Spoon; Ladle

Spoon (Period)

Ladle (Period)

A spoon is an eating utensil, with a small shallow bowl attached to a handle. It is found in the canting arms of Sponeley, 15^th C. [Neubecker 136], as well as the arms of von Korkwitz, 1605 [Siebmacher 72]. The spoon is affronty by default, with the bowl to chief.

A similar charge is the “ladle”, with a deeper bowl and a long hooked handle, used for serving soup or other liquids. It too is a period charge, found in the canting arms (from dial. Italian cazùu, “ladle”) of de Cazullis de Crema, mid-15^th C. [Triv 98], and of de Cazaviis, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 270:283]. The ladle is palewise, handle to chief, by Society default.

Unique to the Society is the “spurtle”, of which we have a single registration. The blazon is misleading: a spurtle is a Scots cooking tool for turning oatcakes, dated in the OED to the 16^th Century, which is not the charge used in the Society. That charge is drawn as a notched spoon, resembling the utensil modernly called a “spork”. Given the discrepancy of the terminology, and the modern nature of the artifact, it is unlikely to be currently registerable without documentation.

Spool of thread

Spool of thread (Accepted)

A spool of thread is a flanged cylinder on which thread or yarn is stored. The type documented for Society armory is a spinner’s bobbin for plied thread; it was taken from the painting “Soffitto della Sala di Penelope” by Giovanni Stradano, c.1560 [Landini & Niccoli, Moda a Firenze 1540-1580, 2005, p.21]. This form of bobbin has not been found in period armory, but it serves the same basic function as the quill of yarn.

For related charges, see drop-spindle, lace bobbin. See also shuttle (weaver’s).

Ekaterina Vladimirovna bears: Or, a domestic cat sejant affronty head to dexter gules gorged with a pearled coronet argent and on a chief urdy azure three spools of thread Or.

Chrestienne Chabrier bears: Azure, a dragon’s head erased Or and on a chief invected argent, three spools of thread vert.

Spinning wheel

Spinning wheel (Accepted)

A spinning wheel is a tool for making thread; it is sometimes termed a “wool wheel”. It has a large wheel turning a single spindle, on which the thread is spun; period wheels were turned by hand, not by a foot treadle. Though a period artifact, the spinning wheel has not been found in period armory. The illustration is taken from the Luttrell Psalter, c.1340; it is the earliest known depiction of the artifact.

The spinning wheel has its spindle to sinister by Society default. See also distaff, drop-spindle.

Eloise of Roed bears: Argent, a wool wheel, alighting on the head a crow proper.

Edwinna of Hawk’s Bluff bears: Azure, three spinning wheels with spindles to dexter argent.

Effym Cowie Murray bears: Argent, a spinning wheel reversed sable.

Spiderweb

Spiderweb (Period)

A spiderweb is the network spun by a spider to catch its prey. It is described in Guillim’s Display of Heraldry, 1610 [151], and is considered compatible with period armory. The spiderweb is throughout by mundane and Society default; some blazons nonetheless blazon this fact explicitly. See also net.

The March of Grimfells bears: Sable, on a pile throughout Or a spiderweb throughout sable charged with a laurel wreath vert.

Helga Iden dohtir bears: Argent, a spiderweb azure.

Brangwayn Snowden bears: Quarterly Or and gules, a spiderweb counterchanged.

Sphinx

Greek sphinx sejant (Period)

Egyptian sphinx couchant (Accepted)

The sphinx is a monster from ancient myth, with a lion’s body and a human head. There are two forms of this monster, the Greek form and the Egyptian form, both of which date from antiquity.

The Greek sphinx (the riddling monster slain by Oedipus) is winged, and has a woman’s head and breasts; it’s the more common form, and the only form found in period heraldry. Blazoned simply as a “sphinx” in period, it is sometimes blazoned in the Society as a “winged” or a “gyno-sphinx” (gyno, “woman”). The Greek sphinx was described in period tracts [Bossewell II.46], and was granted as a crest to Robert Parris in 1573 [Dennys 118].

The Egyptian sphinx is the monster whose statue is seen at Giza; it has a man’s head, wearing a pharaonic headdress, and has no wings. It’s sometimes blazoned an “andro-sphinx” (andro, “man”) in the Society. Though the statue was known, the Egyptian sphinx doesn’t seem to have been used in period armory.

Of course, Society armorists take pleasure in conflating the two forms, and examples of “Greek andro-sphinxes” and “Egyptian gyno-sphinxes” have been registered. Go figure.

Neither form of sphinx has a default posture in Society heraldry; the illustrations show a Greek sphinx sejant and an Egyptian sphinx couchant. For related charges, see chimera (German), lamia, manticore, man-tyger.

Ariadne Leontodes bears: Argent, a Greek sphinx rampant azure winged sable.

Eirene Korinthia bears: Purpure, a Greek sphinx sejant Or.

Khalil el-Hadji bears: Or, an Egyptian sphinx couchant azure between in chief two scimitars inverted, blades to center sable.

Mammarra Liona of Egypt bears: Azure, an Egyptian gyno-sphinx rampant Or.

