Sail

Sail, fastened to its mast and hanging from its yardarm (Period)

A sail is a broad sheet of canvas, used by ships for catching the wind and pushing forward. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms (Italian vela) of da Velate, mid-15h C. [Triv 366]. The form shown in period arms is triangular (cf. also Guillim1 215); and this is the only permitted form for Society armory, pending documentation.

Saddle

Saddle (Period)

A saddle is a padded leather seat for the rider of a horse or camel. It’s normally found as part of a horse’s equipage, but may be used as a charge in its own right, as in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers, 1585 [Bromley & Child 211], and the canting arms of Sattelin, 1605 [Siebmacher 117]. The horse’s saddle is the default, unless otherwise specified. The stirrups, if shown, must be explicitly blazoned; in mundane heraldry, the phrase “saddle complete” may be used for this.

The term “selle” is an obscure synonym for “saddle”, derived from Old French, and usually used only for canting.

The 19^th Century saddle of the American West should not be used in Society emblazonry; a period saddle should be shown instead. The illustrations show a 14^th Century tournament saddle and a camel saddle. When “proper”, the saddle is brown leather; the saddle’s front faces dexter by default.

Camel saddle (Accepted)

Arabic ceremonial saddle (probable SFPP)

Saracenic heraldry gives us the “Arabic ceremonial saddle”, a highly stylized charge, found in the arms of Musa an-Nasiri, d.1355 [Mayer 168].

The Order of the Silver Saddle of Trimaris bears: Per fess azure and vert, a tournament saddle argent.

Fatima al-Mendizayya bears: Argent, in pale a leather camel saddle proper, two scimitars in saltire sable, and a pavilion, all within a bordure vert.

Anne de Fountain of Seldom Rest bears: Tierced in point purpure, gules and vert, a fountain between a selle, a dome, and a rest Or.

Salim ibn abd al-Rahman al-Rashid bears: Argent, two crescents sable and a fleur-de-lys azure, on a point pointed sable an Arabic ceremonial saddle argent.

Sackbut

Sackbut (Accepted)

A sackbut is an S-shaped brass musical instrument, the medieval precursor of the trombone. It’s a period instrument, dating from the 15^th Century [Grove 22:78], but doesn’t seem to have been found in period armory. The sackbut is palewise, bell to base by Society default; when fesswise, the bell faces dexter. For related charges, see horn (hunting), trumpet.

Davide Michelotto bears: Checky vert and argent, on a bend sinister gules a sackbut Or.

Wolfgang Neuschel der Grau bears as a badge: Azure, three sackbuts inverted within a bordure argent.

Rudder

Rudder (Period)

A rudder is a broad, flat piece of wood, attached to the stern of a ship and used to steer it. It’s a period charge, used as a badge by Willoughby, Lord Broke, c.1520 [HCE xxxiv]. The rudder has its hinge to dexter by default; it is usually, though not invariably, shown with its tiller.

Maria Corva bears: Quarterly azure and vert, a rudder Or.

Raymond Carder the Sea Rover bears as a badge: On a rudder purpure, an equal-armed Celtic cross saltirewise Or.

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.

Rose

Rose (Period)

The rose is a beautiful flower, the most frequently used flower in heraldry. It is also one of the oldest, dating from the earliest heraldry in the arms of Darcy, c.1255 [Asp2 137]. Its standard heraldic form is somewhat stylized: shown affronty, with five petals separated by barbs, and central seeds. The barbing and seeding may be of a different tincture than the rest of the rose; when blazoned “barbed and seeded proper”, the barbs are green, the seeds gold. In Society heraldry, a “rose proper” is gules, barbed vert, seeded Or.

Early heralds made no distinction between heraldic roses and cinquefoils, considering both the blazons and emblazons interchangeable (as in the cadet arms of the Darcy family through the 14^th Century). They are thus negligibly different in Society armory. Period heraldry has rare instances of four-petaled or six-petaled roses (e.g., the arms of Rosenberger, 1605 [Siebmacher 215]); these variants are likewise negligibly different in Society armory, and indeed are often left unblazoned.

Roses may be slipped and leaved; the serrated leaves and thorny stems of nature are here employed. Examples of roses slipped and leaved are more prevalent on the Continent than in England: e.g., the arms of Güttingen, c.1340 [Zurich 55]. Note that “roses slipped and leaved” are distinguished, by blazon and heraldic difference, from “rose branches flowered”.

