of Speroni, c.1555 [BSB Cod.Icon 275:65], and as the crest of Matela, c.1540 [Nobreza xxixº].
In mundane armory, the spur is frequently drawn with leather straps; in Society armory, these are left to the artist’s license. While some sources give the spur’s default orientation as having the rowel to base, the majority [Franklyn 312; Guide 215] put the rowel to chief, and this is the Society’s default for the spur as well.
Society armory also has the “prickspur”, which has no rowel, but simply comes to a point. Its default orientation is the same as for the roweled spur, with the point to chief, and no difference is counted between the types. See also stirrup.
Harrys Rob of Wamphray bears: Vert, a chevron between three winged spurs argent.
Taliesynne Nycheymwrh yr Anghyfannedd bears: Quarterly sable and gules, on a unicorn rampant contourny argent gorged of a pearled coronet sable, a prickspur Or fimbriated sable.