Sphere

Sphere, or armillary sphere (Period)

Terrestrial sphere (Period)

A sphere, more fully termed an “armillary sphere”, is an astronomical instrument representing the sky. The name comes from the Latin armilla, “hoop, ring”; the instrument consists of a set of rings, forming the framework of a sphere, with the Earth at its center. The rings represent the ecliptic, tropics, celestial equator, &c, of the sky. The armillary sphere is a period heraldic charge, found in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Joiners, 1571 [Bromley & Child 153].

There is also the “terrestrial sphere”, a globe of the Earth showing the lines of latitude and longitude, and perhaps a vague suggestion of continents. It too is a period charge, found in the crest of Sir Francis Drake, 1581 [Wagner 72].

Celestial sphere (Period)

Finally, there is the “celestial sphere”, showing the constellations and the band of the Zodiac: what the sky would look like from the “outside”, as it were. The celestial sphere is found in the crest of Bull, watchmaker to Elizabeth I [Parker 547].

For related charges, see astrolabe, clock, orb, roundel.

Ahmad ibn Salim al-Hasib bears: Sable, three armillary spheres argent.

Romas the Mapmaker bears: Per fess gules mullety Or and vert, a dance and in base a terrestrial sphere Or.

Aurelia Saturnina bears: Purpure, a celestial sphere argent between three bees proper.

Spearhead

Spearhead (Period)

Boar-spear head (Period)

A spearhead is the metal point affixed to the shaft of a spear. It may also be blazoned a “fer-de-lance”. The usual form of spearhead found in period armory is lozenge-shaped; it’s occasionally shown “embrued”, with the point bloodstained.

The spearhead is frequently also shown with a crossbar, as in the arms of Andelfingen, c.1340 [Zurich 370]; this form may be explicitly blazoned as a “boar-spear head”.

Cronel (Period)

There is also the “cronel”, the head of a tilting spear, with prongs to help it affix to its target; it’s intended for practice bouts, not actual tourneys, since the broader head spreads the force of the impact. The cronel is found in the arms of Wiseman, 1523 [DBA2 320].

All forms of spearhead have their points to chief by default. For related charges, see arrowhead, pheon.

The Shire of Amlethsmore bears: Quarterly gules and Or, a spearhead within a laurel wreath counterchanged.

Iulstan Sigewealding bears: Sable, three spearheads Or.

Richard of Rideja bears: Chevronelly argent and gules, a spearhead sable.

Spear

Spear (Period); boar-spear (Period)

Tilting spear (Period)

A spear is a weapon for thrusting or throwing, with a sharp point set on a long shaft. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Carlhaw, c.1450 [Ingeram 70]. The spear is palewise, with the spearhead (also called its “steel”) to chief, by default; a “spear proper” has a brown wooden shaft and a sable steel. The shaft and steel need not be the same tincture: the shaft’s tincture is considered the main tincture of the spear for contrast and conflict purposes.

In period armory, the most common form has a lozenge-shaped spearhead. The spearhead may have a crossbar partway down the shaft; this variant may be explicitly blazoned a “boar-spear”.

Also common in period armory is the “tilting spear”, also called a “lance” or “tourney spear”, characterized by its bell-shaped hand guard above the handle. Its most famous period example is the canting arms of Shakespeare, granted 1596 [Wagner 73].

Javelin (Accepted); pikestaff (Accepted)

In Society armory, there are examples of the “javelin”, a throwing spear used in sport, simply a sharpened stick; and the “pikestaff” or “pike”, a very long spear with a leaf-shaped head. For related charges, see pole-arm, spearhead, trident. See also staff.

The Order of the White Lance, of the Middle, bears: A lance argent.

The Baron of Red Spears bears: Or, two boar-spears in saltire surmounted by another palewise gules, overall a laurel wreath vert.

Angus Kerr bears: Or, a spear sable.

Stephen of Coldjoust bears: Ermine, a tilting spear palewise azure.

Sparks

Estencely (Period)

Sparks are tiny flashes of light or radiance. In early Norman heraldry, a field semy of sparks was termed “estencelé”, and was not uncommon [Brault 197]. Estencelé, or estencely, is only found as a semy field; its sparks are not used as individual charges. In mundane armory, estencely is considered negligibly different from a semy of estoiles or mullets. See also ermine spot, semy.

François la Flamme bears: Vert estencely Or.

Brigitta da Montanha da Fogo bears: Or estencely, a mountain gules.

Kevin Nollaig of St. Golias bears: Quarterly vert and Or all estencely counterchanged.

Spade; Shovel

Spade (Period); shovel (Period)

A spade is a digging tool, with a broad pointed blade attached to a long handle. The blade is frequently drawn with an iron edge reinforcement. The spade is a period charge, found in the allusive arms (German graben, “to dig”) of von Grabmer or Graben, c.1450 [Ingeram 14; also Siebmacher 44].

If the blade is square instead of pointed, the tool may be termed a “shovel” [Franklyn 309], but such artistic distinction carries no heraldic difference.

The spade and shovel are palewise by default. Society usage places them with their blades to base by default; this seems to follow English usage [Parker 543], though contrary to German usage. For related charges, see hoe, trowel.

Aurelia Ruhlander bears: Sable, two spades inverted in saltire Or.

John Gardener of Barley Marsh bears: Per chevron vert and bendy Or and sable, in chief two shovels Or.

Johannes Stürmære bears: Per bend gules and sable, a shovel bendwise sinister argent.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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