Horn, animal’s

An animal’s horn is a hard, pointed projection that grows from certain animals’ heads. The type of animal must be specified in the blazon. The most common forms in medieval armory are deer’s horns, ram’s and goat’s horns, and bull’s horns, each discussed below.

Deer’s attire (Period)

Deer’s massacre (Period)

Deer’s horns, or antlers, have special terms to describe them. A single deer’s antler is termed its “attire”, and is found in German heraldry as early as c.1275, in the arms of the Counts of Württemberg [ANA2 476]. Its default orientation is fesswise, with the stump to dexter, but there are numerous period examples of a deer’s attire in other orientations, or even bent in a circle. The deer’s full rack of antlers may be termed a “deer’s attires”, or a “massacre”; if joined to a scrap of flesh, these may also be called a “deer’s scalp”. The set of attires is shown as found on a deer guardant: spread symmetrically with points to chief. The exact number of points is not blazoned, but left to the artist.

Ram’s horn (Period)

Pair of ram’s horns (Period)

Ram’s horns are found in German armory as early as c.1340, in the arms of Frowenvelt or Frauenfeld [Zurich 136]. They could be depicted singly, or in pairs; when in pairs, they tended to be shown curving away from one another. A single ram’s horn could be oriented in one of several ways; the illustration is taken from the arms of von Widerspach, 1605 [Siebmacher 82]. Goat’s horns were drawn very similar to ram’s horns, but tended to have less curl, as in the arms of Kotwitz von Aulenbach [Siebmacher 107].

Pair of buffalo’s horns (Period)

Unicorn’s horn (Accepted)

Bull’s horns, or buffalo’s horns, are found in German crests as early as the 14^th Century [Gelre], and as charges in the arms of von Pfiltz, 1605 [Siebmacher 51]. They are drawn in a highly stylized manner; indeed, the German stylization sometimes caused the charge to be blazoned by French and English heralds as “elephant’s trunks”! Horns that are intended to be drawn more naturalistically would be better blazoned “cow horns”, the English practice. Society armory also has an example of a “bison’s massacre”, two short horns issuant from a scalp, as seen in the arms of von Sachsennhein, 1415 [Conz.Const. clxxx].

Of horns unique to the Society, the most common is the “unicorn’s horn” or “alicorn” (also sometimes blazoned a “narwhal’s horn” or “narwhal’s tooth”). No period examples have been found of it as a separate, independent charge. The unicorn’s horn is palewise, point to chief, by Society default.

Andreas Lucernensis bears: Per pale argent and sable, in pale three stag’s attires reversed gules.

Guinevere Whitehorn bears: Per bend azure and sable, a stag’s attires argent.

Hafr-Tóki bears: Sable, a stag’s antler in annulo conjoined to itself Or.

Ellen of Two Lines bears: Vert, a ram’s horn Or.

Angelica de Boullanger bears: Vert, a unicorn’s horn couped bendwise argent.

Otmar von Erhingen bears: Quarterly argent and sable, a pair of bull’s horns counterchanged.

Horn

Hunting horn (Period)

A horn is an artifact, made from an animal’s horn, from which it gets its name. The default horn is a musical instrument, more fully blazoned a “hunting horn” or “bugle horn”; it is found in the canting arms of Hornes c.1275 [ANA2 476]. It’s usually shown hung on cords, and may be garnished in bands of another tincture; these are considered artistic details. In mundane armory, the hunting horn’s default orientation has changed over time; the Society default is fesswise, embowed to base, with bell to dexter.

Drinking horn (Period)

Another use of the horn is as a drinking vessel; this is blazoned a “drinking horn”. Unlike the hunting horn, it has no mouthpiece, and is not corded; it was usually shown unadorned, but in at least one instance was depicted with feet (so it could be set on a table without spilling), in the arms of Müris, c.1340 [Zurich 94]. In medieval heraldry, it seems to have had the same default orientation as the hunting horn; in Society armory, its default orientation is palewise, embowed to dexter, with bell to chief.

Pairs of drinking horns are common in Saracenic heraldry, where they are referred to as “trousers of nobility” [Mayer 19]; but the motif is blazoned in most European contexts as “a pair of drinking horns”. By Society convention, a pair of drinking horns is “addorsed” (i.e., with the convex sides facing each other) by default; a pair of drinking horns “respectant” will have their convex sides outward. A “pair of drinking horns” is thus distinguished from “two drinking horns”, each in its default orientation.