“Garden rose” slipped and leaved (SFPP); garden rosebud slipped and leaved (Disallowed)

For several years, Society blazons distinguished between the stylized rose of heraldry and the “garden rose”, depicted as found in nature: seen in side view, the petals overlapping and slightly spread. (The illustration shows a garden rose slipped and leaved.) This distinction is no longer made: all roses, be they heraldic or natural, are now blazoned simply as “roses” – with the understanding that they may all be legitimately drawn in the heraldic form. If the emblazon is submitted with a garden rose, however – seen from the side – it’s considered a step from period practice. Moreover, a naturalistic rose may not be blazoned “proper”, as roses in nature come in many colors. (The exception had been the “Damask rose proper”, which was treated as pink. This variant is no longer permitted, as being too naturalistic for medieval heraldry.)

A more specific variant of the garden rose was the “garden rosebud”, depicted with the petals closed, before the flower has fully bloomed. (The illustration shows a garden rosebud slipped and leaved.) This rose variant is no longer permitted in Society armory.

A “double rose” is an heraldic rose charged with another. When the inner petals are the same tincture as the outer petals, the double rose is treated as an artistic variation of the standard heraldic rose (indeed, the fact that the rose is doubled is currently left unblazoned), with no difference granted. When the inner and outer petals are of different tinctures, the outer petals are blazoned first: i.e., “a double rose gules and argent” and “a rose gules charged with a rose argent” are equivalent blazons.

A “rose en soleil” is shown with solar rays, alternating straight and wavy, issuant from its edges; this was a badge of Edward IV, d.1483 [HB 97].

In English cadency, the rose is the brisure of the seventh son. In the War of the Roses, the white rose was the badge of the House of York, and the red rose the badge of the House of Lancaster; roses of those tinctures may not be used in Society armory when the submitter’s name includes “of York” or “of Lancaster”, respectively. The Tudor rose, combining the York and Lancaster roses (in any of several specific ways, such as impaled), is prohibited from Society use. Likewise, the crowned rose is an English Royal badge, and so not registerable in the Society.

Kendall flower (Disallowed)

Mamluk rosette (Disallowed)

Of rose variants unique to the Society, the most common is the “Kendal flower proper”: a simplified rose of six petals, alternately argent and gules, barbed Or, seeded vert. This form was once disallowed, as being a variant of the Tudor rose; while the motif is now registerable, it’s no longer blazoned by the Society-specific term. There is also the “Mamluk rosette”, a motif found in Arabic art, which is essentially a stylized sexfoil; it likewise has been disallowed, as having been too uncommon in period to be compatible with Society armory.

For related charges, see foil.

The Legion of Courtesy, of Caid, bears: A rose Or barbed and seeded vert.

Alys of the Midnight Rose bears: Or, a rose slipped and leaved azure.

Jonas Aquilian bears: Azure, three roses argent.

Sonja of Atenveldt bears: Per chevron azure and sable, a rose gules en soleil argent.

Aurelia of Ashton bears: Azure fretty argent, on an open book Or a damask rosebud slipped and leaved proper.

Kaidu ibn Yesugai bears: Azure, on a bend sinister Or between two Mamluk rosettes argent, an arrow inverted sable fletched gules.

Gerhard Kendal of Westmoreland bears: Or, a lizard tergiant displayed vert between in fess two Kendal flowers proper.

Roman dining couch

Roman dining couch (Accepted)

The Roman dining couch, or lectus, was a piece of furniture used in ancient Rome: diners would recline on the couches for meals in the triclinium, the dining room designed for that purpose. The practice was revived in Renaissance Italy: Paolo Farinato’s “Christ and two Apostles”, late-16^th C., shows the subjects eating while reclining on these couches.

As an heraldic charge, the Roman dining couch appears to be unique to Society armory. Its raised back (the “head”) is to dexter by Society default. See also cradle.

Gaius Curtius Primus bears: Per bend sinister argent and sable, a maple leaf inverted sable and a Roman dining couch reversed Or.

Hannah the Storyteller bears as a badge: Atop a Roman dining couch Or cushioned ermine, a bunch of grapes bendwise gules slipped and leaved vert.

Rogacina

Rogacina doubly crossed (Period)

A rogacina is a cypher charge from Polish heraldry, resembling a broadarrow mounted on a straight shaft. It was used in the arms of the Powała or Ogonczyk herb, c.1460 [GATD 120]. The rogacina was frequently misblazoned in Western Europe as an “arrow” or “arrowhead”. The rogacina has its point to chief by mundane and Society default.

The shaft of the rogacina was frequently treated in some way: singly or doubly crossed, forked, or conjoined to another charge (e.g., another rogacina, a demi-annulet, &c). As these details can count for difference, they must be explicitly blazoned. The illustration shows a rogacina doubly crossed. See also letters, pheon.

Angharad Rhos Tewdwr of Pembroke bears: Azure, a rogacina crossed and fourchy argent.

Vitus Polonius bears: Per bend gules and sable, a rogacina doubly crossed and fourchy argent.

Vytautas Vilkas bears: Per pale vert and sable, a rogacina bendwise sinister doubly crossed and fourchy argent.

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.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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