Fer-a-loup

Fer-à-loup (Period)

A fer-à-loup (French fer à loup, “wolf iron”) is a forestry implement, found in Continental heraldry. In French blazons, it may also be called a hameçon à loup; in German blazons, a wulfsangel; mundane texts also call it a “wolf-claw” or “wolf-trap”. The fer-à-loup is a period charge, found early on in the arms of von Stein or Stain, c.1340 [Zurich 203]; in the arms of von Stein, the charge remains in that form through the end of period [Siebmacher 111].

On other coats, however, the fer-à-loup’s form evolved over time: in some cases, with a solid bar appearing between the blade and its loop; in other cases, being reinterpreted as an axe-head.

The fer-à-loup’s convex cutting edge is to chief by medieval and Society default. See also knife.

Rognvaldr bassi bears: Per saltire gules and Or, a fer-à-loup sable.

Ulfarr MacDhughaill bears: Per pale sable and azure, a fer-a-loup and an orle Or.

Natalya of Lochmere bear: Argent, in pale three fers-à-loup sable.

Fence

Weir (Period)

Park pales (Period)

A fence is an enclosure around a field or piece of land, less massive or permanent than a wall, and usually made of wood or similar material. In period armory, the typical form was a wattle fence, drawn as wicker branches woven around posts; this form is found in the arms of Stapfer, 1605 [Siebmacher 199]. The wattle fence is also blazoned a “weir” or “yair”, which in period was submerged in streams and used to trap fish; it’s found in the canting arms of Zare, 1542 [Lindsay].

Another form of fence would be built from “park pales”: closely set pointed stakes, modernly called a picket fence. We find a period example of a park-pale fence in the arms of Zinhofen (sp.?), from the Hofkleiderbuch of Duke Wilhelm IV, early 16th C. [BSB Cgm.1952, image 268; see also Parker 442]. See also edifice.

George Warde bears: Vert, a weir Or.

Edelgard Erzsébet von Württemberg bears as a badge: Between the peaks of a mountain of two peaks argent issuant from park pales gules a hurst of trees proper.

Feather

Feather (Period)

A feather is one of the growths covering a bird’s wings and body; it consists of a quill or central shaft with a flat leaf-like surface growing from it. It is also termed a “plume”, though this term is usually reserved for ostrich tail feathers; some authors would define a “plume” as a bunch of ostrich feathers, so it is best to be specific.

The feather is sometimes misblazoned a “quill” or a “quill pen”. Strictly speaking, the quill is the central shaft of the feather, and the quill pen is a quill with its end carved into a nib. These distinctions are often blurred in Society heraldry, and the terms are close to synonymous in practice. It is still best to use the correct term.

In mundane heraldry, the default feather is an ostrich plume, as in the “shield for peace” of Edward the Black Prince, c.1350 [HB 152]; the Society’s default feather is a more generic shape, such as a goose feather (as in the illustration). It is palewise by default, with the quill point to base.

For related charges, see pen, plumetty. See also leaf, quill of yarn.

Antoine de Breton bears: Quarterly gules and purpure, a feather bendwise Or.

Adelicia Marie d’Argent bears: Argent, a sheaf of three peacock feathers proper, tied Or.

Salina of the Dale bears: Gules, two merlin feathers in pile, points crossed in nombril point argent.

Fasces

Fasces (Period)

A fasces is an axe bound in a bundle of sticks (called a fascine in Latin). The fasces was the symbol of civil justice, dating from Roman times; it’s found in the arms of Cardinal Mazarin, 1601 [Parker 250]. Its association with 20^th Century Fascists does not bar the fasces from Society use, though care should be taken. Its default orientation is palewise, as with the axe.

Charles of the Jacs bears: Sable, a broken fasces Or.

Gaius Cornelius Ursus bears: Quarterly vert and argent, two fasces vert.

Eóin mac Raghnaill bears: Or, on a bend sinister sable between two falcons striking to sinister and to dexter gules, an arrow inverted bound in a fascine Or.

Fan

Winnowing fan (Period)

Fan (Accepted)

A fan is a device for generating a current of air. In medieval heraldry, the default fan was more fully termed a “winnowing fan” or “vannet”; it was used to blow the chaff from grain. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of Septvans or Sevans, c.1275 [ANA2 556]; the handles are to chief, the wide part to base, by default.

In Society heraldry, the default fan is the handheld folding fan, used to cool humans. This form is open or spread, with the wide part to chief, by default. The folding fan is found in later period portraits (as in the “Ditchley” portrait of Elizabeth I, by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, c.1595), but no examples are known in European armory. However, a similar form, with paper covering the ribs, is found in Japanese Mon; this form (ogi) was borne by Satake Yoshinobu, 1569-1633 [Hawley 59].

Feather fan (Period)

Liturgical fan (Accepted)

Three other fans are found in Society armory. There’s the “feather fan”, with plumes attached to a handle; it’s similar to a feather-edged fan found in the arms of Hintaller, mid-16^th C. [NW 56]. There’s also the “liturgical fan”, a solid piece of stiffened fabric, used in church to keep insects away from the Host [EB X:168]. Finally, we have the “flag fan” (ventuolo) of 16^th C. Italy, a stiff vane of woven fiber or parchment on an offset handle, as seen in Boissard’s Habitus Variorum Orbis Gentium, 1581.