Shofar (Accepted)

Spiral hunting horn (Accepted)

Of the horns with special names, the best known is the “shofar”, the ram’s horn blown on Jewish high holidays. Depictions of the shofar date back at least to the 4^th Century, as seen on a Roman bowl now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Though not found as a period heraldic charge, as a period artifact, the shofar is registerable in the Society.

There’s also the “spiral horn”, more fully blazoned a “spiral hunting horn”. This isn’t made from animal horn at all, but from metal: essentially a flat spiral trumpet, the ancestor of the modern French horn. The illustration is based on an artifact dated 1570 [Montagu 107]; as a period artifact, the spiral hunting horn is registerable in the Society, though no heraldic examples have been found.

As with the hunting horn, the shofar and the spiral horn have their bells to dexter by Society default. For related charges, see cornetto, sackbut. See also inkbottle, tooth.

The Shire of Darton bears: Sable, a hunting horn within a laurel wreath Or.

Magnus Birchleg bears: Gules, a drinking horn bendwise sinister argent.

Rivka bat Schmuel Alfasi bears: Per fess indented azure and gules, in pale a shofar, bell to sinister, and an estoile of eight rays Or.

Nikolaj Zrogowacialy bears: Barry argent and azure, a spiral horn of three spirals reversed Or.

Hops

Hop cone slipped and leaved (Period)

Hops are the fruit of the hop vine; they may also be termed “hop cones”, and perhaps the term is more readily understood. Hops are added to beer to give it bitterness, being first added in the 11^th Century; hops were cultivated by twining the vines around poles. Hops are found in the rebus badge of Elizabeth Hopton, d.1498 [Marks & Payne 40]. The “hop vine” and the “hop pole” (a staff palewise with a hop vine entwined around its length) have likewise been used in Society armory.

Hops, like most fruit, have their stems to chief by Society default. The illustration shows a hop slipped and leaved. For related charges, see thyrsus. See also pine cone.

The Canton of Humalasalo bears as a badge: Gules, a hop pole between three tankards Or.

Carson Brewer bears: Per bend sable and argent, a hop cone slipped and leaved argent.

Ilona von Neunhoff bears: Gules, a hop vine palewise Or fructed argent, a bordure compony azure, semy of towers argent, and Or.

Iylla Rethelsson bears: Azure, in bend two stalks of barley bendwise sinister embowed Or surmounted by two hop cones conjoined in fess argent.

Hook

A hook is a curved or barbed implement, usually of metal, used for holding onto something, and thus to catch, pull, or suspend it. There are several specific types of hook in period heraldry, of which the fishhook is probably the most common. Other types of hook are named according to their use.

Tenterhook (Period)

Havette (Period)

The “tenterhook” is used to fasten cloth to a frame (called a “tenter”) for stretching or drying. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Clerk or Clerkes, c.1480 [DBA4 172]; the form shown here is taken from Parker [331]. Period armory also has examples of the “havette” or “habick”, which performed the same function as the tenterhook; it’s found in the arms of Worshipful Company of Shearmen, 1510 (later incorporated into the Clothworkers, 1530) [Bromley & Child 48].

Hay hook (Period)

Flesh hook (Accepted)

We also have period examples of the “hayhook”, for handling hay bales, in the canting arms (German Heu, “hay”) of von Hödorff or von Heudorff, c.1450 [Ingeram 120, Scheibler 82]; its handle is to base by default. there is also the “meat hook”, for hanging meat, in the arms of da Peroxa, mid-15^th C. [Triv 282].

Society armory gives us the “flesh hook”, a cooking tool used to take large portions of meat from the pot. It’s a period artifact, as seen in the Luttrell Psalter c.1340, but as of this writing we have no confirmed examples of its use in period armory. The flesh hook has its handle to base by Society default.

For related charges, see anchor, grappling iron. See also crampon, fork, staple.

Joleicia of Litchfield bears: Or, a bend raguly vert between two tenterhooks sable.

Milda de Hay bears: Quarterly azure and vert, two hayhooks in saltire Or.

Huon Damebrigge bears as a badge: In saltire a flesh hook and a strainer sable.

Hood, hawk’s

Hawk’s hood facing dexter (Period)

A hawk’s hood is a covering for the head of a hawk or falcon, used as a blindfold to keep the bird tranquil. It has no eyeholes, and is usually more decorative than a normal human hood.

Though a period artifact, the hawk’s hood was evidently not an independent charge in period armory. Period heraldic examples show it worn by a hawk, as in the crest of von Waldecker, c.1450 [Ingeram 191]. It doesn’t seem to have a default orientation; the illustration shows a hawk’s hood facing to dexter.

Arik Alton bears as a badge: A hawk’s hood affronty argent.

Hood

Monk’s hood (Period)

Jester’s hood (Accepted)

A hood is an article of clothing, a covering for the head; it differs from the hat in that it completely encloses the head. The most common form in period armory seems to be the “monk’s hood”, as in the civic arms of Güglingen, 1605 [Siebmacher 226].

Varieties unique to Society heraldry include the “jester’s hood”, with a forked top and bells; the “executioner’s hood”, which covers the face as well; and the “teaching master’s hood”, with a long tasseled end.

Executioner’s hood (Accepted); teaching master’s hood (Accepted)

The executioner’s hood and jester’s hood are affronty by Society default; all other hoods face dexter by default. For related charges, see head, helm, mantle.

William Worm bears: Gules, a monk’s hood Or.

Alfredo el Bufón bears: Per pale azure and argent, a jester’s belled hood of two ears affronty counterchanged.

Mark of Glastonbury bears: Or, a fess azure, overall a lion rampant gules wearing the hood and tippet of a teaching master sable, turned up and tasselled ermine.

Telbyrne Morningstar bears: Per chevron Or and sable, an executioner’s hood sable, fimbriated in base Or, between in chief two double-bitted axes sable.

Honeycombed

Honeycombed (Disallowed)

Honeycombing is a field treatment unique to Society heraldry: an hexagonal pattern similar to masoning, intended to represent the interior structure of a beehive. As honeycombed fields follow no known period exemplar, they are no longer registerable in the Society.

Marcus the Vintner bears: Sable honeycombed Or, on a fess argent three golpes.

Hoe

Hoe inverted (Period)

Mattock (Period)

A hoe is a gardening tool, with a long handle and a flat transverse blade; it’s used for weeding, loosening soil, and so on. The hoe (called Haue or Hacke in German) is a period charge, found in the canting arms of Heügel and of Häckel zu der Altenstat, 1605 [Siebmacher 63, 95]. The hoe’s blade is to base by Society default, which appears to be the opposite of the medieval default; the illustration shows a hoe inverted.

A variant form, the short-handled “hand hoe” or “mattock” (zappa in Italian), is found in the canting arms of de Sapis, mid-15^th C. [Triv 323]. For related charges, see adze, spade, trowel.

Nicholas of the North bears: Gules, three hoes inverted argent.

Arianwen verch Kynwraidd ap Aeddan bears as a badge: Vert, a hoe bendwise inverted blade to sinister Or.

Geiri Smiðsson bears: Per saltire azure and Or, in pale a mallet and a mattock both bendwise argent.

Hobbyhorse

Stick hobbyhorse (Accepted)

A hobbyhorse is a figure made of wicker or light wood, meant to resemble a horse. Two types were known in period: a large horse-costume used in medieval festivals in England, and a “stick hobbyhorse” used as a child’s toy (as illustrated in “Young folk at play” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, c.1560). The latter has been accepted as an heraldic charge in the Society.

The stick hobbyhorse is always so blazoned; it is palewise by Society default. The hobbyhorse’s “proper” tincture is brown, the color of wood. See also staff.

Eduard das Kind bears: Argent, a pair of wooden stick hobbyhorses in saltire proper.

Juliana de Ravenshagh bears: Per chevron inverted vert and argent, an angel argent and two stick hobbyhorses in saltire sable.

Hippogriff

Hippogriff segreant (Period)

This chimerical monster is considered a variant of the griffin, with the griffin’s head, wings and foreparts, and the hindquarters of a horse. It’s a late addition to the bestiary of monsters: one of its earliest mentions was in Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, 1516. Some authors (e.g., Vinycombe [161]) maintain that the hippogriff wasn’t used in period armory, but we have one period example: the arms of Greiff, mid-16h C., clearly depict a hippogriff, not a griffin [NW 37].

Unlike the griffin, the hippogriff doesn’t seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a hippogriff segreant (rampant). For related charges, see opinicus.

Iriel of Branoch bears: Sable, a hippogriff rampant to sinister Or.

Ysabeau Cameron bears: Per pale Or and gules, two hippogriffs combattant counterchanged.

Nicolette de Coulours bears: Quarterly purpure and vert, a hippogriff segreant Or.

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heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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