Flag fan (Accepted)

All of these fans are palewse, with handles to base, by default. Additionally, the asymmetrical flag fan has its vane to dexter by default; it is granted no difference from a banner (cf. flag).

Falcon

Falcon (Period)

The falcon is a raptor, a bird of prey, which can be domesticated for use by hunters. It is found as early as c.1295, in the canting arms of Fauconer [ANA2 204]. Heraldically, the falcon category includes “hawks”; there is considerable overlap in their attributes, though, strictly speaking, falcons and hawks are of differing species. In any event, the terms are considered interchangeable in heraldry.

The falcon is close by mundane and Society default (though Society blazons often specify the posture, nonetheless); when blazoned “proper” (and no species is specified), it is understood to be brown.

Falcons are often depicted as “belled and jessed”, with thongs and bells tied to the legs in the traditional falconer’s manner; this may be done even when not explicitly blazoned, as in the illustration. Falcons are also sometimes found “hooded”, with a leather hood over the head; this fact is always blazoned. A few period armories show the falcon atop a perch, as in the arms of Weele, 1610 [Guillim1 161]. The falcon may be found “preying” or “trussing” upon a smaller beast or bird, holding it in its talons while ripping it with its beak. For related charges, see eagle.

Joseph Hawk bears: Per fess embattled sable and argent, three hawks counterchanged.

Eliane Duran bears: Azure, a falcon ermine belled and jessed Or.

Estienne de Condé bears: Argent, three falcons vert.

Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses (Period)

Eyeglasses are a set of lenses mounted in a frame, used to correct faulty vision, dating from the 14^th Century. Period eyeglasses used thick circular lenses; the frames were either tied in place with ribbons, or else held in place by the hand for reading. The illustration shows the latter type, as found in the arms of Latini, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 268:243].

Eyeglasses are normally solidly tinctured, i.e., the frames and lenses are one tincture. If the lenses are of another tincture, they must be explicitly blazoned, e.g., “a pair of eyeglasses argent lensed vert”. If the lenses are removed, so that the field shows through, the charge may simply be blazoned “eyeglass frames”. See also mask.

The Order of the Grey Beard, of Trimaris, bears: Per pale sable and azure, in saltire a crutch Or and a sword inverted proper, in chief a pair of eyeglasses argent, stringed Or.

Edward Glass bears: Or, a pair of eyeglass frames sable.

Leif Andersson bears: Argent, a pair of eyeglasses sable lensed and on a chief vert two boar’s heads couped Or.

Eye

Eye (Period)

Cat’s eye (Accepted); Dragon’s eye (Disallowed)

An eye is an organ for seeing. It was used as an heraldic charge in the arms of di Belugi, mid-15^th C. [Triv 80], and in the badge of Blount, c.1520 [HB 79]. The default heraldic eye is the human eye. At one time, the Society defined proper tinctures for the eye, but that practice has been discontinued; eyes not solidly tinctured must be specified, e.g., an “eye argent irised azure”.

Other eye variants unique to Society heraldry include the “cyclopean eye”, which is perfectly round; the “cat’s eye”, with a slitted pupil; and the “dragon’s eye”, which has been described as a Germanic rune, and is no longer permitted for use in Society heraldry.

Kelan Greeneye bears: Azure, three eyes argent irised vert.

Melisande Shadow bears: Sable, two cat’s eyes vert pupilled sable and fimbriated argent.

Hywel ap Riccerch bears: Per saltire vert and gules, a barrel helm affronty argent, within the eyeslit a cyclopean eye argent irised sable.

Frederic of the West Tower bears as a badge: Or, a dragon’s eye gules.

Estoile

Estoile (Period)

An estoile is a heavenly body, the heraldic representation of a star in English heraldry. Its use dates from the 13^th Century, where it was often interchangeable with a mullet; toward the end of period, mullets were more often used to represent stars in Continental heraldry, while estoiles performed that function in English heraldry, as in the arms of Sir Francis Drake, 1581 [Wagner 72].

As defined in later period heraldry, the estoile has wavy rays, numbering six by default. One ray points to chief by default. If the number of rays is other than six, this must be explicitly blazoned; an estoile with fewer than six rays is deemed a step from period practice. For related charges, see comet, sun.

Sequora of Zagamar bears: Gyronny ermine and Or, an estoile gules.

Giovanni Basilio de Castronovo bears: Counter-ermine, three estoiles Or.

Matilda Stoyle bears: Azure, three estoiles argent.

Escutcheon

Escutcheon (Period)

An escutcheon is a heater-shaped shield, used as a charge in its own right since c.1244, in the arms of de Munchensy [Asp2 217]. Its default orientation is with its flat side to chief. In Society heraldry, to avoid the appearance of augmentations or arms of pretense, escutcheons used as charges should not themselves be charged.

Claude le Champenois bears: Barry sable and argent, an escutcheon gules.

Brendan McNeill O’Neill bears: Vert, three escutcheons Or.

Reis ap Tuder ap Wyn bears: Azure semy of escutcheons Or.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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